"...the theme of prostitution from 'A Cautionary Song' carries on into 'Odalisque'. The difference being the heroine of the former song committed herself to the act, while Odalisque's situation is involuntary. An odalisque is literally a Turkish sultan’s concubine, and the Odalisque in the song is not far removed from the actual definition. Abandoned, orphaned, or runaway, it's not made clear- Odalisque walks the desolate fire escape as the sun sets. Reference is made to a 'they' that are searching for her. What their intentions are is not truly revealed until the end, but is hinted at in the lines 'they will rend you terribly...'til all your linen limbs will fall.' The child's upbringing, and I use that term loosely, is that of a 'lazy lady' (like the 'wastrel mesallied' of 'Leslie Anne Levine'?) who is deject, poverty-ridden and possibly a prostitute herself- hence the judgment of 'lazy'. 'What do we do with ten baby shoes, a kit bag full of marbles and a broken billiard cue?' cries the mother, either flummoxed as to what to do with her child’s old playthings, or it's a reference to her ineptitude as a mother. The phrase 'What do we do?' is first heard here and its accompanied feeling of utter confusion and dismay (exhibited most blatantly in 'Odalisque') is a recurring motif of the album.
"...the theme of prostitution from 'A Cautionary Song' carries on into 'Odalisque'. The difference being the heroine of the former song committed herself to the act, while Odalisque's situation is involuntary. An odalisque is literally a Turkish sultan’s concubine, and the Odalisque in the song is not far removed from the actual definition. Abandoned, orphaned, or runaway, it's not made clear- Odalisque walks the desolate fire escape as the sun sets. Reference is made to a 'they' that are searching for her. What their intentions are is not truly revealed until the end, but is hinted at in the lines 'they will rend you terribly...'til all your linen limbs will fall.' The child's upbringing, and I use that term loosely, is that of a 'lazy lady' (like the 'wastrel mesallied' of 'Leslie Anne Levine'?) who is deject, poverty-ridden and possibly a prostitute herself- hence the judgment of 'lazy'. 'What do we do with ten baby shoes, a kit bag full of marbles and a broken billiard cue?' cries the mother, either flummoxed as to what to do with her child’s old playthings, or it's a reference to her ineptitude as a mother. The phrase 'What do we do?' is first heard here and its accompanied feeling of utter confusion and dismay (exhibited most blatantly in 'Odalisque') is a recurring motif of the album.
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=43