Smoking my good weed and I have more to say!
So after her life went up in flames on Ultraviolence and she just sat in the ashes on Honeymoon, Lust for Life definitely seems like a genuine effort to claw her way out of that dark place.
I think the entire album hinges on a promise she made to herself. While previously, her attitude was very dependent on drugs and men (she had a very “please don’t leave me!!” thing going on) I genuinely believe she resolved to break those bad habits. While I could never say what the exact resolution she made was, there definitely seems to be a greater emphasis on her individualism and perhaps working on her self esteem. For much of her adult life, she appears to have been trapped in a cycle of abuse and dependency, both by substances, depression, and men.
On Get Free, talks about freeing herself from her demons, both those inside her mind and those around her. She dedicates this mission to Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, two women notoriously ruined by drugs and toxic relationships, who Lana probably feels are kindred spirits. On Change, she talks about, well, change inside herself and vows to be kinder to herself and others.
she had a very dark worldview, likely due to her own depression and the trauma inflicted upon her by others, but she definitely seemed a bit more even keeled and sometimes downright sunny. Love, Lust for Life, God Bless America, When the World Was At War, etc...these are songs about finding the good in the bad. Instead of her problems consuming her, she chooses to see the beauty in them.
Likewise with romance, she no longer seems obsessed with her man. She was very much conditioned to be dependent on a man for love, security, and money, and on this album, she seems to be forsaking these ideals. She’s no longer wrapped around her man’s finger, it’s quite the opposite. Summer Bummer, Cherry, Groupie Love...she now plays the temptress. She still adores her man, but she can live without him. In My Feelings, White Mustang, Tomorrow Never Came...she’s (gracefully) kicking these men to the curb once she sees their true colors, not continuing to chase after them like she might’ve done years ago. Geralt had her FUCKED UP, so she put his ass out. That’s strength! That’s character development!
It’s not to say her life is perfect, she’s still plagued by intrusive fame and her depression and heartbreak didn’t magically disappear overnight, but she’s putting in the work. It’s an uphill battle and she is facing it head on for the first time. Heroin features a lot of grief and heartbreak that was weighing down on her, but she faces it, puts it to rest, and keeps on swimming.
so yes that’s my evening ramble. Lust for Life introduced us to Lana Del Rey 2.0, put some respect on that album!
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So did the streets