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Well, we all have a face that we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone.
Some are satin, some are steel,
Some are silk and some are leather.
They're the faces of a stranger,
But we'd love to try them on.
Well, we all fall in love,
But we disregard the danger,
Though we share so many secrets,
There are some we never tell.
Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger?
Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself?
Don't be afraid to try again.
Everyone goes south every now and then.
You've done it.
Why can't someone else?
You should know by now.
You've been there yourself.
Once I used to believe I was such a great romancer.
Then I came home to a woman that I could not recognize.
When I pressed her for a reason,
She refused to even answer.
It was then I felt the stranger kick me right between the eyes.
Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself.
Don't be afraid to try again.
Everyone goes south every now and then.
You've done it.
Why can't someone else?
You should know by now.
You've been there yourself.
You may never understand how the stranger is inspired.
But he isn't always evil and he is not always wrong.
Though you drown in good intensions,
You will never quench the fire.
You'll give in to your desire when the stranger comes along.
And we take them out and show ourselves when everyone has gone.
Some are satin, some are steel,
Some are silk and some are leather.
They're the faces of a stranger,
But we'd love to try them on.
Well, we all fall in love,
But we disregard the danger,
Though we share so many secrets,
There are some we never tell.
Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger?
Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself?
Don't be afraid to try again.
Everyone goes south every now and then.
You've done it.
Why can't someone else?
You should know by now.
You've been there yourself.
Once I used to believe I was such a great romancer.
Then I came home to a woman that I could not recognize.
When I pressed her for a reason,
She refused to even answer.
It was then I felt the stranger kick me right between the eyes.
Well, we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised that you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see the stranger in yourself.
Don't be afraid to try again.
Everyone goes south every now and then.
You've done it.
Why can't someone else?
You should know by now.
You've been there yourself.
You may never understand how the stranger is inspired.
But he isn't always evil and he is not always wrong.
Though you drown in good intensions,
You will never quench the fire.
You'll give in to your desire when the stranger comes along.
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I've heard this song since I was a kid but I never bothered to dissect the lyrics before. But this is currently my favorite song. These lyrics are deep.
it's always seemed to me like it was about the aspects of your personality that you hide from others and only show yourself, like when you're alone or inside your thoughts. this seems like one of those songs that's open to interpretation, because in some places the lyrics are really cryptic and could have a million different meanings. that's just the way I see it :D
What about this segment?:
You've done it, why can't someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself
Is he trying to say to his partner that was like him in a way and she got her self back on the track and he's asking her to try again and understand him and help him and be beside him?
Billy Joel was addicted to alcohol does this ring a bell? Was alcohol one of his masks? When we are drunk we are diff people moreover most of the talented singer/ composers create songs while being in this situation. I don’t know this song is really great. We need “Billy Joel” own interpretation I guess…
The stranger (shadow), says Joel, isn't always evil
and he isn't always wrong. Though you drown in good intentions You will never quench the fire
You'll give in to your desire When the stranger comes along.
In other words, the shadow contains enormous energy and possibilities that we ignore at our peril. If we don't own the dissociated aspects of ourselves, like hungry dogs locked in the basement, they can wreak havok when released. Better to embrace them so we can use their energy for our own growth and development.
1
Because, of course, it would be our lovers who know our true selves. The question is, do we ever let our lovers see the people we become when we are out in the world?
And FuzzyMonkey:
"Everyone goes south" is a relatively well-known adage meaning that nobody is perfect. The song really has nothing to do with masturbation.
Source is right. You're an idiot.