Like a lot of Sam Baker's work, Orphan tells the tale of ordinary folk and their lives. This tells of an outsider when a child - a straight hair kid in a house full of curls - whose mother had no time for her and was happy to marry her off to the local jock to get her out of her hair (no pun intended). The song tells of a series of drab, failed marriages and ends with her stuck in another apparently lifeless and loveless marriage.
Sam's sparse lyrics and sparse music contrast beautifully with the melodic female voice that sings parts of the song. The use of swing low, sweet chariot evokes an atmosphere perhaps at odds with the apparent misery of the girl's life.
Like a lot of Sam Baker's work, Orphan tells the tale of ordinary folk and their lives. This tells of an outsider when a child - a straight hair kid in a house full of curls - whose mother had no time for her and was happy to marry her off to the local jock to get her out of her hair (no pun intended). The song tells of a series of drab, failed marriages and ends with her stuck in another apparently lifeless and loveless marriage. Sam's sparse lyrics and sparse music contrast beautifully with the melodic female voice that sings parts of the song. The use of swing low, sweet chariot evokes an atmosphere perhaps at odds with the apparent misery of the girl's life.