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Orphan
Pete Bernhard Lyrics
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To see what kind of words hed say
He said, "I just met a man down here and his girlfriend dont like you"
So give me a number, her address
And Ill see if I can do my best
To avoid her the next time Im passing through
Never been much for following rules
Always go out and act the fool
I cant say Im always proud of myself
But I dont wish I was somebody else
Infact Id rather be me then you
But a lot of people dont like me
Not my music I hear; personally
Gonna tell you how to act and what to say
I guess Id rather be an orphan then a slave
I guess Id rahter be an orphan then a slave
Well I went to a party in the middle of the night
Crawling up the stairs and thats alright
I pictured the who place in flames and it made me smile
I wonder why I thought such terrible things
A voice in my head heard the telephone ring
Picked up and said, "weve been wondering for a while"
Walked in a wall, spelt in the dirt
Got punched in the face I admit that it hurt
And I had enemies that I call my friends
But it dosnt matter if I get low down
Because Im the one riding on the hear right now
And all I gotta do is use my imagination
But a lot of people dont like me
Not my music I hear; personally
Gonna tell you how to act and what to say
I guess Id rather be an orphan then a slave
I guess Id rahter be an orphan then a slave
Well theres been sometimes I was under the gun
And when I was I intended to run
It was important but it wasnt worth dying for
Someone said he who fights and runs away
Can avoid getting killed another day
So I made a point of every window and every door
But all these people they gather round
My heart goes backwards my head drops down
I hear my voice say things I told it not to
Couldnt say who it was directed at
And why I chose to say something like that
And now what I truly plan to do
But a lot of people dont like me
Thats what I hear now out on the street
Wanna tell you how to act and what to say
I guess Id rather be an orphan then a slave
I guess Id rahter be an orphan then a slave
I guess Id rahter be an orphan then a slave
The lyrics to Pete Bernhard's song Orphan are about a person who does not conform to societal norms, and as a result, draws criticism and dislike from others. Despite this, the person remains true to themselves and would rather be alone than be a slave to others' expectations. The singer begins by describing a conversation with a friend who informs them that a man and his girlfriend do not like them. The singer then asks for the man's contact information to avoid any further conflict in the future. The singer acknowledges that they do not always follow rules and sometimes act foolishly, but they would never want to be someone else.
The second verse describes a party where the singer has violent thoughts about burning the place down. They receive a phone call that "they" have been wondering about the singer for a while. The singer reflects on some past experiences where they have had to run away from danger to avoid being killed. Despite this, they remain true to themselves and would rather be alone than be a slave to someone else's desires. The lyrics emphasize the importance of using one's imagination to create a better life for oneself rather than following the expectations of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Called a friend the other day
I reached out to a friend recently
To see what kind of words he'd say
To see if he would have anything interesting or helpful to say
He said, 'I just met a man down here and his girlfriend don't like you'
He told me about a situation where someone's girlfriend dislikes me
So give me a number, her address
So I can avoid running into her next time by getting her contact info
And I'll see if I can do my best
I'll try my best to avoid her
To avoid her the next time I'm passing through
To not have any negative interactions with her when I'm nearby
Never been much for following rules
I don't like to conform to societal norms
Always go out and act the fool
I tend to act silly or do things that might not be seen as mature
And something bad would happen by and by
Usually, something negative would happen as a result of my actions
I can't say I'm always proud of myself
I don't always feel good about the things I do
But I don't wish I was somebody else
Despite my shortcomings, I still want to be myself
In fact I'd rather be me then you
I'm content with who I am and wouldn't want to be anyone else
But a lot of people don't like me
I've come to find out that there are a lot of people who don't like me
Not my music I hear; personally
It's not my music that people dislike, but rather something about me personally
Gonna tell you how to act and what to say
These people try to control how I act and what I say
I guess I'd rather be an orphan then a slave
I'd rather be alone and independent than be controlled by others
Well I went to a party in the middle of the night
I went to a party late at night
Crawling up the stairs and that's alright
I was crawling up the stairs, but it didn't bother me
I pictured the whole place in flames and it made me smile
I had an image in my head of the party burning down and it felt satisfying to me
I wonder why I thought such terrible things
I questioned why I was having such twisted thoughts
A voice in my head heard the telephone ring
I heard the sound of a telephone ringing, but only in my head
Picked up and said, 'we've been wondering for a while'
The person on the other end of the line has been trying to reach me
Walked in a wall, spelt in the dirt
I stumbled into a wall and fell down, getting dirty in the process
Got punched in the face I admit that it hurt
I got hit in the face and it definitely hurt
And I had enemies that I call my friends
Some of the people I considered my friends were actually my enemies
But it doesn't matter if I get low down
Even if I'm feeling down or defeated, it's not a big deal
Because I'm the one riding on the high right now
Because I'm currently feeling good and happy
And all I gotta do is use my imagination
All I really need to do is think positively and use my creativity
Thats what I hear now out on the street
I've been hearing that a lot of people don't like me from others on the street
Wanna tell you how to act and what to say
These people continue to try to control my behavior and speech
I guess I'd rather be an orphan then a slave
I'd still rather be independent and alone than be controlled by others, even if it means being an orphan
Well there's been sometimes I was under the gun
There have been times when I was in a difficult or dangerous position
And when I was I intended to run
My instinct was to prioritize my own safety and escape
It was important but it wasn't worth dying for
The situation at hand was significant, but not worth losing my life over
Someone said he who fights and runs away
There's a saying that suggests it's better to retreat from danger than confront it head-on
Can avoid getting killed another day
By running away, I could stay alive and live to fight another day
So I made a point of every window and every door
I was strategic about finding ways to escape and made sure to check every possible exit
But all these people they gather round
Despite wanting to avoid danger, there were still people around me and the situation was escalating
My heart goes backwards my head drops down
I start to feel scared and overwhelmed as things get more intense
I hear my voice say things I told it not to
Under pressure, I start to say things I don't necessarily believe or agree with
Couldn't say who it was directed at
I'm not even sure who or what I was directing my words at
And why I chose to say something like that
I question why I said something seemingly out of character for me
And now what I truly plan to do
I'm unsure of what my next step will be
Contributed by Sophia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.