City of Orphans

"Capital Hill" isn't referring to the government, it's a trendy neighborhood in Seattle, where The Classic Crime is from.

I think the song's talking about how so many people come to the Pacific Northwest and leave behind their lives elsewhere in the country and they find nothing but emptiness. Seattle and Portland are both known as very "hip" cities but people there can often come off as quite cool, quite sophisticated, very fun, but also affected and fake. At least, that's the impression I got when I lived there, and I suspect that The Classic Crime has the same opinion. Like, their purpose in life is just to have a good time, but there's no substance behind it all.

One of the most important things when interpreting songs by The Classic Crime is to pay attention not only to the lyrics themselves, but also to both the band's background and their tendency to use an entire progression of songs in an album to communicate a theme. The fact that "City of Orphans" is speaking of a specific culture within Seattle, the homeland of TCC, is crucial to properly understanding the theme. "Capitol hill" does not refer to the government, being a trendy neighborhood in Seattle. "The Streamline" and the "Broadway Grill" contain greater insight into the perspective of TCC and add an immensely realistic component to the song as a whole. Much of the themes discussed in this album involve living a life apart from God while still claiming to be a loyal Christ-follower. Tracks one through eight are primarily concerned with this life apart from God, with the following three tracks discussing the band itself in a more personal manner. "City of Orphans" is a turning point that leads back into the themes communicated more directly in the first eight tracks and is, to some degree, the climax of the entire album. "City of Orphans" contains intense language that creates this unique mood of desperation and hopelessness, which leads into the final track, the resolution of the album, where it is shown that there is a possibility of returning to God. Bearing in mind the order of songs in Phoenix, it can be seen that "City of Orphans" is meant to show this state of hopelessness and despair but also proves that there is a way to escape this prison by finding God. The lyrics themselves are fairly easy to interpret and communicate much of the content I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. In the first two verses, the use of specific characters, who have very plain names and relatable desires, and places, which could be recognized by Seattle residents or members of the culture the song discusses, gives the song a feel of being told by a narrator who personally knows these people and is later shown to be this collective of "orphans." The point of view shift in the bridges allows this culture of lost, fumbling people to be understood more extensively. This also differs greatly from the first verses, in that they discussed two characters in an immensely personal manner, while the bridge is narrated by a collective. Altogether "City of Orphans" shows a lost culture apart from God, the members of which search for truth in all the wrong places and pretend to be happy in a manner that is utterly heartbreaking. The Classic Crime, along with the pessimism of "City of Orphans," offers themes of hope in the final track "I Will Wait," explaining that, even for those as lost as the citizens of this city of hopelessness, there is still hope for salvation.

i think its about drugs or at least some kinda substance of the kind i think so because "every night she walks the block to trade her time for cheap thrills" and "For now he felt like he belonged to those who understood him But he sold his soul to fight right in and he watched his friends desert him" i can not tell you how many people i know who got in to drugs/alcohol were left by all the real friends they had i feel like the rest of the song follows in that direction... but thats my 2 cents on it

First of all I love the song, band, and album. I could see how this song has to do with drugs/alcohol/addiction. But the reference to "Capitol Hill" makes me think the song is poking fun at our government. I believe this song is talking about how corrupt our government is. "Where did our fathers go" could have a connection to the founding fathers of the U.S. The Classic Crime is saying God left DC because He knew there was no hope for our government. There are multiple references to people wandering around and possibly drinking or doing drugs which I believe is referring to washed up politicians. "We take all the good in the heaven around us and turn it to hell" is a final poke at the laws we make and how they are ultimately bad. This all just my opinion and I would love to hear what your take is on this song.