Orphaned Land is a doom/death band at its core, but they are highly influenced by the folk music and tradition of the Oriental Jews (Mizraḥim), making their sound much more progressive than typical doom/death bands. Their album Sahara (1994) was the first to include a combination of death metal and traditional oriental music. In their second album El Norra Alila (1996), Orphaned Land elaborated the combination of metal and oriental music, including the addition of song with traditional oriental Jewish piyyut and Arab melodies. This album conveyed a message of co-existence between Jews and Muslims. Their third album, Mabool (the Hebrew name for the Deluge, depicted in the Bible and Noah's story), 2004, was worked for seven years and takes the combination of doom/death metal, oriental music and biblical issues to a new level. The album tells the story of the seventh son of God (who was divided into three, each one symbolizing one monotheistic religion) which try to warn humanity from a coming flood (deluge) as punishment for their sins. Musically, the album contains oriental instruments, two choruses, traditional Yemenite chants sung by Shlomit Levi and quotes of Biblical verses from the story of the Deluge, read by Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land's vocalist and one of its founders. The level of musical competency displayed in the heavy layering and orchestration combined with the more story-driven, conceptual nature of the album's lyrics as a whole lend a very strong progressive feel to the work.
Band Members:
Kobi Farhi − lead vocals, backing vocals, death growls, chants
Shlomit Levi - female vocals
Matan Shmuely - vocals, session drums
Matti Svatizky − rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Uri Zelcha − bass, fretless bass
Yatziv Caspi − drums, percussion
Idan Amsalem – guitars, bouzouki
Former Band Members:
Eran Asias − drums
Sami Bachar − drums
Avi Diamond − session drums
Itzik Levy − keyboards
Eden Rabin − keyboards, backing vocals
Yatziv Caspi - session drums
Avi Agababa - session drums
Yossi Sa'aron (Sassi) - guitars, oud, saz, bouzouki, chumbush, backing vocals
Children
Orphaned Land Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I know is gone
And I don’t want to die
What will be of me tomorrow?
Am I meant to be another orphaned child?
Another victim full of sorrow?
How can we live with this horror that we bring to this world?
Nothing’s left in here, in this empty room
Where once I lived my life
Mother, why have you deserted me?
Father, why must we all struggle to survive?
And must I grow to be like you?
How can we live in this world where lives are bought and sold?
Children is a powerful song by Orphaned Land that speaks about the plight of children who are left alone and forgotten in this world. The song begins with a lamentation of being alone and confused as everything known is gone. The singer expresses a fear of what will become of them in the future, whether they will become another orphaned child, another victim filled with sorrow. The lyrics show a deep sense of loss and despair, questioning the purpose of life itself.
The song then shifts to a questioning of humanity's actions and the horrors we bring to the world, wondering why we cannot see the error of our ways. The verses show a sense of disillusionment with the world and the violence and greed that dominate it. The chorus of the song is a cry for help, asking why our society continues to fail these children and force them to struggle just to survive.
The final verse focuses on the emptiness of the room and the feeling of abandonment, specifically directed towards the singer's parents. The lyrics suggest a cycle of poverty and struggle that seems inescapable, questioning whether the singer will end up like their parents. The final question posed by the song is why we must live in a world where lives are bought and sold, emphasizing the dehumanizing effect of a society that values profit over people.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m alone in here
Feeling isolated and abandoned without anyone near for support.
All I know is gone
Without any sense of familiarity or having lost the things which gave one purpose and direction in life.
And I don’t want to die
Being afraid of the unknown and unsure of what to do next in life.
What will be of me tomorrow?
Questioning the future and uncertain about what lies ahead.
Am I meant to be another orphaned child?
Feeling unwanted and abandoned in the world.
Another victim full of sorrow?
Being helpless and feeling powerless to change one's fate.
How can we live with this horror that we bring to this world?
Examining the ways in which humanity has caused harm and destruction to the world.
What is it that blinds us to the error of our ways?
Questioning the reasons why we continue to repeat our mistakes without learning from them.
Nothing’s left in here, in this empty room
Feeling completely powerless and without hope, as if all hope has vanished in a moment.
Where once I lived my life
Reflecting on times and events in the past when one had a sense of purpose and direction.
Mother, why have you deserted me?
Feeling abandoned by the ones who were supposed to offer guidance and support.
Father, why must we all struggle to survive?
Questioning the reasons why life can be so difficult and asking for guidance on how to handle the hardships.
And must I grow to be like you?
Contemplating the future and being afraid of becoming like those who have hurt or let us down in the past.
How can we live in this world where lives are bought and sold?
Examining the ways in which the world is run and controlled by those who would use it for their own gain.
Contributed by Kaitlyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.