Olivia Rodrigo Reveals What "Vampire" is *Really* About

Olivia Rodrigo is officially back with new music. The 20-year-old Grammy winner kicked off her GUTS album era with a triumphant piano ballad that builds grandiose production to match the energy of her emotions. The track, which Olivia wrote with SOUR collaborator Dan Nigro, was first teased through Easter eggs on Olivia's official "Drivers License" merch restock and her SOUR Heartbreak Hotline. Now, we can fully sink our teeth into new music (heh, see what we did there?).

"vampire song and video out now🧛🏼. I made it with my very talented wonderful friend @dan_nigro last winter and created the video with the incredible @petrafcollins," Olivia said of the track in a behind-the-scenes Instagram photo dump. "writing this song helped me sort through lots of feelings of regret, anger, and heartache. it’s one of my favorite songs on the album and it felt very cathartic to finish. im so happy it’s in your hands now and I hope it helps u deal with any bloodsuckers in your life. all my thanks 4ever ❤️"

Olivia built a successful career out of her authenticity and songwriting talents, and if you're anything like us, you're listening to the lyrics of "Vampire" very intently to clues about what the song might be about.

On July 11, the Grammy winner appeared on Sirius XM Hits 1 LA and revealed the real meaning behind the song "Vampire."

"I think the reason why I love ‘Vampire’ so much is to me it’s not a song about, ‘Oh, this person hurt me. This guy hurt me," Olivia said. "I think that’s kind of surface level to me. What I love about it is it kind of looks inward."

Olivia explained that the song is more about her personal journey with her past decisions. “It’s more about my regret and kind of beating myself up for doing something that I knew wasn’t gonna turn out great and kind of just taking ownership of that and dealing with those feelings," she said.

However, Olivia added that the song can mean different things to everybody. "That’s what it means to me, but obviously anyone can, you know, have their own interpretation of it, but that’s kind of why it was so special to me."

If you find yourself wondering more about how Olivia carried out her thoughts throughout the song, we've got a whole lyric breakdown of the new song for you right here. Ahead, find out what we know about Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire" lyrics meaning.

Lyrics provided by Genius

[Verse 1]

Hate to give the satisfaction asking how you're doing now

How's 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 you sold as some forbidden paradise

I loved you truly

You gotta laugh at the stupidity

The track starts out with a mellow piano melody and lyrics that question the authenticity of a potential past partner. By the sound of it, Liv may have been involved with someone who didn't have the best intentions and used other people to get "what they wanted."

Fans are speculating that Olivia's new song may be about her rumored past relationships with DJ Zack Bia or filmmaker Adam Faze, but nothing has been confirmed nor denied.

[Chorus]

'Cause I've made some real big mistakes

But you make the worst one look fine

I should've known it was strange

You only come out at night

I used to think I was smart

But you made me look so naïve

The way you sold me for parts

As you sunk your teeth into me, oh

Bloodsucker, famef*cker

Bleedin' me dry like a goddamn vampire

In the chorus, Olivia metaphorically likens the subject of the song to a vampire, who wouldn't be caught in broad daylight and sucks the life out of others for personal gain. She expresses that the lowkey relationship made her feel naïve when she realized that she was being taken advantage of because of her newfound fame and social status — hence, the use of the punchy noun, "famef*cker."

While the person who inspired the track has not been revealed, it could potentially tie back to Zack Bia, who Olivia was reportedly involved with in 2022. The pair were constantly spotted leaving clubs and restaurants late at night, and the DJ is known for hanging around A-Listers like Drake, Jack Harlow, and Kendall Jenner.

And for anyone who would prefer a non-explicit version of this chorus, Olivia teased a slew of alternate lyric options that she considered on her TikTok. Serious alternatives to the phrase "famef*cker" like "fame lover" and "fame hunter" turned into hilarious suggestions like "treehugger," "whale blubber," "Mark Zucker," and even "garlic butter."

Liv ended up choosing "bloodsucker, dream crusher" as a clean alternative, which you can listen to here.

[Verse 2]

And 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

You're so convincing

How do you lie without flinching? (How do you lie? How do you lie? How do you lie?)

Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, f*cked up little thrill

Can't figure out just how you do it and God knows I never will

Went for me and not her

'Cause girls your age know better

In the second verse, Olivia breaks down how her ex manipulated and gaslit her into thinking other girls they had previously been involved with were crazy. She reveals that people told her the person was "bad news" and that she dismissed the warning signs because she had already put her trust in the person. She also questions how the subject could lie to her so easily, or "without flinching," and acknowledges that they potentially pursued a romantic relationship with her because she's younger and likely, more inexperienced or naïve.

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

(Ah)

You said it was true love, but wouldn't that be hard?

You can't love anyone 'cause that would mean you had a heart

I tried to help you out, now I know that I can't

'Cause how you think's the kind of thing I'll never understand

As the song crescendos into a grandiose build-up in its production, Olivia goes hard in the bridge, where she accuses the subject of not having a heart or the emotional complexity to understand what love really feels like. She accepts that she can't change, fix, or help the person and that she may never understand how their mind works.

[Chorus]

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