As the lyrics demonstrate, "Strangers by Nature" is among the more straightforward songs on "30." Adele is in a plaintive, contemplative mood, admitting, "I'll be taking flowers to the cemetery of my heart / For all of my lovers in the present and in the dark." She laments throughout the song, "No one knows what it's like to be us." Mama Mia ponders whether Adele was influenced by "The Wizard of Oz," pointing out the track begins with the dong of a bell while the "ethereal, other-worldly sound" could easily sound-track Dorothy's skip down the yellow brick road. Vogue makes the same connection — many outlets have called the track an "homage" to Judy Garland — though Vogue argues there's a touch of Lynchian eccentricity to the track too. Rather than blaming her lovers for their indiscretions, as she has done in the past, Adele wonders whether she'll ever recover from how she's treated them.
By the end of "Strangers by Nature," however, Adele announces "Alright then, I'm ready," either to deal with her past and move forward, or crack her chest open for fans once again. Billboard ranked the song dead last out of the twelve on the album, but they praised it all the same, since a less-than-amazing Adele song is still a great Adele song. "With a grand string arrangement and dreamy production, Adele gives us a window in the intimate problems of a timeless star, and offers a sorrowful melisma once the strings drop away," Billboard noted.
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