Song Meaning
The lyrics to "What You Find Strange" open with a tender, almost vulnerable plea for connection, asking "Let's make a pact / Full of our love." This quickly shifts to a probing question about emotional guardedness: "If I called you honey / Will your heart collapse?" It sets up an immediate tension between a desire for intimacy and a perceived resistance to it, hinting at a deep-seated fear of vulnerability.
This personal tension expands into a powerful declaration of collective identity. The repeated lines, "What you find strange we find in our bodies / What you cannot find we bleed from our pores," establish a stark "us vs. them" dynamic. The speaker and their community possess an inherent truth, a visceral reality that outsiders deem peculiar or simply cannot perceive. This isn't just a difference of opinion; it's a fundamental, almost biological, distinction.
The craft here is particularly effective in its use of visceral imagery and stark contrast. The idea of something so intrinsic it "bleed[s] from our pores" makes the group's identity undeniable and deeply felt, not merely a choice. The "box against our bodies" then appears to be a protective barrier, safeguarding a "hopeful mass" from external judgment. This suggests a community that has learned to shield its unique truths from a world that misunderstands them.
Ultimately, the lyrics move from a personal question of intimacy to a communal affirmation. The closing lines, "You love them as they are / Build these signs will risen / To sanctify our men," suggest a journey from seeking individual acceptance to building collective validation. It's a powerful statement of self-worth, asserting the right to exist and be honored for who they are, regardless of what others might "find strange."
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