Perfect World

This reads like a conversation between one's thoughts and the irony their inner personality is in contrast with the outer personality they try to project combined with a one-sided dialogue between that self and the individual that person is drawn to and the comlexity those feelings leave her with.

Shall we then delve into the lyrics and see why I've diagnosed the lyrics as such? Ok, I'm glad you asked:

Before reading the lyrics, it's been noted in many of Liz Phair's song of a person that is very withdrawn, introverted, shy, and somewhat self-centered yet oddly self-pitying. This again explains her voice quesitoning the irony of who she is: a famous rock singer who is very much taxed by people in general yet it's thes same people who give her the air she needs to find the peace with her introspective cravings.

So this song is an introspection of sorts.

Let's look at the evidence that presents this and follow the lyrics line by line:

"What a pretty life you have Oh boy, it's a pretty life you have And I would need a map Just so I could navigate the back yard"

I think she is talking to herself about her "public" success in life. The lay of the land of her music profession probably? Seems reasonable. So much success that she's circled the globe. Hence the reference to needing a map. I think she is also simultaneously referring to her normal life where in her private space, it's just as much of a world and everything in her private space is laid out as well that in her mind there is also a map just to get her out of the house.

"Home is very ordinary I know I was born to lead a double life A murderous strife and misery And when I find it, I know I'll make sense of me"

This more or less confirms that she is analyzing her life in its facets: her public life and private life. The last sentence seems to be her indicating she is confused by this paradox of life she is living in. It's sort of an expression of melancholy when one describes the complexity of their life from their vantage point of looking inwardly while observing what is happening outwardly or the public perception she gives off.

The chorus seems to speak of loneliness:

"I want to be cool, tall, vulnerable and luscious I would have it all if I'd only had this much No need for Lucifer to fall if he'd learn to keep his mouth shut I would be be involved Be involved Be involved Be involved I would be involved with you"

It's another melancholic expression of being a hopeless romantic and sort of seeing, consciously how hopeless it is.

The short next verse seems to be her questioning her sanity as if she has multiple personalities as well as exploring the complexity of her thirst for having alone time so to speak:

I know the girls That live inside your world Just sitting next to a mortal makes their skin crawl

This short verse gives us a clue of her loneliness as she repeats the chorus where she basically and tragically seems to be wishing for a soul mate but only on her terms.

Then, she just emphasizes this thought again and the song abruptly ends.

Yeah. The song is about loneliness.