“Orange Spider” is a continuation of the spider trilogy of songs. Whereas “Yellow Spider” had an accordion with the acoustic guitar, “Orange” has background vocals during the singing portion and two brass instruments at the end (flugelhorn and trombone). The background vocal begins very faintly in the background on the second phrase (“crumbed and sugared…’) and gets louder through the phrase. Regarding the vocal track: according to Mike Almquist, Brad Wood (the producer on the album) was playing back a recording of “ridiculously inappropriate” alternate lyrics when Aaron was tracking the song for the first time, and they decided to keep it in.

A note we wrote the other day   
To any mice who pass this way   
On crumbed and sugared countertops:

“we must insist   
Your traffic STOP.”*

In their defense, they don’t refuse   
But nonetheless we’ve come to use   
Snapping traps and poison beans   
(far less diplomatic means)

Orange spider, orange leaf   
Orange spider, orange leaf   
Orange spider, orange leaf   
Confirms my deepest held belief

The narrator (a part of an unexplained “we” like in “Yellow Spider”) has a mouse problem, probably due to countertops that are in a condition to attract mice (crumbed and sugared). First, they write a note to the mice trying to resolve it peacefully though it had no chance of working. The mice did not stop, so the narrator has resorted to lethal methods. 

We find out in “C-Minor” what the mice are in reference to.