Likened to 松田聖子, she won a singing contest and was signed to a Japanese recording company at the age of 15.
After completing her O-level examinations in Singapore, Olivia moved to Japan to further her studies and career as a solo artist. There, she became a member of a Japanese pop (J-pop) group called Mirai, before she released her bestselling debut, "A Girl Meets Bossa Nova" at only 19.
With her sultry, soulful and innocent vocals, she has since done her reinterpretation of Frank Sinatra's "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" as well as other jazz and pop numbers.
Part of the wave of Singaporean talents being exported internationally, Olivia has, by far, been the only pop sensation exported exclusively to Japan, while previous stars such as 陳潔儀, 蔡健雅 and 孫燕姿 have only been exporting to the Greater Chinese market through Hong Kong and Taipei.
In 2009, Olivia signed to Taiwanese company HIM International Music and released her first album under HIM in March of 2010.
Killing Me Softly With His Song
Olivia Ong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so I come to see him
To listen for a while.
And there he was, this young boy
A stranger to my eyes.
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
Singing my life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song,
Telling my whole life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song.
I felt I flushed with fever,
Embarrassed by the crowd.
I felt he found my letters
And read each one out loud.
I loved that he would finish.
But he just kept right on.
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
Singing my life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song,
Killing me softly with his song,
Telling my whole life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song.
He sang as if he knew me,
In all my dark despair.
And then he looked right through me
As if I wasn't there.
And he just kept on singing,
Singing clear and strong.
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
Singing my life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song,
Killing me softly with his song,
Telling my whole life with his words.
Killing me softly with his song.
He was strumming my pain,
He's singing my life,
Killing me softly with his song.
Killing me softly with his song,
Telling my whole life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song.
He was strumming my pain,
He's singing my life,
Killing me softly with his song.
Killing me softly with his song,
Telling my whole life with his words,
Killing me softly with his song.
The lyrics to Olivia Ong's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" tell the story of a woman who goes to see a young boy play music and is completely captivated by his performance. She becomes embarrassed by her own strong emotional reaction to his music, feeling like he is singing her life and pain with his words. The mention of letters suggests that his lyrics somehow connect to her own personal experiences, and she becomes self-conscious as he continues to sing. Despite her discomfort, the boy's performance is so powerful that she is unable to leave, and she describes feeling as if he knows and understands her pain, even looking right through her. Through his music, he is able to communicate the emotions she wasn't able to articulate, finally expressing her pain and connecting with someone who understands.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard he had a style.
I heard about this talented and unique musician.
And so I come to see him
I wanted to see him in person.
To listen for a while.
To hear his music for a bit.
And there he was, this young boy
I saw him as a young, handsome stranger.
A stranger to my eyes.
I didn't know him personally or recognize him.
Strumming my pain with his fingers,
He played his instrument in a way that made me feel emotional.
Singing my life with his words,
He sang lyrics that felt like they were written about my own life experiences.
Killing me softly with his song,
His performance deeply affected me and stirred up intense emotions.
Killing me softly with his song,
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
Telling my whole life with his words,
His lyrics spoke to my entire life story.
Killing me softly with his song.
Repeating the chorus to amplify the effect of his performance.
I felt I flushed with fever,
I felt physically overwhelmed and hot with emotion.
Embarrassed by the crowd.
I felt self-conscious about the bodily and emotional reactions I was experiencing around other people.
I felt he found my letters
I felt like he had somehow discovered my personal writing or private thoughts.
And read each one out loud.
His lyrics felt like they were revealing my most private experiences to the world.
I loved that he would finish.
I was eager to see how he would complete the performance.
But he just kept right on.
He didn't stop or take a break, he just kept playing and singing.
He sang as if he knew me,
His performance felt like it was created just for me and my experiences.
In all my dark despair.
Even in my most difficult moments and emotions, his music still resonated with me.
And then he looked right through me
His gaze or performance felt like it was penetrating deep into my own soul.
As if I wasn't there.
It felt like he was performing solely for me, but also like he didn't see me as an individual.
And he just kept on singing,
He persisted in his performance, no matter how I was feeling or reacting.
Singing clear and strong.
His vocals and musical skill were powerful and confident.
He was strumming my pain,
His music seemed to be touching on the emotional pain I had experienced in my life.
He's singing my life,
His lyrics felt like they were telling the story of my own experiences.
Killing me softly with his song.
His music and performance caused intense emotional reactions in me.
Killing me softly with his song,
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
Telling my whole life with his words,
His lyrics seemed to encapsulate my entire life story.
Killing me softly with his song.
Repeating the chorus once more to emphasize the strength of his performance.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind