Stranger In Town Lyrics
I remember it was late one night
In the middle of a dream
Woke up in a pool of sweat
Thought I heard a scream
Ran over to the window sill
Stuck my head out for a peek
Dressed in black was a man I didn't recognize
Running down my back street
My heart skipped a beat
[Chorus]
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
When he comes around
Don't make a sound
[Verse 2]
Got the morning paper and the headlines read:
Danger to the queen
Buckingham Palace better tighten things up
The son of a bitch is mean
Vendors on the corner just doin' their job
Acting like nothing's new
Scotland Yard's still looking for him
But he doesn't leave a single clue
What can they do?
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
When he comes around
Don't make a sound
[Verse 3]
Who's this man who fell out of the sky?
What's he done and where's he live?
How can a man who's a criminal
Be a hero to the kids?
The old couple swear that the Ripper's back
They say it's him all right
The young girl says it's Jesus
And he won't be back again tonight
I wonder who's right
[Chorus]
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
When he comes around
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
There's a stranger in town
You better watch out
When he comes around
Don't make a sound
About
“Stranger in Town” is a hit song by American rock band Toto from their 1984 album Isolation.
It was the first single released from that album, reaching the Top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984. The song was the band’s highest-ever charting Mainstream Rock track, eventually peaking at number 7. It was also a Top 40 single in Australia, where it remains the fourth highest charting single by Toto, behind only “Hold the Line”, “Rosanna”, and “Africa”.
The song was written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, and features Paich on lead vocals. Though Bobby Kimball is officially credited as a guest musician on the album, having been fired from Toto, “Stranger in Town” was recorded while he was still a member of the group.
The music video (directed by Steve Barron) and lyrics to the song are based on the film Whistle Down The Wind, about an escaped convict who runs into a group of children that mistake him for Jesus. Actor Brad Dourif plays the convict, and new member Fergie Frederiksen appears as a murder victim. Dourif and Toto would also work on the movie Dune that same year.
The video was nominated at the 1985 MTV Music Video Awards for Best Direction.
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