Her mother is Korean and father is Polish. She grew up in New Jersey, went to Dwight-Englewood high school, and attended Oberlin College, but transferred to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Orzolek has been noted for her sense of fashion. All of her costumes are designed by fashion designer and friend Christian Joy. She is also well known for her outrageous antics during live shows. She is known to often spit water or beer, or sometimes grapes into the crowd. Her on-stage antics have been compared to punk legends like Iggy Pop and Patti Smith. In 2003 at The Metro, Sydney, Australia (prior to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' appearance at the Livid festival), she accidentally danced off the stage at a sideshow and reluctantly had to be taken to hospital - a few days later she appeared at the festival in a wheelchair, pushed by Angus Andrew.
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, in the Silver Lake neighbourhood.
Rapt
Karen O Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strobing down on me
Suddenly I was free
Let me go on these
Show I can cough I can choke
On this kind of smoke
Off went the switch
Love is soft
Love's a fucking bitch
Do I really need
Another habit like you
I really need
Do you need me too
I believe it's gonna leave me blue
Bright as a star be the light
Strobing down on me
Suddenly I was free
Let me go on these
Show I can cough I can choke
On this kind of smoke
On goes the switch
Love is soft
Love's a fucking bitch
Do I really need
Another habit like you?
I really need
Do you need me too?
I believe
It's gonna feel like new
In Karen O's song "Rapt," the lyrics delve into the complicated and conflicting emotions that come with love. The opening lines talk about being consumed by a bright and shining light, almost like being set free from something. However, as the chorus repeats, "Love is soft, love's a fucking bitch," it's clear there are some negative feelings towards love as well. The second verse mentions choking on "this kind of smoke," possibly referencing the way love can feel like a suffocating addiction.
The repetition of "Do I really need another habit like you?" and "I believe it's gonna leave me blue" highlight the fear of repetition and heartbreak that can come with falling in love. The lyrics seem to be grappling with the question of whether love is worth the pain it can cause. The line "let me go on these" suggests that the singer is willing to take the risk and continue down the path of love.
Overall, the lyrics of "Rapt" are a complex and raw exploration of love's ups and downs - the joy and pain, the freedom and suffocation.
Line by Line Meaning
Bright as a star be the light
The light shining down on me is as bright as a star
Strobing down on me
The light is flickering on me
Suddenly I was free
I felt liberated all of a sudden
Let me go on these
Let me carry on like this
Show I can cough I can choke
I want to demonstrate that I can cough and choke
On this kind of smoke
As a result of this smoke
Off went the switch
The switch was turned off
Love is soft
Love is gentle
Love's a fucking bitch
Love is a difficult thing to deal with
Do I really need
Do I actually require
Another habit like you
Another addiction like you
I really need
I genuinely require
Do you need me too
Do you also need me
I believe it's gonna leave me blue
I have a feeling that this is going to make me sad
On goes the switch
The switch is turned back on
It's gonna feel like new
It will seem fresh and new
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAREN LEE ORZOLEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind