She released her full first full-length solo album, Invisible Ones, on August 23rd, 2005. A rockier affair than the measured etheriality of Azure Ray, or Maria Taylor's first solo album, it yielded the single Bloodline which bears a passing resemblance to Belly.
From the touring band she formed to promote Invisible Ones arose Art in Manila, who have so far released one album, Set the Woods on Fire.
The most recent of her many projects is O+S, a collaboration with longtime friend Cedric LeMoyne (aka Scalpelist) from the band Remy Zero, which has so far yielded one self-titled album.
In 2009 Orenda released her second solo album, the acoustic Ask The Night. In places the album echoes some of Azure Ray's starker pieces, such as Raining in Athens, foregrounding Fink's distinctive banjo playing and invoking the traditional soundscape of the American South.
Orenda is married to Todd Fink (formerly Todd Baechle) of The Faint, another Saddle Creek band.
Her official site is at http://www.orendafink.com.
Ace of Cups
Orenda Fink Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like sand in a mad wind
And the sea with no mercy
Takes all
LOVE is a hurricane
In the eye you're a different man
But the call is the heaven
THE SEA is a kingdom
And you are a queen
I stand on the dry land
And call
If you are happy you are loved
You can fill up my cup
I'll take it cool, I'll take it rough
You can fill up my cup
And HOPE is a bitter hand
At the bottom of the ocean
And salvation is like speaking
To a wall
THE SEA is a kingdom
And you are its queen
I stand on the dry land
And call
When you are happy you are loved
You can fill up my cup
I'll take it cool, I'll take it rough
You can fill up my cup
If you are happy you are loved
You can fill up my cup
I'll take it cool, I'll take it rough
You can fill up my cup
In "Ace of Cups," Orenda Fink uses beautiful imagery to explore the interconnectedness of desire, love, hope, and the sea. She compares desire to an open hand, like sand getting swept away in a mad wind, and argues that the sea is merciless in its ability to take everything away. Meanwhile, love is like a hurricane, transforming the eye of the storm and making us different people. Hope, however, is a bitter hand at the bottom of the ocean, and salvation is like speaking to a wall.
Throughout the song, Fink also refers to the sea as a kingdom and herself as a queen, suggesting the power and regal authority of the natural world. Fink seems to understand that there is no separating our emotions from the natural world, as they are both interconnected and affected by each other.
Overall, the song is both beautiful and melancholic. Fink uses vivid descriptions of the sea and its power to create a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world. She also comments on the cyclical nature of life and how we can find hope and love, even in the face of uncertainty and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
DESIRE is an open hand
Desire is a relinquishing of control
Like sand in a mad wind
It is easily overpowered and blown in any direction
And the sea with no mercy
The unpredictable nature of life can be brutal
Takes all
Any attempt to control and avoid it is futile
LOVE is a hurricane
Love is a powerful force
In the eye you're a different man
In the presence of love, a person can be transformed
But the call is the heaven
The pull of love is irresistible
That will fall
Love can have destructive consequences
THE SEA is a kingdom
The natural world is vast and powerful
And you are a queen
One can find power and beauty in their relationship with nature
I stand on the dry land
Humanity is separate and sometimes powerless before nature
And call
We can still attempt to connect with it
If you are happy you are loved
Love and happiness are closely intertwined
You can fill up my cup
Those who are happy can share their love
I'll take it cool, I'll take it rough
A willingness to embrace the complexities of life and love
And HOPE is a bitter hand
Hope can be painful and difficult
At the bottom of the ocean
Hope can be found in the darkest places
And salvation is like speaking
Redemption is difficult to attain
To a wall
It feels impossible to achieve
Writer(s): Orenda Fink
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Primitiva Muna
This is incredibly beautiful music and visuals...Crazy that this doesn't have a million or more views! It deserves to be heard by many.
nicola nick
Beautiful job Aaron Gum, as always!
Ryan Globe
Great song! This will be on my 4@4 on 89.7 The River soon enough. Just sent in my request. Planet O has so much great music. 🙂
krafty1708
Sublime and dreamy. Just what I like.
Cubz72
Incredible song!
Richard Price Elliott
I listened to it again and I keep hearing more. A good sign.
Raquel López Pastor
Incredible. <3
Diatonic5th
Fantastic!
Jorge Perez Perri
This is great. Very good.Like it
Gary Schwartz
Arrived at the recommendation of Dereck Higgins. Glad he did. Cool tune.