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Will I ever be Olympia?
Will I ever be a girl like her?
Will I ever have to say the word
And instantly I'll be adored?
Could I ever deign to have the look
Instead of have to read a book?
Will I ever be Olympia?
Will I ever be a girl like her?
And if ever there's a will
There's a place in Notting Hill
You can go and visit still
And if ever there's a way
To find a hopeful ray
Will I find it all today?
Will I ever be Olympia?
Could I ever have a cat like her?
Could I ever lie around all day eating chocolate and marmalade?
Now it's time to find the perfect world
Dress myself up like the perfect girl
Could I ever be Olympia?
Could I ever be in love like her?
In chaos of our lives
Can we ever find the time
To cherish feeling fine
And in the aftermath of pain
Can the balance be regained?
Can we ever be the same?
And now, time to switch off
Sit down, turn the lights off
Lie back, treat this sofa like your own
Look out, here comes trouble
Look out, we're in a muddle
Keep running 'til you find you've reached your home
Could I ever be Olympia?
In the chaos of our lives
Can we ever find the time
To cherish feeling fine
And in the aftermath of pain
Can the balance be regained?
Can we ever be the same?
And now, time to switch off.
Will I ever be a girl like her?
Will I ever have to say the word
And instantly I'll be adored?
Could I ever deign to have the look
Instead of have to read a book?
Will I ever be Olympia?
Will I ever be a girl like her?
And if ever there's a will
There's a place in Notting Hill
You can go and visit still
And if ever there's a way
To find a hopeful ray
Will I find it all today?
Will I ever be Olympia?
Could I ever have a cat like her?
Could I ever lie around all day eating chocolate and marmalade?
Now it's time to find the perfect world
Dress myself up like the perfect girl
Could I ever be Olympia?
Could I ever be in love like her?
In chaos of our lives
Can we ever find the time
To cherish feeling fine
And in the aftermath of pain
Can the balance be regained?
Can we ever be the same?
And now, time to switch off
Sit down, turn the lights off
Lie back, treat this sofa like your own
Look out, here comes trouble
Look out, we're in a muddle
Keep running 'til you find you've reached your home
Could I ever be Olympia?
In the chaos of our lives
Can we ever find the time
To cherish feeling fine
And in the aftermath of pain
Can the balance be regained?
Can we ever be the same?
And now, time to switch off.
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Olympia here is the feminine ideal, The singer is somewhat frustrated that she has to give the veneer of being the ideal woman when she's not. She sees the ideal as being unrealistic, but to get along in our world, she has to cultivate a veneer of being the ideal.
Since I can't find an Olympia that better fits, I think Olympia is the subject of Manet's painting by the same name. She is lying back on a sofa, nude and looking at ease. '"Olympia" was a name associated with prostitutes in 1860s Paris.' There is a black cat at her feet.
I suspect the place in Notting Hill refers to a place you can find prostitutes.
I think the song juxtaposes the sense of contentment displayed in the painting ("to cherish feeling fine") with the stress and expectations of the real world ("aftermath of pain", "chaos of our lives", "Dress myself up like the perfect girl"). It does not idealize her lifestyle or imply anything sexual, only the feeling of being fine with yourself regardless of pressure from others.