More Lancelot than Galahad

Definitely the best tracks off Boxer, “Mistaken for Strangers” will blow your mind with it’s sick backbeat and unique blend of sound. You can barely tell anything apart it all works together so well. Add the fairly mellow vocals to contrast and you get the darkly upbeat masterpiece that crowns this album.
Not only is “Mistaken for Strangers” an amazing song by an amazing band, but the message behind it—or rather the message I am choosing to construe from it—is something I am certain many Northwestern citizens can relate to.
Have you ever been walking down Sheridan Road and seen someone you know? Of course. Have you ever stopped to say hello and chat with your friends. I’m sure you have. Have you ever been in a hurry and merely smiled, waved or nodded. Yes.
Now riddle me this: have you ever seen someone you are certain you met and spoke to at some point in your life, someone you’ve hooked up with, even, attempted a smile or nod of acknowledgement and been completely ignored? If you said no, you are a liar because if you go to Northwestern I am willing to bet you have experienced this wonderfully awkwardish situation.
So here’s where the chorus rings true to NU life: “You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends, when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights.” And while the lights may not be silvery and they may not originate from Citibank, you get the point. Someone could probably make a music video for this song by putting hidden cameras around campus and editing it all into 3:32 minutes.

“You wouldn’t want an angel watching over,” because it’s embarrassing when that happens. “Surprise, surprise, they wouldn’t want to watch” because it’s just painful for everyone who witnesses it. I don’t really know what our campus population deal is with that. Everyone should just be really friendly and say hi to people even if you’re not sure you know them.
For instance, last week I think I may have smiled and waved to around five people I don’t think I’ve actually met because they look like combinations of people I know and in that split second when I’m thinking “to wave or not to wave” I always just go with the wave. At the end of the day I’d rather be too friendly than not. So maybe now you’ll get mistaken for friends by your own strangers… or something like that.