Beautiful Stranger
Lyrics
Haven't we met
You're some kind of beautiful stranger
You could be good for me
I've had the taste for danger
If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Heaven forbid
I'll take my chance on a beautiful stranger
I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song
To know you is to love you
You're everywhere I go
And everybody knows
To love you is to be part of you
I've paid for you with tears
And swallowed all my pride
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
If I'm smart then I'll run away
But I'm not so I guess I'll stay
Haven't you heard
I fell in love with a beautiful stranger
I looked into your face
My heart was dancing all over the place
I'd like to change my point of view
If I could just forget about you
To know you is to love you
You're everywhere I go
And everybody knows
I looked into your eyes
And my world came tumbling down
You're the devil in disguise
That's why I'm singing this song to you
To know you is to love you
You're everywhere I go
And everybody knows
I've paid for you with tears
And swallowed all my pride
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Da-da-da-dum da-dum da-dum da da da-da dum
Beautiful stranger
Credits
Written by Madonna and William Orbit
Produced by Madonna and William Orbit
Rumour has it that Madonna's then-boyfriend Andy Bird was the inspiration behind the song.
Album
Single
Madonna contributed the song Beautiful Stranger to the soundtrack of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Released on May 19, 1999, the single charted at #1 in Canada, Finland and Italy, #2 in the UK (kept from the top spot by S Club 7's 'Bring It All Back'), #5 in Japan and Australia. In the US, it was not commercially released as single but still managed to chart at #19 based on airplay only. Beautiful Stranger earned Madonna and William Orbit a Grammy in the category 'Best Song Written For A Motion Picture'.
Video
In the Brett Ratner-directed video we see Austin Powers on the road as he gets the assignment to catch a spy. A spy that's "a master of disguise". And quite sexy too, when we see her on stage on high heels, jumping around and turning the dancing crowd mad. Horny Austin soon has fantasies about him and M in the car. A sexy video that immediately gets you on your feet. It won the well-deserved Best Video From A Movie Award at the 1999 MTV VMA.
Tour
'Shall we shag now or shall we shag later?' Austin asks and Maddy shouts 'And you can fuck off too!'. That way she bursts into Beautiful Stranger on the Drowned World tour. Jumping around on stage in her Scottish kilt, she drives the crowd wild. Later on, she and partners-in-crime Niki and Donna pull a 'cameraman' on stage and make the shy boy blush!