STRANGER
(Words and Music by Rick Springfield and Mark Spiro)

Look at me baby
Tell me what you see
Am I the one you love
Or am I your enemy
You can turn your head
I can wash my hands
But I've got to know where I stand

'Cause sometimes I feel like a stranger in my house
And I wonder who's lying with me
I'm seeing ghosts walking round in the hallways
And they look like we used to be
When I look in the mirror I see
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house

We built this house of love
It was safe inside these walls
But if love isn't living here
This house will surely fall
We've got to scream
We've got to fight
Do anything to make it all right

'Cause sometimes I feel like a stranger in my house
And I wonder who's lying with me
I'm seeing ghosts walking round in the hallways
And they look like we used to be
When I look in the mirror I see
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house

We can scream it
Got to work it out
And find the book of love
We can shout it
Got to open up and shed a little blood
It's raining on the outside
But the house has sprung a leak
I can take it, you can hit me
I can turn the other cheek
Got to do anything we got to do
Baby look at where we've been
We can build it up
We can tear it down
But we've got to start again

Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my house
And I wonder who's lying with me
I'm seeing ghosts walking round in the hallways
And they look like we used to be

Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my house
And I swear if you'd just look at me
Then all those ghosts walking around the hallways
Will be something that used to be

When I look in the mirror I see
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house
A stranger in my house

(total playing time 4:17)

Song Facts: This can be found on Sahara Snow.

According to US

Is it me, or does this one remind you of "I need you" ? I swear these two songs could have been from the same recording session. Rick's voice sounds the same to me. It's in that choked up manner that oozes sexuality, but also sounds like it's not his words. (ok, I tried for days to put that sentence in better words but it's been a struggle-so I hope you get my point) The first time I heard this one, it also immediately reminded me of Tao's "Stranger in the House". I like this one better though as I find SITH to be too repetitious. This too is a recurring theme throughout Rick's music, of the struggling relationship he seems to be in. However I don't see just one person being the "stranger" but Rick referring to both parties as being someone he does not recognize.

This song sends a very good message about fighting for the love that you once knew or thought you had. It's funny how Rick seems to do his talking thru his music, I doubt if he's that articulate in his real relationship (but I'm only speculating). I'm thinking if he was he wouldn't be spitting out this type of music, eh? It also seems the further we get into this CD, the more re-hashing of songs is taking place. Words and themes from Tao and Rock of Life and the previous songs on this album are weaving in and out, I think it's at this point the avid Springfield fan could probably decipher Rick working himself out of his writers block. 

This is another take it or leave it song for me. I don't ever skip it when listening to SS, but I don't think I'd miss it if it weren't there. I nominate this one as a good one to slip into some movie scene as a plot stringer...you know where the characters have broken up, and the camera if following one of them waling around looking morose..Michelle P.

I've always liked this song. I too was struck on the first listen to how similar it was to Stranger in the House on Tao, but I admit I like this version better. That song seems angrier in vibe and tone than this one. This one seems more positive I think in "we'll work it out, we can work it out, we'll do whatever it takes, look at where we've been, if we can overcome that, we can overcome anything" tone rather than the "Oh my goodness, what's wrong with us, why are we so distant?" Kind of like when you are in a long term relationship and you think, "This can't be right, it's supposed to be PERFECT if we're meant to be together..." until you realize that every couple goes through this to some extent. It's clear they both describe the same type of thing (perhaps, even, the same relationship) but from a different place. 

I do think it is amazing to read everyone's takes on the songs, especially when there is not agreement. It really is refreshing to see what others feel about them! - Amy SP

I don't want to be mundane and state the obvious, this is definitely Stranger in the House revisited. I liked that on Tao and I like this one even better. The opening verse, melts me every time. The wording, and especially the voice. And it sets the mood for the whole song. It is so common for us to be meanest to the people we love, as Rob Thomas said (my second favorite song writer of all time) - I'm sorry about the attitude I need to give when I'm with you, but no one else will take this shit from me. So I totally understand the thought "hey, am I your friend or your enemy because it's a little cloudy for me right now".......

This updated version of Stranger seems to be a little softer then the Tao version, and where in Tao, it seemed to be both their faults, here it seems to be more her who has changed and is the "stranger", even though he says he sees a stranger in the mirror, everything else seems to point to her. I remember someone else saying they thought that this version seemed more personal, and I actually thought the Tao version was really personal, down to the vision of him smelling her clothes, that conjures up much more of a visual then anything said here. But, the earlier one was Stranger in *the* House, where this line is Stranger in *My* house. I find that very interesting.

One other part that stands out for me is:
I can take it, you can hit me
I can turn the other cheek 

That seems to be another theme that pops up now and then, the female getting a little physical.
I can identify with the song a little. When he writes one called "Stranger in My Life", then he'll really have hit the jackpot for me. - rlh

I agree that this sounded much like "sith" from Tao. why repeat the theme? my $.02.

(1) life's problems never really change. same s***, different day. marriage especially is a state of flux. just because we've worked out problem A doesn't mean that problem B will go away. (i like the tao version much better, myself.)
(2) ss was an album written as an experiment. writers are notorious for having notebooks full of ideas that were rejected or haven't been really formed yet. rick might have been stumped with this tune, and have gone back to his notebooks (or tapes or whatever) and thought, hey, this was plan B for sith, didn't really work for tao (much too slow), maybe i could use it here.... reduce, reuse, recycle. :)
(3) this has been in his idea repetoire since "what would the children think." it's written from a different perspective, but the problem is the same. a marriage in BIG trouble, a different solution to staying together--just duck your head and pretend, as opposed to the fight it out and go on with life.
(4) why ask why? how many different versions of boy meets girl, boy lusts after girl, boy gets girl can a person write? love songs are a dime a dozen. LIFE songs are priceless.

two more things.
in stranger, this person knows exactly where to "hit" his tender spots. violence doesn't bother him. but no sex and not being looked at really gets his goat. pretty tough to deal with for a man who's spent most of his life in the spotlight.

someone else pointed it out--whatever the problem is here that he is SOOOO willing to work out, was most likely caused by something HE did. it's much easier to want to "work it out" when you're not the one who was hurt. sgeorge