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.
The Rose
Olivia Ong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love it is a flower,
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long.
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong.
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun's love,
In the spring, becomes the rose.
Olivia Ong's "The Rose" is a heartfelt ballad that delves into the essence of love, its complexities, and how it impacts humanity. The lyrics begin with two opposing statements about love, where some believe it to be a river that drowns the tender reed, while others believe it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed. The song goes ahead to explore the different dimensions of love, such as how some see it as an endless, aching need and others see it as a flower where it's only a seed.
The song digs deeper by showing how fear can prevent individuals from experiencing love. The heart that is afraid of breaking can never learn to dance, and the dream afraid of waking can never take the chance. In addition, the one who won't be taken and cannot seem to give is also a victim of fear and unable to experience love fully. Lastly, the soul that is afraid of dying will never have learned to live.
The chorus brings out the hope that love can bring – even in the most trying of times – where loneliness and long roads are experienced. It reminds us that in the midst of winter's bitter snow, the seed of love remains and blossoms to become the rose with the sun's love in the spring.
Overall, "The Rose" is a poignant reminder that love is so much more than what we see on the surface, but a complex emotion that is worth the risks and efforts it demands.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say love it is a river
Love is often described as a flowing river that can overpower you.
That drowns the tender reed.
It has the potential to drown the weakest of individuals.
Some say love it is a razor
Love has been compared to a sharp object that can wound you deeply.
That leaves your soul to bleed.
The pain that love can cause, can cut you spiritually or emotionally.
Some say love it is a hunger
Love is a feeling of intense desire that's never fully satisfied.
An endless, aching need
It's an unquenchable thirst that causes us to yearn for more.
I say love it is a flower,
According to the singer, love is a beautiful and tender thing.
And you it's only seed.
And the person in love is the one who helps it grow and flourish.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
People who are afraid of getting hurt, often avoid love altogether.
That never learns to dance
They never learn to take a chance on love or to embrace its joys.
It's the dream afraid of waking
Those who are afraid of change, often avoid entering into a serious relationship.
That never takes the chance
They avoid the risk of losing their comfort zone or disrupt their routine.
It's the one who won't be taken,
The person who avoids vulnerability won't let anyone love them.
Who cannot seem to give
And hence, they can't give their love to others in return.
And the soul afraid of dying
People who have a fear of loss or abandonment perceive love as a threat.
That never learns to live.
They avoid engaging with life in its full form, fearing what loss love may bring.
When the night has been too lonely
These lines indicate how difficult life might get when love is absent.
And the road has been too long.
It's hard to go on without love when every waking minute is tough and requiring great strength each day.
And you think that love is only
When times are tough, it's easy to lose hope and think love is an unattainable dream.
For the lucky and the strong.
Love looks like an impossible target only attainable by those who have power and luck.
Just remember in the winter
But in tough times, hold on to hope knowing good times are ahead.
Far beneath the bitter snow
The potential for love is always there, just like a seed is dormant beneath the snow.
Lies the seed that with the sun's love,
The singer implies that love will always bloom again when nurtured with positivity.
In the spring, becomes the rose.
In the end, love will be all that's left and will flourish once again like a Rose in bloom.
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.