Lyrics to "The Orphan Child"

[John Albert]

Hello all

I'm looking for the lyrics (also perhaps a digitized midi) for an old song
called "The Orphan Child". I think I may have heard Dry Branch do it.

It goes something like this:
I have no mother
No father
No sister
No brother
I am an orphan child

I tried googling and got nowhere. Also checked the Mudcat cafe lyrics page,
and while they had an "Orphan Child" listed, it wasn't the same one.

Can anyone point the way?

Thanks,
- John

[Jon Pankake]

Try "Orphan Girl" by Gillian Welch. Not an old song, but a good one.

Jon Pankake

[Malcolm Smith]

If my memory serves me right, this is not an old song at all, but one
written by Gillian Welch, called Orphan Girl.

I am an orphan on God's highway

But I'll share my troubles if you go my way

I have no mother no father

No sister no brother

I am an orphan girl

I have had friendships pure and golden

But the ties of kinship I have not known them

I know no mother no father

No sister no brother

I am an orphan girl

But when He calls me I will be able

To meet my family at God's table

I'll meet my mother my father

My sister my brother

No more orphan girl

Blessed Savior make me willing

And walk beside me until I'm with them

Be my mother my father

My sister my brother

I am an orphan girl

Sounds old timey, but it's not.

[John Albert]

Malcolm Smith wrote:
<< If my memory serves me right, this is not an old song at all, but one
written by Gillian Welch, called Orphan Girl. >>

Yup, that's the one. It would have had me fooled. Sounds like it was written
150 years ago.

Ms. Welch has talent :)

Thanks,
- John

[oldfogie]

The Carter Family recorded one The Poor Orphan Child
but was a different song.
"John Albert" <j.al...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:4283FDAC...@snet.net...

[Jerry Dallal]

"Orphan Girl", written by Gillian Welch.
See, for example,
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/welch-gillian/orphan-girl-1305.html

<soapbox>There are few things I dislike as much as de-sexing songs, or
changing the lyric to suit the sex of the singer (as though it were a
personal story). In *rare* cases, it does no harm. In many cases, it
changes the meaning, usually for the worse ("Bury Me Under The Weeping
Willow"). In many other cases, it ruins the song. Here, it ruins it
for me, YMMV). "Orphan girl", as Welch wrote it, implies extreme
vulnerability. "Orphan child" lacks the same power, which weakens the
song's impact.</soapbox>