Introduction: A Somber Beginning
"Orlando In Love" by Japanese Breakfast, the lead single from the album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), marks a shift in tone for Michelle Zauner's indie-pop project. The track opens with a delicate, melancholic acoustic guitar, setting a somber mood that is immediately captivating. As Zauner’s soft, sweet vocals intertwine with the instrumental backdrop of a walking upright bass and soaring violin, the emotional weight of the song deepens. It feels intimate and poignant, with the subtle orchestration enhancing the yearning and sorrow that permeates the track.
Literary Inspirations and Clever Lyrics
The song draws inspiration from Matteo Maria Boiardo’s Orlando Innamorato, a Renaissance poem, a fitting source for Zauner’s introspective lyrics. “Orlando In Love” explores the artistic and emotional turmoil of the titular character, a poet who writes cantos for the melancholic. Zauner’s clever nod to the poem’s 68.5 cantos in the opening line—"Orlando in love / Writes 69 cantos / For melancholy brunettes and sad women"—adds a touch of lightness to an otherwise brooding song. This blend of wit and sorrow encapsulates much of what Zauner has become known for, combining sharp lyricism with deep emotional resonance.
Blake Mills' Production and Vivid Imagery
Produced by Blake Mills, who has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan and Fiona Apple, the song features lush string arrangements that elevate its melancholic atmosphere. The instrumental choices mirror the theme of the track, particularly in the second verse, where Zauner describes Orlando gazing out to sea, sipping broth, and succumbing to the quiet pull of desire. The imagery Zauner employs is strikingly vivid, echoing her talent for crafting sensory experiences, as seen in her memoir Crying in H Mart. The breeze carrying salt and the taste of milky broth evoke both physical and emotional textures, grounding the song’s abstract themes in tangible details.
Themes of Desire and Consequences
The thematic heart of "Orlando In Love" revolves around desire and its consequences. In the final verse, Zauner paints a haunting picture of a woman emerging from the sea, like Venus from a shell, seducing Orlando with a sweetness that leads to his downfall. The song’s protagonist, initially enchanted by his idealized vision, ultimately faces ruin, left "breathless and then drowned." This exploration of unfulfilled longing and the darker side of desire ties into the overarching themes of For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), presenting love as both beautiful and destructive.
Orlando In Love Review: A Captivating New Direction
"Orlando In Love" is a poignant introduction to Japanese Breakfast’s new musical direction. The song’s lyrical depth, combined with its lush, sorrowful instrumentation, makes for a captivating listening experience. It’s a testament to Zauner’s ability to craft songs that balance heartache and beauty, wit and melancholy, leaving the listener eagerly anticipating the rest of the album.
Listen to Japanese Breakfast Orlando In Love
Japanese Breakfast Orlando In Love Lyrics Meaning Explained
The meaning of "Orlando In Love" by Japanese Breakfast is a reflection on the complexities of desire, identity, and unfulfilled ambition. Through literary and mythological references, Michelle Zauner crafts a narrative that delves into the unresolved nature of longing and the duality of love’s nurturing and destructive powers. Drawing from Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography and the unfinished Renaissance poem Orlando Innamorato, the song explores themes of transformation and the dangers of desire. As Zauner intertwines these allusions with personal reflections and evocative imagery, "Orlando In Love" becomes a melancholic meditation on the elusive nature of fulfillment, both in love and life.
Literary and Mythological Allusions in "Orlando In Love"
In "Orlando In Love," Japanese Breakfast draws from both literary and mythological sources to explore themes of desire, love, and the unresolved nature of human ambition. In the first verse, Michelle Zauner references Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf, where the character Orlando undergoes a transformation from male to female, experiencing love and a fluid sense of identity. This reference ties into the broader theme of fluidity in love and personal identity. Zauner also alludes to Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo, a Renaissance-era poem that was left unfinished due to the author's death. The mention of "69 cantos" is both a playful and poignant reminder of the unfinished nature of the poem, which had only 68.5 cantos. The unresolved chapter mirrors the unresolved nature of desire, aligning with the album's broader themes.
Melancholy and the Audience
The opening verse continues with the line "For melancholy brunettes and sad women," which speaks directly to the audience Zauner addresses with this album. These characters embody introspection, sadness, and longing, reflective of the melancholic tone of the track. The protagonist, Orlando, is cast as a poet in love, writing cantos for these women, capturing the essence of their emotional world. This melancholic and introspective mood is enhanced by Zauner's choice of imagery, which contrasts sharply with the upbeat and vibrant energy of her previous work, Jubilee.
The Coastal Scene of Reflection
In the second verse, Zauner creates a coastal scene where "The breeze carries salt," symbolizing both the sting of life and the possibility of emotional cleansing. The protagonist, described as sipping "milky broth," evokes a sense of comfort and simplicity, perhaps a moment of reflection. The setting in a "Winnebago" adds a sense of transience and wandering, suggesting a poet who is both physically and emotionally adrift. The Winnebago, an iconic symbol of road trips and exploration, also connects to the idea of searching for something elusive—whether it’s inspiration, love, or fulfillment.
The Myth of Venus and Desire
The third verse introduces mythological imagery, as the sea "bore her to be an ideal woman," evoking Venus, the Roman goddess of love, who emerged from the sea. The "ideal woman" is an embodiment of desire, beauty, and temptation. As she comes to Orlando "like Venus from a shell," she represents the allure of the unattainable. The lines "Singing his name with all the sweetness of a mother / Leaving him breathless and then drowned" suggest a duality in the nature of desire—it is both nurturing and destructive. The nurturing, maternal sweetness quickly turns to suffocation, leaving Orlando overwhelmed and consumed by his desires, unable to escape the inevitable heartbreak that follows.
The Haunting Refrain of Orlando's Name
The outro, with its repetition of "Orlando, Orlando," serves as a haunting refrain, as though the name is being called from a distance. The repetition adds to the song's melancholic and unresolved tone, mirroring the unfinished nature of the original Orlando Innamorato. The calling of Orlando's name can be seen as a symbol of his fading presence, both in the narrative and in the emotional landscape of the song. The unresolved nature of the story, much like the poet's unfinished cantos, reflects the broader themes of desire and ambition that Zauner explores throughout the track.
Japanese Breakfast Orlando In Love Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Orlando in love
Writes 69 cantos
For melancholy brunettes and sad women
[Verse 2]
The breeze carries salt
And sipping milky broth
He cast his gaze towards the sea out the Winneabago
[Verse 3]
As if the sea had bore her to be an ideal woman
She came to him from the water like Venus from a shell
Singing his name with all the sweetness of a mother
Leaving him breathless and then drowned
[Outro]
Orlando, Orlando
Orlando, Orlando