It's true that all the men you knew
Were dealers who said they were through
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
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
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
Then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken 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
Oh 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 plays for shelter
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
You hate to watch 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
And it's 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
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
When 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
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
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APPEARS ON:
Record Club: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
LENGTH:
5:22
WRITTEN BY:
Leonard Cohen
PRODUCED BY:
Beck Hansen
STUDIO:
Sunset Sound Studios
PERFORMERS:
Beck Hansen
Vocals, Keyboards
Andrew VanWyngarden
Vocals, Drums
Devendra Banhart
Vocals, Percussion
Will Berman
Bass
Benjamin Goldwasser
Keyboards
Brian Lebarton
Percussion
Bram Inscore
Percussion
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