Lana Del Rey, explained: 7 lyrics off Honeymoon that define where she’s at
When Lana Del Rey drops a new album, you can expect three things: 1. Luscious vocals that give you LSD daydreams. 2. Slick MGM-style orchestration and music production and 3. Lyrics that will confound question and bewilder your life forever.
To help decode Ms. Del Rey’s wistful words, we’ve broken down the best lines from some of the songs off her new album, Honeymoon.
Song: “Honeymoon”
Lyrics: There are roses in between my thighs and fire that surrounds you / It’s no wonder every man in town had neither fought nor found you
Translation: Lana is getting turnt on by some bad boy. The heat is serious. It is making her crazy enough to propose to him. The Hell’s Angels are after the guy.
Who she’s channeling: Valley of the Dolls character Jennifer North (played by Sharon Tate in the movie adaptation). In the flick, North is a showgirl-turned house wife-turned adult film star.
Song: Music to Watch Boys To
Lyrics: I love to love you / And I live to love you, boy / Nothing gold can stay
Translation: She’s caught in a bad romance. Sure, she adores the man she’s singing to but the last line is taken from Robert Frost’s poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay—which is referenced in S.E. Hilton’s novel, The Outsiders.
Who she’s channeling: Cheerleader Cherry Vallance from the movie adaptation of The Outsiders (played by Diane Lane). In the flick, Cherry is caught in a fight between two rival gangs (The Greasers and The Socs) and has a very Lana-esque line of her own in the book: “things are rough all over.”
Song: The Blackest Day
Lyric: All I hear is Billie Holiday / It’s all I play / I’m going deeper and deeper / and darker and darker
Translation: Her man has left her and she is spiraling into a Bermuda triangle of gothic horrors.
Who she’s channeling: Dita Von Teese post-divorce with Marilyn Manson.
Song: Terrence Loves You
Lyrics: But I lost myself when I lost you/ And I still got jazz when I’ve got those blues/ And I lost myself when I lost you / But I still get trashed when I hear your tunes
Translation: Due to the mention of “hear your tune,” most people will think this song is about her ex-boyfriend/rocker, Barrie-James O’Neill— who Del Rey was dating for a while. However, this is definitely a call out to her wild days before O’Neill came on the scene, when Del Rey was seeing other musicians (and fighting demons with large consumptions of alcohol).
Who she’s channeling: Lindsay Lohan (she once said of Lohan during an interview with FASHION, “we are in a similar boat.”)
Song: God Knows I Tried
Lyric: On Monday they destroy me / But by Friday, I’m revived.
Translation: Haters are going to hate but Lana will resuscitate and rejuvenate.
Who she’s channeling: Kanye West. Jesus Christ.
Song: High By The Beach
Lyric: You could be a bad motherf*cker / But that don’t make you a man.
Translation: Experience has taught Lana the difference between dating a flakey, messed up boy and falling in love with a solid, strong partner.
Who she’s channeling: Neneh Cherry circa “Buffalo Stance.” She never bought into anybody’s bullshit either.
Song: Swan Song
Lyric: I will never sing again / With just one wave / It will go away.
Translation: Del Rey has spoken of quitting the grind of touring, performing and recording many times. This lyric speaks to the thought of saying goodbye to it all: the fame, the fans and the harsh critics.
Who she’s channeling: Herself… when she’s having a bad day at work (we’ve all been there).
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