We Might as Well Be Strangers

Single infobox
Name = We Might As Well Be Strangers
Artist = Keane & DJ Shadow
from Album = Hopes and Fears
Released = flagicon|US February 15, 2005
flagicon|EU February 22, 2005
Format = 10" Vinyl
iTunes exclusive download
Recorded = Helioscentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex

Genre = Dance
Power ballad (album version)
Length = 3:37
Writer = Tim Rice-Oxley
Tom Chaplin
Richard Hughes
DJ Shadow
Producer = DJ Shadow
Chart position = 4/Hot Dance Singles Sales USA
Last single = "This Is the Last Time" (2004)
This single = "We Might As Well Be Strangers" (2005)
Next single = "Bend and Break" (2005)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Hopes and Fears CD+DVD
Type = studio
prev_track = "Bedshaped"
prev_no = 12
this_track = "We Might As Well Be Strangers DJ Shadow Remix"
track_no = 13
next_track = "Snowed Under"
next_no = 14|

"We Might As Well Be Strangers" is a song performed and composed by English piano rock band Keane and is featured as the third track on their debut studio album, "Hopes and Fears". The song was remixed and released as a special edition single by DJ Shadow, which is featured as the closing track of the special CD+DVD edition of the album. The song was featured on "Smallville" fourth season episode "Spell" and in the movie "Raise Your Voice".

Track listing

US 10" Vinyl 1712175
#"We Might As Well Be Strangers" (DJ Shadow Remix)
#"We Might As Well Be Strangers" (DJ Shadow Remix Instrumental)

Information about song

"We Might as Well Be Strangers" has often been considered a highlight of live gigs, a fan favourite and one of Keane's most memorable and best songs, but was never released as a proper single by the band alone. The song's title has been "borrowed" for the new users board on the official Keane forum, and is referred to in the title of Strangers.

Musical structure

Quaver and acoustic piano chords introduce Chaplin vocals within the first seconds of the song. The piano riff resembles a honky-tonk sound until the second verse. Drums enter on the 63rd second to convert the song into a power ballad. Strings fade until the chorus to let the most emotional moments of the song on 2:00. The outro gradually returns to a basis like the intro, with drums fading and leaving piano and singer alone again. The remix version shows an altered tempo and rhythm and with a dance drum kit from the first verse. A synthesizer is added to symbolize the verse change while minor voice echoes start to appear. The extended verse leaves the original drumming until the reprise with a third and fourth lines, not found on the original recording. Outro remains similar, but with vox synthesizer distorting the original.

Instrumentation

*Bass
*Drums
*Piano
*Strings synthesizer
*Vocals (by Chaplin)
*Square synthesizer (only remix)
*Vox synthesizer (only remix)

Technical information