The Ashley Monroe Orphan song was released in 2018 as a track on her “Sparrow” album. Ashley stated about the Orphan song, “Anyway, I had that melody and it was haunting me and giving me chills and I just knew it meant something. I went in to write with Paul Moak and Gordie Sampson one day and I woke up with that melody and strum in my heart and my head, and I don’t even remember who threw out that first line. When the words started coming out I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh. Something’s happening, this is it. So to me this song is kind of acknowledging the feeling of being alone and being abandoned for a while. [This was when] I was younger. My mom came back and I always make sure people know that. My mom and I are really close, she’s here with me right now. But you know, she wasn’t for a little while after my dad died. And now that I’m [the age she was then], I kind of see how you could go crazy, when you lose the love of your life and you have two kids… I guess [“Orphan”] was just acknowledging little girl me.”
Click the “play” button below to preview the Sparrow album (then click “listen” to stream the album from the music service of your choice):
Play the Sparrow Album
Watch the acoustic performance of “Orphan” and see the complete lyrics below.
Ashley Monroe Orphan Video (Acoustic Version)
Ashley Monroe Orphan Lyrics
How does a sparrow know more than I?
When the mother is gone, it learns how to fly
With no direction, its wings in the wind
How does a bird know more than I?
How does the winter know to hold on
When it’s scared of it’s shadow and flowers are gone?
The leaves all lay sleepin’, prayin’ to hear spring-time songs
How does the winter know to hold on?
Nobody told me what I should do
When the world starts to rumble and shake under you
How does an orphan find its way home?
Reach out with no hand to hold
How do I make it alone?
What keeps a river runnin’ that way?
Is it slave to the ocean, a wild runaway?
Does it shed a tear, all who have drowned in its wake?
What keeps a river runnin’ that way?
Nobody told me what I should do
When the world starts to rumble and shake under you
How does an orphan find its way home?
Reach out with no hand to hold
How do I make it alone?
Nobody told me what I should do
When the world starts to rumble and shake under you
I am an orphan a long way from home
And I reach out with no hand to hold
How do I make it alone?
How does a sparrow know more than I?
When the mother is gone, it learns how to fly
Remember to share the Ashley Monroe Orphan song with other country music fans.
Stay in touch with Ashley! Website: http://www.ashleymonroe.com/
