Years ago in Detroit she began a solo surf band named “Idee Fixe”. She has since migrated to Nashville, Tennessee, as member of The Black Belles.
Her debut solo album, Bathtub Love Killings, was released in 2014 by Third Man and featured more pop style than her prior works with The Black Belles, while still maintaining the sounds of garage rock. Jean's second solo album, Night Owl was released on August 30, 2019, again by Third Man.
Perfume
Olivia Jean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
FOR SO LONG IT'S LEFT ME SCARRED,
I HEAR YOUR NAME, I'M TORN APART,
I HEAR YOUR NAME, I'M TORN APART,
FORCED TO LEAVE EVERYTHING TO CHANCE,
I PRAY TO SHAKE OUT OF YOUR TRANCE,
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE,
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE,
A FIRE SET UPON MY PATH,
THE LAST FACE I SAW BEFORE THE CRASH,
NO, YOU DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE STOLE,
YOU'RE THE PERFUME I WORE TO MY FUNERAL,
I LET YOUR DAMAGE LEAVE ME NUMB,
COMFORTABLY PLAYING VICTIM,
ALL THAT I HAD HAS COME UNDONE,
ALL THAT I HAD HAS COME UNDONE,
BEEN LEFT TO ROAM, BEEN LEFT ASTRAY,
CATCH ME BEFORE I'M THROWN AWAY,
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY,
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY,
A FIRE SET UPON MY PATH,
THE LAST FACE I SAW BEFORE THE CRASH,
NO, YOU DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE STOLE,
YOU'RE THE PERFUME I WORE TO MY FUNERAL.
Olivia Jean's "Perfume" is a song about a toxic relationship that has left the singer emotionally scarred. The first line "You are a pistol aimed at my heart" suggests that the other person is a threat to the singer's emotional well-being. This is further emphasized by the repeated line "I hear your name, I'm torn apart", indicating that the mere mention of their ex-partner's name causes them emotional pain. The singer also acknowledges their sense of powerlessness in the relationship as they feel "forced to leave everything to chance". They are trapped in a cycle of hoping to break free from their ex-partner's spell while also feeling like they are a "victim of circumstance".
The second verse continues the metaphor of fire and destruction, with the singer claiming that their ex-partner's influence was the "last face [they] saw before the crash". They also accuse the other person of stealing from them without any regard for the consequences, and compare their ex-partner to a perfume worn to their own funeral. This powerful image suggests that the other person's presence in the singer's life was ultimately destructive and even fatal.
The final verse shows the singer reflecting back on the relationship and recognizing that they have been playing the victim. They have lost everything they once held dear and feel like they have been left to "roam" and "astray". The somber line "catch me before I'm thrown away" perhaps begs for someone to rescue the singer before they lose themselves completely.
Line by Line Meaning
YOU ARE A PISTOL AIMED AT MY HEART,
You have the power to hurt me, just like a deadly weapon.
FOR SO LONG IT'S LEFT ME SCARRED,
Your actions have caused me emotional pain for a long time.
I HEAR YOUR NAME, I'M TORN APART,
Your name alone has the ability to tear me apart.
I HEAR YOUR NAME, I'M TORN APART,
Your name alone has the ability to tear me apart.
FORCED TO LEAVE EVERYTHING TO CHANCE,
I have no choice but to leave everything up to fate because of our situation.
I PRAY TO SHAKE OUT OF YOUR TRANCE,
I hope to break free from the hold you have over me.
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE,
I am in this situation because of factors outside of my control.
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE,
I am in this situation because of factors outside of my control.
A FIRE SET UPON MY PATH,
You have created chaos and destruction in my life.
THE LAST FACE I SAW BEFORE THE CRASH,
Your face is the last thing I remember before everything went wrong.
NO, YOU DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE STOLE,
You don't care about the damage you have caused or the things you have taken from me.
YOU'RE THE PERFUME I WORE TO MY FUNERAL,
You have become a symbol of death and sadness in my life.
I LET YOUR DAMAGE LEAVE ME NUMB,
I have allowed your damage to make me emotionally numb.
COMFORTABLY PLAYING VICTIM,
I have become so accustomed to the pain that I have accepted the role of a victim.
ALL THAT I HAD HAS COME UNDONE,
Everything I had has fallen apart because of you.
ALL THAT I HAD HAS COME UNDONE,
Everything I had has fallen apart because of you.
BEEN LEFT TO ROAM, BEEN LEFT ASTRAY,
I have been abandoned and left to wander aimlessly.
CATCH ME BEFORE I'M THROWN AWAY,
Save me before I am forgotten and discarded completely.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY,
I never expected to be in this situation with you.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY,
I never expected to be in this situation with you.
A FIRE SET UPON MY PATH,
You have created chaos and destruction in my life.
THE LAST FACE I SAW BEFORE THE CRASH,
Your face is the last thing I remember before everything went wrong.
NO, YOU DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE STOLE,
You don't care about the damage you have caused or the things you have taken from me.
YOU'RE THE PERFUME I WORE TO MY FUNERAL.
You have become a symbol of death and sadness in my life.
Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: Olivia Jean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind