The English rock band the Stranglers was formed as the Guildford Stranglers in early 1974. That year they wrote the song “Strange Little Girl.” They submitted it to EMI in 1975 as part of a demo; the demo and the band were rejected. Later in their career, they got a contract with the Liberty label, which was part of EMI. In 1982, having decided to leave the Liberty label for Epic Records, they re-recorded the song, and in July released it as a single (with “Cruel Garden” as B-side), their last one on that label.
“Strange Little Girl” peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1982. The song was included as bonus track on the 2001 CD reissue of their 1981 album La Folie.
The original music video featured the band and a group of girl punks in London, and was shot around Cambridge Circus and Liverpool Street. I have chosen another video of the song, from the band’s official YouTube channel:
The lyrics are rather strange, telling about a little girl who left home and ran to the town, but she found all things cold and now she is feeling old. I give them below, taken from Genius:
Strange Little Girl
One day you see a strange little girl look at you
One day you see a strange little girl feeling blue
She’d run to the town one day
Leaving home and her country fair
Just beware
When you’re there
Strange little girl
She didn’t know how to live in a town that was rough
It didn’t take long before she knew she’d had enough
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she’s feeling old
And she found all things cold
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Walking home in her wrapped up world
She survived but she’s feeling old
‘Cause she found all things cold
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Strange little girl
Where are you going?
Do you know where you could be going?
Another version of the song was performed by Tori Amos, it was released as the first and only single from her 2001 album Strange Little Girls.