Oct 17, 20222 min read

Better Strangers Shares "Nicotine Dreams" An Emotional Response to Suicide of A Stranger.

Updated: Dec 22, 2023

Better Strangers shares Nicotine Dreams with Craig Claro of Cage Riot. — Photo Courtesy of Better Strangers

This is an emotionally upsetting article about a fantastic song created from the horribleness of reality, so please stop reading if you are not in a solid mental state.

Better Strangers shares "Nicotine Dreams," a song about the aftermath and impact a suicide has on even friends of a friend, and then even strangers, and then ultimately on all of us. The lyrics are about a person who didn't even know the victim and yet became a victim themselves. Violence against oneself is an emotional attack against more people than one may realize. This song bringing this to light is powerful, necessary, and performed excellently.

I am glad that nicotine was addressed by this artist as a drug (both in the song title and an explanation video on YouTube) and is treated as a means of coping because we sometimes just accept some things as less than what they really are. Still, alcohol and narcotics are also used visually.

I think suicide and self-violence can possibly be curtailed if we all knew how hard the thought we (all?) have had and may have in the future being carried out has on others.

Better Strangers - The Cage, a music discovery platform by Cage Riot — Actress: Alexanna Brier

The actress, ALEXANNA, is either a seasoned veteran or may be new (I didn't have time to investigate), but I want to say that this was a STELLAR portrayal that made my skin crawl. I predict a long and prosperous career for all involved in this creation. I've seen pain and how, most of the time, we don't know a person is dealing with an issue until it's sort of too late or that they may be and hopefully have recovered. The emotion drawn out of me by the performance was nothing short of amazing. BRAVO Better Strangers, ALEXANNA, and the whole production team.

The song is the foundation that perfectly drives the "anxiousness" in my blood. I can't help but feel the guitars as they rise and meet the incredibly sung lyrics. This video is a 1000% must-see for audio and video "files."

Did I mention the song itself is killer!!! (I know I just had to emphasize)

Let's go back and remember that the story is about a person who didn't know the victim. As a person who has multiple times seen the aftermath of violence on strangers and friends, I can tell you that the effect is, unfortunately, the same. If you have empathy, you will feel the same for anyone who could have avoided such a horrible outcome.

So, if you have feelings that are turning into thoughts and then turning into actions toward suicide …maybe we can think this: if we think of the people we don't know and maybe haven't met yet as something we take into consideration, we should think that if that someone is upset we are gone, perhaps if we shared ourselves with them, we could save THEIR life, and they may appreciate us for it, thereby giving us purpose.