The Stranger Song (Tour of 1979)

It's true that all the men you knew
Were dealers who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
Well, I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of
Anyone who's reaching for the sky just to surrender
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You'll find he did not leave you very much
No, 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
Just some Holy Joseph looking for a manger

And then leaning on your windowsill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love, your warmth and your 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"

Ah, but now another stranger seems to want you
To ignore his dreams, as though they were the burden of some other
You've seen that man before
His golden arm dispatching cards
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes, he wants to trade the song he sings for shelter

Well, 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 now suddenly you look a little older
Yeah, suddenly you feel a little older

Well, you tell him to come in, sit down
But something makes you turn around
The door is open, you cannot 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

Now, while 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
Yes, he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after

Ah, 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 that stranger
And you say, "OK, the bridge, or someplace later"

And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You'll find he did not leave you very much
No, 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
Yeah, just some Joseph looking for a manger

And leaning on your windowsill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love, your warmth and your shelte
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"
"I told you when I came I was a stranger"