This song is about how when we think we know somebody, we often hardly know that person at all. "The Stranger" is the collective for the unknown things about people we know: "Although we share so many secrets, there are some we never tell." According to Joel, the song can also relate to how we don't always know ourselves. He says that his halfhearted suicide attempt at age 21 (he tried to end his life by drinking furniture polish) was an inspiration for the song, as it revealed a dark side of his personality that wasn't readily apparent.
Joel told USA Today July 9, 2008: "After we recorded the song, I remember thinking, 'it needs some sort of introduction. It needs a prelude or a theme, and then it should slam into the song.' I played the theme on the piano to show Phil (Ramone, the album's producer) and whistled along with it, and I said, 'What instrument do you think should do that?' And Phil said, 'You just did it.' I heard it played back and went, 'That's kind of cool, I like that.' It was really the theme to the album because it was born in the studio during the process, and it just kind of captured the mood."
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