Orchid (song)

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Orchid
Artist Alanis Morissette
Published 2008-05-30
Composer Alanis Morissette, Guy Sigsworth
Genre Soft rock
Themes Childhood, Introspection, Raw relationships
Rating Rating-8.svg

Orchid is a soft rock song by Alanis Morissette released on 2008-05-30 as track 1 on the second disc of the deluxe edition of Flavors of Entanglement. The lyrics were composed by Morissette, the music by Morissette and Guy Sigsworth. The album version was recorded between 2007-2008, first with a demo version, then the final album version. In the album version, Morissette sings lyrics, Andy Page plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and made the drum track, and Sigsworth plays keyboards, some percussion, and made the bass track. The demo version features a few different lyrics, though the theme is the same.

In the song, Morissette compares herself younger self to an orchid, a delicate flower which is difficult to keep because it has very specific needs, but says she's mostly been treated like a rose, a hearty flower that, even when ignored, is still easy to keep.

Personal

Flavors of Entanglement didn't impress me very much when I first heard it. After I downloaded the deluxe edition, I was a bit surprised that I enjoyed the additional tracks about as much as the album, in fact, I liked this song more than any of the songs from the original album. Typically, bonus tracks are the B-sides of singles or similarly less-impressive songs, but I adore this one. My guess is that they needed to give people a reason to buy the deluxe edition, so they purposely put this on it to entice people to spend the extra money.

The theme, acknowledging that you're difficult to be around, is very relatable. I also love the song's melodic music and vocals, and I like how Morissette purposely misenunciates her words and adds and removes syllables in order to make them fit the meter of the song.

Lyrics

Me and my helmet, such an unconventional kid.
All intense and kinetic, at best tolerated from afar.
Not yet arrested, and by that, I mean betrothed,
Though a start I am newly courted,
I've just not been trusted with altars.

I'm a sweet piece of work, well-intentioned yet disturbed.
Wrongly labeled and under-fed, treated like a rose as an orchid.

My friends, as they weigh in, get understandably protective.
They have a hard time being objective.
So inside we cancel each other out.

I'm a sweet piece of work, well-intentioned and unloved.
Unlabeled and misunderstood, treated like a rose as an orchid.

You've brought water to me, making sure my bloom rebounds.
You know best of what my special care allows.

So I've lived in my blind spot,
Thought myself usual when I'm not,
And your garden is a nice spot,
As long as it is brave and where you are.

For this sweet piece of work, high maintenance and deserted.
I've been different and deserving, treated like a rose as an orchid.
Sweet piece of work, overwhelmed unobserved.
I've been bowed down to, but so misread, treated like a rose as an orchid.

Media

Album version.
Demo version

Links

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