A Heartbreak Song You Can Dance To
âI was upset about a certain situation and went to the studio alone and sat down at the grand piano, and the chords and melody and lyrics just poured out of me â almost like an out-of-body experience,â she recalls. âItâs a song about feeling confused and hurt, and at first I thought it was meant to be a piano ballad. But when Dan and I started working on it, we juxtaposed the lyrics with these big drums and crazy tempo changes. So now itâs like a heartbreak song you can dance to.â
Olivia Rodrigo is making a comeback with fresh music, following a two-year hiatus since her Grammy-winning debut album Sour. Her latest single, “Vampire,” marks the start of a new musical phase and serves as the lead track from her upcoming sophomore album, Guts, which is slated for release on September 8. The song’s lyrics are centered around a bloody theme and Rodrigo has also shared a music video directed by Petra Collins, who was behind her previous “brutal” and “good 4 u” visuals.
In a statement, Rodrigo explained that her new album is about the growing pains she experienced while trying to figure out her identity during the period between the ages of 18 and 20. She describes it as a time of intense awkwardness and change, which reflects the natural process of growth. “Vampire” is a melancholic piano ballad that gradually builds up into a powerful crescendo, with Rodrigo’s emotive vocals and shredding guitars. The lyrics convey her feelings of being used and emotionally toyed with by someone who took advantage of her fame, with lines like “Bloodsucker, famefucker / Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire.”
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Lyrics to Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo
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Hate to give the satisfaction asking how youâre doing now
Howâs the castle built off people you pretend to care about
Just what you wanted
Look at you, cool guy, you got it
I see the parties and the diamonds sometimes when I close my eyes
Six months of torture
That you sold as some forbidden paradise
I loved you truly
Gotta laugh at the stupidity
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Cuz Iâve made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I shouldâve known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think i was smart
But you made
Me look so naive
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, famefucker
Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire
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Every girl I ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news
You called them crazy god I hate the way I called them crazy too
Youâre so convincing
How do you lie without flinching
(How do you lie, how do you lie, how do you lie)
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Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, fucked up little thrill
Canât figure out just how you do it and god knows i never will
Went for me and not her
Cuz girls your age know better
Iâve made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I shouldâve known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think i was smart
But you made me look so naive
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, famefucker
Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire
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You said it was true love
But wouldnât that be hard
You canât love anyone
Cuz that would mean you had a heart
I tried you help you out
Now i know that i canât
Cuz how you thinkâs the kind of thing
Iâll never understand
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Iâve made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I shouldâve known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think I was smart
But you made me look so naive
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, famefucker
Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire
