Click to listen to Beth Orton's 'Magpie'

Beth Orton didn't have to look very far for inspiration for "Magpie," a new tune off her new LP Sugaring Season.  Observing the birds that gather outside her window, the U.K. singer-songwriter says she noticed that two blue jays would follow her wherever she lived. As she began to wonder what stories these small creatures hold, their mysteries started to unfold. "These birds hold wisdom for me. They are also oblivious to the fear they raise in others," Orton says. "All the time people are inventing stories to justify actions that often have no bearing on reality. I have experienced being silenced and this song came out of that. It was my way of keeping my voice and a sense of freedom alive."

Sugaring Season, Orton's first album in six years, is due out on October 2nd on Anti-, and Orton will kick off a North American tour on September 20th in Nashville, Tennessee. In the meantime, you can check out "Magpie" exclusively at RollingStone.com.

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Song Stories