Perfect
o.a. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remembering him life is sweet
Like a weeping willow
His face on my pillow
Comes to me still in my dreams
And there I saw a young baby
A beautiful daughter was she
Red cheeks and teeth aching
Her eyes like a wild Irish sea
On a table in her yellow dress
For a photograph feigned happiness
Why in my life is that the only time
That any of you will smile at me
I'm sailing on this terrible ocean
I've come for my self to retrieve
Too long have I been feeling like Lir's children
And there's only one way to be free
He's shy and he speaks quietly
He's gentle and he seems to me
Like the elf-arrow
His face worn and harrowed
Is he a daydreamer like me
I'm sailing on this terrible ocean
I've come for my self to retrieve
Too long have I been feeling like Lir's children
And there's only one way to be free
The song Perfect by O.A. is a poetic exploration of the singer's memories and desires. The lyrics describe a perfect Indian man, who is remembered fondly by the singer. The man's face is so clear in her mind that it comes to her still in her dreams. The singer then describes seeing a beautiful baby girl in a photograph. She feels that this is the only time anyone has ever smiled at her, suggesting a deep loneliness and isolation. The singer then turns to describe a man who is shy and gentle, someone who is similar to her.
The metaphor of sailing on a terrible ocean is a powerful one throughout the song. The singer feels trapped and weighed down by her past, like the children of Lir from Irish mythology. She has come to retrieve herself, to find a way to be free. The final lines imply that the man she has been describing may be able to help her, as they share a common daydreamer's spirit.
One interesting interpretation of the song suggests that the three characters described represent different aspects of the singer's personality. The perfect Indian man could represent a desire for stability and tradition, while the baby girl may symbolize the singer's own childhood. The shy and gentle man could be a reflection of the singer's own sensitivity.
Line by Line Meaning
A perfect Indian is he
He embodies the qualities and characteristics of an ideal Indian
Remembering him life is sweet
When thinking of him, life becomes enjoyable and pleasant
Like a weeping willow
His nature is like that of a graceful and gentle weeping willow tree
His face on my pillow
Even in sleep, his presence is felt and remembered
Comes to me still in my dreams
He appears in dreams, symbolizing his importance and impact on the dreamer's life
And there I saw a young baby
The dreamer sees a young child in the dream
A beautiful daughter was she
The child is a girl and is lovely
A face from a painting
Her appearance is picturesque and artistic
Red cheeks and teeth aching
Her rosy cheeks show she is healthy, but she may be teething and in discomfort
Her eyes like a wild Irish sea
Her eyes are vivid and lively, like the tempestuous and untamed Irish sea
On a table in her yellow dress
The child is posed on a table, wearing a yellow dress for a photo
For a photograph feigned happiness
The smile on her face for the photo may not be authentic happiness
Why in my life is that the only time
The dreamer wonders why that moment was the only time anyone smiled at her
That any of you will smile at me
The dreamer laments the lack of genuine happiness and kindness shown to her by others
I'm sailing on this terrible ocean
The dreamer is struggling and enduring hardships
I've come for my self to retrieve
The dreamer seeks to reclaim and rediscover herself
Too long have I been feeling like Lir's children
The dreamer feels like she has been living a cursed and sorrowful existence, like the children of Lir in Irish mythology
And there's only one way to be free
The only solution for her to break free from her pain and suffering is to find herself and her own purpose
He's shy and he speaks quietly
The person mentioned earlier is timid and soft-spoken
He's gentle and he seems to me
The dreamer perceives him as kind and tender
Like the elf-arrow
He resembles a mythical and magical arrow of the elves
His face worn and harrowed
His face shows signs of weariness and suffering
Is he a daydreamer like me
The dreamer wonders if he is also a dreamer like herself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind