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The Stranger

from My Heart In Your Hands by Jerry Paladino

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about

The true story of the Stranger, and how his influenced changed my life--not always in a good way...

lyrics

A few short months ‘fore I was born,
On a hot & humid July morn,
A stranger came to our Tennessee town--
It was easy to see that he’d been around:
So full of stories of varying themes,
Tales of woe, of passion and dreams--
Right then from the very start
He captivated my Papa’s heart,
& before you could whistle ‘Jimmy Crack Corn’,
Papa had invited him home.

Then I was born & filled my space,
& as I grew up I never questioned his place:
He'd sit right there in the corner & weave his stories by the hour, and no one could leave--
Hypnotized by the tales he told,
we were fascinated! Why, he could hold
our whole family spell-bound hours on end--
except for Mama, who'd recommend we all
grab a book or go outside & get some exercise.

Chorus:
Who’s he, the Stranger,
that’s molding our thoughts & lives?
Is he a danger or just opening up our eyes?
Who’s he, the Stranger,
An enemy or a friend?
One thing for sure,
we’ll never be the same again,
We’ll never be the same again.

Now, he knew the past like no other creature;
Understood the present, predicted the future;
Politics, history, science, sport--why,
He knew it all, a genius of sorts!
He took us to all his favorite places,
& filled our anxious waiting faces
With all the good things he’d been told;
Yep, he knew the world, it’s glitter & gold...
But He also knew the darker side,
and LOVED to lay it before our eyes.

Now Papa & Mamma had strong convictions,
And ran our house with loving restrictions:
No bad language was ever to be heard,
But how the stranger liked 4 letter words
That stung my ears & made’m burn,
And made dear Mamma & Papa squirm;
He'd boldly stand right there & sneer
At values that my folks held dear...
Why, to this day I just cannot perceive
Why Papa never asked him to leave.

He had some strange ideas about sex,
And constantly offered us cigarettes,
Preachin’ to us that beer & wine
Would somehow bring us peace of mind.
Gory stories filled with action,
And bloody endings were his passion...
As I look back on all those years,
I truly feel so many fears I’ve had through life
were planted then, while spending time with him!


Now 40 years have come & gone,
& both Mamma & Papa have slowed down some;
Papa's no longer so in a daze
from the Stranger’s talkative ways.
But to this day, if you walk in my parent's house, there in the den The Stranger sits,
just a’waiting for someone to listen to his stories,
& those tales he loves to weave...
His name?...

...We just called him TV…

TV, the Stranger,
that’s molding our thoughts and lives--
Is he a danger, or just opening up our eyes
TV, the Stranger,
Be careful what he has to say.
One thing’s for sure:
You'd better take control today!
You'd better take control today!

credits

from My Heart In Your Hands, released January 20, 2010
Author/Composer: Jerry Paladino [text based on an article I read--if you are the author, please get in touch and I will gladly give credit where credit is due!]

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about

Jerry Paladino Austin, Texas

I’m Jerry Paladino, international recording artist, singer, & songwriter. I’ve been a friend and follower of Jesus of Nazareth, and for the last 45 years have put my time & energies into sharing His message and teachings with those I meet. THIS IS MY SITE: Welcome to it! ... more

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