The Orphan
Paul Gordon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A flood of memory washes over me
A lonely girl, betrayed and battered
Contrives affection from a doll she cradles so
Thinking it will be the only love she'll ever know
Her spirit is in pieces
Her heart has broken at the seams
She craves one drop of kindness
She curses the injustice
And begs to know the reason why
She suffers in this prison
When all she wants to do is fly
Over mountains
Over oceans
How her restlessness stirs
For she longs for her liberty
When will liberty be hers?
Her life is not of value
Poverty secures her fate
Condemned to be a woman
Barely fit to educate
She swallows her rebellion
But there's a storm within her breast
She tries to quell the downpour
Yet cannot tame her soul's unrest
And the lightning strikes inside her
As she looks to the sky
And she pledges to spread her wings
Through a hurricane she'll fly
Over mountains
Over oceans
How her restlessness stirs
For she longs for her liberty
When will liberty be hers?
MR. BROCKLEHURST
There's no sight so sad
No stench so bad
As that of a naughty girl
No crime so grave
As children who misbehave
When a girl can't be saved
God hears her plea
But He leaves her soul to me
The lyrics to Paul Gordon's song "The Orphan" tell the story of a young girl named Jane who has lived a life of turmoil and hardship. As memories flood her mind, she recalls a time when she was alone, betrayed, and abused, seeking solace in the love of a doll. Her spirit is shattered, her heart broken, and she is desperate for even the slightest bit of kindness. But all she has are shattered dreams and a deep sense of injustice. She longs for freedom, for the ability to fly over mountains and oceans, but instead, she is trapped in poverty and condemned to a life as a woman with limited opportunities for education and success.
Yet despite the harsh hand life has dealt her, Jane refuses to surrender her spirit. She swallows her rebellion, but her soul is unsettled, and she feels like a storm raging within her. She longs to spread her wings, to fly through any obstacles that stand in her way. She knows that she is not valued in society, that poverty has secured her fate, but she refuses to give up. She pledges to fight for her freedom, to weather any storm that comes her way, and to never stop fighting until liberty is hers.
The song is a poignant reminder of the struggles that many young girls face in a world where opportunities and justice are not always equally distributed. It speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of hope, and the power of determination in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
A flood of memory washes over me
Jane recalls her past experiences
A lonely girl, betrayed and battered
Jane was left alone and hurt by others
Contrives affection from a doll she cradles so
Jane seeks comfort from her doll as she has no one else to turn to
Thinking it will be the only love she'll ever know
Jane believes that this doll is the closest thing to love she has ever experienced
Her spirit is in pieces
Jane is broken both emotionally and mentally
Her heart has broken at the seams
Jane's emotional pain has left her with a shattered heart
She craves one drop of kindness
Jane yearns for even the smallest act of kindness
But all she has are shattered dreams
Jane's hopes and aspirations have been crushed
She curses the injustice
Jane blames the unfairness of her life for her suffering
And begs to know the reason why
Jane seeks answers for her misfortunes
She suffers in this prison
Jane feels trapped and imprisoned in her life
When all she wants to do is fly
Jane desires to be free from her struggles
Over mountains
Jane longs to escape her current situation
Over oceans
Jane wants to explore new horizons
Her life is not of value
Jane feels worthless and unimportant
Poverty secures her fate
Jane's financial situation determines her future
Condemned to be a woman
Jane is limited by society's expectations of women at the time
Barely fit to educate
Jane is not considered intelligent enough to receive a proper education
She swallows her rebellion
Jane suppresses her desire to rebel against societal norms
But there's a storm within her breast
Jane's inner turmoil is brewing within her
She tries to quell the downpour
Jane attempts to calm her emotions
Yet cannot tame her soul's unrest
Jane cannot control the unrest she feels within her soul
And the lightning strikes inside her
Jane is struck by a sudden realization or inspiration
As she looks to the sky
Jane gazes upwards, deep in thought
And she pledges to spread her wings
Jane vows to break free from the constraints holding her back
Through a hurricane she'll fly
Jane is willing to face any obstacle in her quest for freedom
How her restlessness stirs
Jane's desire for freedom is growing stronger
For she longs for her liberty
Jane yearns to be free from societal limitations
When will liberty be hers?
Jane wonders when she will finally achieve her freedom
There's no sight so sad
Mr. Brocklehurst believes that a disobedient young girl is the saddest thing he's ever seen
No stench so bad
Mr. Brocklehurst implies that disobedient young girls have a distinct smell
As that of a naughty girl
Mr. Brocklehurst refers specifically to girls who do not behave as expected
No crime so grave
Mr. Brocklehurst views disobedience as a serious offense
As children who misbehave
Mr. Brocklehurst sees disobedient children as particularly disturbing
When a girl can't be saved
Mr. Brocklehurst believes that some girls are beyond redemption
God hears her plea
Mr. Brocklehurst suggests that resistance to authority is a plea to a higher power
But He leaves her soul to me
Mr. Brocklehurst sees himself as the one tasked with disciplining these girls
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.