Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American rock musician, songwriter,… Read Full Bio ↴Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer. She has written and produced hit songs for several successful female singers, including Pink (who had a number 1 hit with Perry's "Get the Party Started"), Christina Aguilera (who had a number 1 hit with Perry's "Beautiful"), and Gwen Stefani ("What You Waiting For?" from her album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.). Perry has also contributed heavily to albums by Courtney Love and Kelly Osbourne as well as signing and distributing James Blunt in the United States.

Linda Perry was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, the daughter of Portuguese-American Alfred Xavier Perry (1928-2005), an engineer and a musician and Brazilian-born Marluce Perry. Her mother has worked as a model, designer, and private detective. Linda has six siblings; five brothers (Jay, Solomon, Mark, Marcel, and John) and a sister (Sally).

Perry spent her youth struggling with kidney disease and then addiction, before focusing on music. Growing up in an artistic and musical household, the young Perry displayed musical talent and interest from an early age. Her first song was "Pity Girls", at the age of 15 (according to an interview from ASCAP in the middle of 2003).

Success
Linda Perry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This is not the way it's
Supposed to be
Spend my day in fear of all
It sets me free
I beg your pardon
For what I do and say
I can hold myself to blame
But the sure remains the same

Will success fail me?
Will it make me free?
What they tell me I should want?
Is it what I need?
Hey Mom, hey Dad
The story went
Round the burning wheels of faith
It pays the rent
Hey sister, hey brother
I had to choose
Choose between the win and lose
But what's the use?
Will success fail me?
Will it make me free?
What they tell me I should want?
Is it what I need?
Come March come April
Come May and June
Let the pounding seconds go
There's nothing I can do
Will success fail me?
Will it make me free?
What they tell me I should want?

Is it what I need? (x 2)
Is there something I can do?

Overall Meaning

In the song "Success," Linda Perry explores the complicated relationship between success, happiness, and societal expectations. The lyrics convey a sense of unease and disillusionment with the modern definition of success. Perry starts the song by reflecting on how fear and anxiety have become a part of her daily routine, even though that's not how things were "supposed to be." She then goes on to question whether success can truly make someone happy and free or if it just perpetuates a cycle of wanting more.

Perry depicts her reluctance to take full responsibility for her actions, as she believes that success could fail her despite all her efforts. In the chorus, Perry contrasts what society has molded as success with what she really needs in life. She questions whether the success people aspire to achieve is what they genuinely want or simply what society expects them to pursue. Perry's use of the phrase "what they tell me I should want" highlights the social ideals ingrained within individuals, often leading them to pursue things that might not bring true happiness.

The lyrics of the song also suggest that Perry had to make choices between success and her loved ones. She addresses her family to acknowledge the impact of the pressure to achieve success and the trade-offs that came with it. She muses about how her pursuit of success has come at a cost, forcing her to choose between winning and losing, but she cannot make the right decision. She feels trapped and somewhat broken by society's expectations.

Overall, "Success" portrays the reality that success and happiness are not always synonymous with each other, and the road to achieving one can often conflict with the other's achievement.

Line by Line Meaning

This is not the way it's
Things are not going as they should be

Supposed to be
According to some expectation or rule

Spend my day in fear of all
Feeling anxious and worried all day

It sets me free
But it also brings some kind of release

I beg your pardon
Apologizing to someone

For what I do and say
For something that was said or done

I can hold myself to blame
I am willing to take responsibility

But the sure remains the same
The end result will not change

Will success fail me?
Asking a question about the outcome of success

Will it make me free?
Will it bring true freedom

What they tell me I should want?
Asking about societal expectations