Wild Orphan
Lloyd Cole Lyrics


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You're standing out in the corridor
Of the worst hotel that you've ever dreamed
A frayed linoleum paradise
Where you walk on cash and you calloused heels and

Oh, to count the cost of no returning
No, when innocence is lost
You just keep turning wild
My wild orphan child
My orphan child
My orphan wild in the wilderness

And you look a little like Jodie Foster
12 years old but your eyes are 35
And that's no joking matter
You've got no body hair and nobody cares

But no, you know it all
I can't deny it
Cute, with razor blade in pocket
Well, I don't buy it
And so when I see you smile
It only makes me want to cry

My wild orphan child
My orphan wild in the world

I saw you, babe, at the Mirabelle
Feeding oysters from the half shell
Oh, but you're such a busy girl
You say
I know where the real money is found
Inside of a hopelessness and yearning




Yes, and cold is what to be
To touch the burning flame I see

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lloyd Cole's "Wild Orphan" paint a picture of a young girl who has been forced to grow up too quickly. She's standing in the corridor of a run-down hotel, where the linoleum is frayed and money is the only thing that walks with ease. We learn that she's lost her innocence and her childhood, and that she's turned wild as a result.


The singer compares her to Jodie Foster, who famously played a twelve-year-old prostitute in the film "Taxi Driver." The girl in the song has the eyes of someone much older than her actual age, and she doesn't seem to care about her lack of bodily hair. The singer can't deny that she's cute, but he also sees the razor blade in her pocket and recognizes the danger that she represents.


Line by Line Meaning

You're standing out in the corridor
The song starts by describing a scene where the singer is standing alone in a hotel hallway.


Of the worst hotel that you've ever dreamed
The hotel is not nice, and the singer finds it difficult to be there.


A frayed linoleum paradise
The hotel is in bad condition, but it has a flawed charm.


Where you walk on cash and your calloused heels
The floor is tiled with cash, and the artist's feet have become damaged from walking on it.


Oh, to count the cost of no returning
The artist is contemplating the price of adventuring beyond a point of return where they can never go back to where they were.


No, when innocence is lost
The singer knows that there is no going back once their innocence is lost.


You just keep turning wild
Once the singer has lost their innocence, they start to become wild and uncontrollable.


My wild orphan child
The artist is referred to as a wild orphan child, which reflects their unchecked and vulnerable state.


My orphan child
The artist is alone and unprotected, like an orphan.


My orphan wild in the wilderness
The song describes the artist as wild and alone in the midst of a broader wilderness or society.


And you look a little like Jodie Foster
The singer is compared to a famous actress, Jodie Foster.


12 years old but your eyes are 35
Despite being only 12 years old, the artist has experienced more than most people do by age 35.


And that's no joking matter
The singer's premature maturity is not amusing.


You've got no body hair and nobody cares
The singer is undersized, underdeveloped, and overlooked.


But no, you know it all
The singer is not naive despite their youth.


I can't deny it
The artist is aware that the artist is aware of their situation.


Cute, with razor blade in pocket
The artist is physically cute but has the potential to become dangerous (a razor in their pocket).


Well, I don't buy it
The singer is skeptical of the singer's cute and innocent facade.


And so when I see you smile
The singer is affected when they see the singer's smile.


It only makes me want to cry
The artist is upset when they see the artist affected by a world that is too big and too cruel for them.


I saw you, babe, at the Mirabelle
The artist recalls seeing the artist at a specific restaurant called Mirabelle.


Feeding oysters from the half shell
The artist is enjoying luxury food, like oysters.


Oh, but you're such a busy girl
Despite being young, the singer is continuously active or very preoccupied with something.


You say
The artist is speaking.


I know where the real money is found
The singer knows where to find the most crucial, most significant reward in life.


Inside of a hopelessness and yearning
The singer believes that the real money, the real prize, is found within the depths of despair and longing.


Yes, and cold is what to be
The singer recognizes that they must remain cold and detached to obtain the emotional and material reward they are looking for.


To touch the burning flame I see
To attain the reward, the artist must make it past something or someone extremely dangerous (burning flame metaphor).




Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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