'Stranger song' and 'Suzanne' are the two songs that have their lyrics
printed on the album. Does anybody have any theory or knowledge of
why these two were singled out?


 With its insistent 'plonkety-plonk' on the guitar (this about sums up my
knowledge of musical jargon), and Cohen's voice as the only other musical
ingredient, this song powerfully carries the listener along. Cohen is
singing close to the microphone; you hear the occasional puffing aspirate.
I like the overall mood and music of this song more than the story told,
no doubt because it too convincingly portrays the relation between
self-indulgent men and women who are prepared to indulge them even further...
The "golden arm" must be taken to be a reference to the book/movie "The
man with the golden arm", but Cohen displays an abysmal ignorance of
metallurgy in speaking of gold rusting. Anyway, I like listening to this
song.
     It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
     who said they were true with dealing
     Every time you gave them shelter
     I know that kind of man
     It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
     who is reaching for the sky just to surrender.


     And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
     you find he did not leave you very much
     not even laughter
     Like any dealer he was watching for the card
     that is so high and wild
     he'll never need to deal another
     He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
     He was just some Joseph looking for a manger


     And then leaning on your window sill
     he'll say one day you caused his will
     to weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
     And then taking from his wallet
     an old schedule of trains, he'll say
     I told you when I came I was a stranger
     I told you when I came I was a stranger.


     But now another stranger seems
     to want you to ignore his dreams
     as though they were the burden of some other
     O you've seen that man before
     his golden arm dispatching cards
     but now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger
     And he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
     Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter.


     You hate to see another tired man
     lay down his hand
     like he was giving up the holy game of poker
     And while he talks his dreams to sleep
     you notice there's a highway
     that is curling up like smoke above his shoulder.


     You tell him to come in sit down
     but something makes you turn around
     The door is open you can't close your shelter
     You try the handle of the road
     It opens do not be afraid
     It's you my love, you who are the stranger
     It's you my love, you who are the stranger.


     Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
     we'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
     I think it's time to board another
     Please understand, I never had a secret chart
     to get me to the heart of this
     or any other matter
     Well he talks like this
     you don't know what he's after
     When he speaks like this,
     you don't know what he's after.


     Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
     upon the shore, beneath the bridge
     that they are building on some endless river
     Then he leaves the platform
     for the sleeping car that's warm
     You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
     And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
     And you say ok the bridge or someplace later.


     And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
     you find he did not leave you very much
     not even laughter
     Like any dealer he was watching for the card
     that is so high and wild he'll never need
     to deal another
     He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
     He was just some Joseph looking for a manger.


     And leaning on your window sill
     he'll say one day you caused his will
     to weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
     And then taking from his wallet
     an old schedule of trains
     he'll say, I told you when I came I was a stranger
     I told you when I came I was a stranger.

>It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
>who said they were true with dealing
 Oops! Somehow, in copying this from the album, 'through' became 'true'.