Is It Really so Strange? (Live in Boston)

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a restless spirit, driven by an unshakeable feeling, possibly love, that defies external attempts to alter it. The narrator details a cyclical journey, moving from North to South and back again, each time encountering confusion and escalating, almost absurd, acts of self-destruction or defiance – kicking, punching, breaking bones, even killing a horse and a nun. These extreme actions are presented not as causes for regret, but as futile attempts to change an internal state that remains constant: "But you won't change the way I feel / 'Cause I love you." The central tension arises from the narrator's persistent questioning, "Is it really so strange?" This refrain, repeated with increasing insistence, highlights a disconnect between the narrator's internal experience and the perceived norms of the world. The repeated assertion of love, juxtaposed with the violent imagery and the narrator's own destructive acts, suggests a profound, perhaps unconventional, devotion that the narrator struggles to reconcile with societal understanding. The contrast between the narrator's "no" and the other's "yes" in the chorus further emphasizes this fundamental disagreement about what is considered strange. The most striking craft element is the escalating absurdity of the narrator's actions, moving from physical assault to killing a horse and then a nun. This hyperbole serves to underscore the immutability of the narrator's core feeling. The repetition of "I can't help the way I feel" in Verse 3 amplifies this sense of helplessness and inevitability. The final realization in Verse 4, that "I could never go back home again," suggests that this unshakeable feeling and the journey it necessitates have irrevocably altered the narrator's path, making a return to a former state impossible. Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they capture a raw, defiant emotional honesty. The narrator's unwavering declaration of love, despite the chaos and self-inflicted pain, speaks to a powerful internal conviction. The song doesn't offer easy answers but instead presents a compelling portrait of someone committed to their feelings, even when those feelings lead them down a path that appears profoundly strange to others.