In favorite crime, the tenth track of her debut album SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo displays her lyricism by subverting the situation she’s in. As she implies that she is partly responsible for her heartbreak because she let herself be treated badly in the relationship, she starts the process of moving on.

lyrics

Know that I loved you so bad
I let you treat me like that
I was your willing accomplice, honey
And I watched as you fled the scene
Doe–eyed as you buried me
One heart broke, four hands bloody

The things I did
Just so I could call you mine
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

You used me as an alibi
I crossed my heart as you crossed the line
And I defended you to all my friends
And now every time a siren sounds
I wondеr if you’re around
‘Cause you know that I’d do it all again

Oh, the things I did
Just so I could call you minе
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

It’s bittersweet to think about the damage that we’d do
‘Cause I was goin’ down, but I was doin’ it with you
Yeah, everything we broke and all the trouble that we made
But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face
Oh, look what we became

Oh, the things I did
Just so I could call you mine
Oh, the things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime

Your favorite crime
Your favorite crime
‘Cause, baby, you were mine

olivia on ‘favorite crime’

Dan & I wrote favorite crime sometime last summer I think. I had “Know I loved you so bad I let you treat me like that” written in my notes app for a while and it sort of sparked the entire song. I really love how the song is one big metaphor. Figurative language was something I had to work on in my songwriting. I’m a very literal, specific writer, and metaphors & similes aren’t often where my brain tends to go, so I’m super proud of this song.

I was thinking a lot about this idea of, in order to get over a heartbreak, I think you have to forgive that person who caused you pain, but I think also that a big part of it is forgiving yourself. I found this little poem that I wrote in my notes app on my phone: “I know that I loved you so bad, I let you treat me like that.” I really liked that, I thought it grabbed you, so we made it the first line of the song.

I really like the lyric “One heart broke, four hands bloody.” Having the blame be on two people. Heartbreak is a two-way street, you couldn’t have gotten your heart broken if you didn’t put yourself in the position to be hurt. And I think writing this song sort of helped me forgive myself.

lyric video