By: Amelia-Rose Williams
Lana Del Rey is more than an artist. Lana creates lovesick confessions through her hauntingly poetic writing, drawing inspiration from classical artists such as Nancy Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley and many more! I’m only choosing to review a song this week from her fifth studio album, “Lust For Life”. This is one of my favorite albums by her of all time, and I even have it on vinyl!
“Get Free” is the last record on the album, describing the reality of getting older and wanting more for oneself. Feeling stuck in a place you can’t get out of, no matter how hard you try. It’s like you are climbing a wall, and every time you get to the top, the wall extends further, forcing you to climb higher. When you come of age from a girl to a woman, you realize more and more about the realities that women face in our society, the idea that for some, we are only seen as how much we give.
We learn that love is transactional and that our happiness is never a thought that crosses one’s mind. Soon after that, you may find yourself consistently giving pieces of yourself to make those around you happy and whole. We have to work twice as hard and speak up for ourselves constantly to be allowed in the same rooms as men who are in positions of power. It doesn’t matter how many degrees we collect; we will still be seen as inferior.
I draw so many connections to this song on a personal level. Struggling with bipolar depression (BPD), oftentimes when I have episodes, it feels just as she describes, like you’re just stuck in a black hole. Lana describes it as “Out of the black, Into the blue”, this feeling like you’re in a black hole, and crave the happiness of color and the feeling of being alive again.
Consistently yearning for the feeling of being happy again. While the realities of the world become more apparent to you as you get older, you struggle to figure out how to adjust accordingly, and you may very well find yourself stuck in the “black”. Whilst this is only my interpretation of how the song makes me feel, and the conclusions I believe she is drawing. I think this piece serves as an important reminder during the winter season, as seasonal depression is at an all-time high. There is more for you to come. Don’t give up, assess the situation, explore solutions, begin the resolution and stay warm!