Karen O is a pseudonym of Karen Lee Orzolek (b. 22 Nov 1978 in South Korea)… Read Full Bio ↴Karen O is a pseudonym of Karen Lee Orzolek (b. 22 Nov 1978 in South Korea), lead vocalist with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O and the Kids.

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.

Living in a Trance
Karen O Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You cast a spell on me
The first time we met
Bewitched and enchanted at first glance
Hypnotized by your command
Let you get the upper hand
Now I'm living in a trance

Living in a trance

In a world of lost romance
I've never had the chance
Living in a trance

Captured by your charm
Living just for you
I was happy in a make-believe romance
I never knew then
The spell you had me in
Now I, I'm living in a trance

Living in a trance
In a world of lost romance

I never had the chance
Living in a trance

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Karen O's song, "Living in a Trance," speak to the experience of falling under someone's spell and becoming enchanted by their charm. The persona in the song confesses that they were bewitched from the very moment they met this person, and they were 'hypnotized' by their command. The persona was happy in this make-believe romance, even though they never knew the extent of the spell that they were under.

The lines, "captured by your charm, living just for you," reveal how the persona was completely consumed by this enchanting person, and they were left with no other desire than to please them. The chorus repeats the phrase, "Living in a trance," emphasizing the mesmerizing effect that this person has had on the persona. The persona also acknowledges that they are living in a "world of lost romance," meaning that this relationship may not have been healthy, but they were too caught up in the spell to recognize it. Overall, Karen O's "Living in a Trance" is a cautionary tale about the danger of falling too deeply for someone without recognizing the underlying issues.

Line by Line Meaning

You cast a spell on me
I fell under your control

The first time we met
From that moment, I was hooked

Bewitched and enchanted at first glance
You had a mesmerizing effect on me right away

Hypnotized by your command
You had the power to influence me like a hypnotist

Let you get the upper hand
I allowed you to take control of the situation

Now I'm living in a trance
I'm living under a spell, unable to break free

Captured by your charm
You had a captivating quality that caught me

Living just for you
My whole life revolved around you

I was happy in a make-believe romance
I was content to live in a fantasy world with you

I never knew then
I didn't realize at the time

The spell you had me in
The control you had over me