Perfume Genius is the alias of singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas. Born in Des … Read Full Bio ↴Perfume Genius is the alias of singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Mike moved to Seattle when he was 6. Growing up, Hadreas was the only openly gay student at his school, and he received death threats that were ignored by the school administration. He dropped out of high school during his senior year. Two years after dropping out, he was attacked by several young men in his neighborhood. He moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and worked as a doorman for a club in the East Village. In 2005, Hadreas returned home to Seattle and began recording music. In 2008, Hadreas set up a MySpace page under the name Perfume Genius, beginning his music career. The moniker comes from the genius perfume-maker in Tom Tykwer’s 2006 movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

Mike has released six studio albums - 2010's Learning, 2012's Put Your Back N 2 It, 2014's Too Bright, 2017's No Shape, 2020's Set My Heart On Fire Immediately and his most recent, 2022's Ugly Season, all of which have received praise from music critics.

Never Did
Perfume Genius Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It′s all a part of his plan
It's all in his hands
But I never asked for it
But I never did
It′s all a part of his plan
It's all in his hands
In the basement

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Perfume Genius's song "Never Did" express a feeling of powerlessness in the face of an unknowable force. The repeated refrain of "It's all a part of his plan, it's all in his hands" suggests a belief in some kind of divine or supernatural control over the course of events. However, the singer laments that they never asked for this plan or for the power that controls it. This creates a sense of resignation and acceptance, as though the singer has given up on attempting to exert control over their own fate.

The final line of the chorus, "In the basement," adds a layer of ambiguity and uncertainty to the song's meaning. The basement could represent a dark and hidden place where secrets are kept, suggesting that the true nature of the plan and the force behind it are unknown and perhaps even sinister. At the same time, the basement could also represent a place of safety and security, providing a contrast to the chaos and uncertainty of the outside world. Ultimately, the song's lyrics leave the listener with a sense of uncertainty and the feeling that there are forces at work beyond our understanding or control.

Line by Line Meaning

It's all a part of his plan
Everything that's happening is according to his strategy

It's all in his hands
He's in control of everything that's happening

But I never asked for it
I never requested or desired any of these events

But I never did
I never did ask for it or wanted it

It's all a part of his plan
Again, emphasizing that everything is happening as part of his scheme

It's all in his hands
Reiterating that he has complete control

In the basement
The setting of this all might be in a hidden and potentially unsettling place

Writer(s): Michael Hadreas

Contributed by Hannah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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