Lana Del Rey has just dropped her latest and greatest studio album, Honeymoon. This album, however, is more than the melancholy, jazzy music you usually get from Lana. There is a lot more history and research that goes into the album besides the catchy lyrics. Each song tells a story about someone Lana knew, knew of, or something she experienced herself. There is far more than meets the eye. Here are four of the most developed stories within the album and the meaning behind the tunes.
Music to Watch Boys to
This song is about the evolution of Lizzie Grant (Lana’s birth given name) to Lana Del Rey. Lana brings up yet again one of the drinks that brought her to her alcoholism at a young age, “Papst Blue Ribbon on ice” from the song “This is What Makes Us Girls.” This song tells the story of a Lana who now is no longer addicted to alcohol but is addicted to love. She can not move past her obsession with the boys she falls for. She “lives to love them” and can’t do anything else. By saying “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” she is hinting at the idea that no great relationship she has can last by quoting Robert Frost.
Terrence Loves You
The lyrics featured in this song “Ground control to Major Tom” immediately point to one of my favourite songs ever, “Space Oddity” by David Bowie. The use of this phrase in this song is not by accident at all. This song is theorized to be a tribute to Bowie’s step-brother, Terry Burns. Terry, who had schizophrenia, committed suicide at the age of 48 and he had introduced Bowie to jazz music. “I still got jazz when I’ve got those blues,” is used as an analogy to how Bowie felt after Terry’s death. The entire song is channeled through Bowie’s thoughts towards Terry. In the song “Space Oddity,” (which is also supposedly about Terry) there is a lyric, “Tell my wife I lover her very much,” and the title of this song is what Bowie ended up saying to Terry’s wife: “Terrance Loves You.” Lana is a genius to write a song so deep about a musically historical event.
God Knows I Tried
This song touches on religious themes. “Hotel California,” by the Eagles is referenced within the song. “Hotel California” is about the sins of Los Angelos and about how once you join in “you can never leave.” Lana talks in this song about how she has found herself caught up in a place where she is doing things she shouldn’t. She says that God knows she is trying to be a better person but she still has this tendency to break the rules. She is begging for god to give her another chance as she’s been as sinner. Lana generally is always sending mixed messages about her religious beliefs so it is unclear about where she stands on the topic.
Swan Song
The title of this song immediately jumps out as it is the last thing Lana Del Rey fan’s want to hear. Swan song means the last performance by a living legend and Lana croons “And I will never sing again” and everyone is wondering if this really is the last Lana Del Rey album. Based on how successful and amazing her work is, hopefully this is just a rumor.
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