lili

I’m not sure if this is unpopular or not, but I truly dislike the lyrics of « Tulsa Jesus Freak ».

Yes!

The fact that we never could pinpoint the quality present in her music was what made her so great, influential and haunting. That quality which made you feel like you’re witnessing something never been done before, revealing nooks in your brain which you didn’t know to exist… That is the magic of truly purely great music to me. I still respect and am happy for people who are able to find the same magic through her music, and as much as I’m going to be following what she’s up to, I can’t say I’m that interested anymore.

« Much more abstract way », that’s the key to me as a listener. She emphasizes being a poet, and to me, poetry is essentially about word economy because it’s pretty much a condensed form which plays with images beautifully and telling the ugly or beautiful in an evocative manner (at least, the great ones). I say poetry, because I’m sure she considers her lyrics to be poems first now. And the music seems redundant to me when the lines seem to be trying to fit into it rather than bringing melody and lyrics together brilliantly which she’s very much capable of. Arcadia sounded better than others to me, but still comparatively, because it also sounds as if someone tried to write what their conception of a Lana song is. I can’t see what her trajectory will be like either.

This. Personally, I’d add that I feel like she’s not all there anymore. It’s very interesting to me because her lyrics seem to be more soul-baring than ever albeit in a diary-entry level, and not the unique self-expression she’s known for. I guess she’s all tired of it and just puts it out there now, trying to explain herself in the most « authentic » (according to herself, I think) manner, and if it works for her, it’s all good but it falls a bit flat for me. Overall, it’s interesting to see her change over the years.

Ahhh, I forgot about that song lol. Thanks for the clarification

Oh dear God, has she name dropped Sean? Please say you mean she sings about Sean. I’m still scared we’ll get a Sean name drop in a song called “Cop Blue” or something.

I’m relatively new to him but love his music so much. His lyrics are incredible, the perfect mashup of religious and sexual imagery which could easily go wrong in the wrong hands. With a divine voice and a smile to drive you off the road. I stan.

Yeah, I understand. It’s hard to say where the music becomes inconsequential, and I might not be a good one to comment on that because I’m an English Literature graduate but English is still a foreign language to me. So the lyrics don’t hold the same immediacy they hold for native speakers which I assume you are? So I can ignore the lyrics. But I see what you mean, I agree they’re somewhere between spoken word and a song.

Even though I’m on the side that enjoys the new songs, I think I see where @Rorman Nockwell is coming from regarding the poetry comment. Okay, we know that some artists, including the great Leonard Cohen, were essentially composing music over their poetry and turn them into songs, but with Lana it’s a bit different I think. Cohen’s poetic diction always read like it could easily be a song lyric, whereas Lana’s is more Ginsberg and Whitman style, and I don’t find anything in VBBOTG as similar to her former lyrical content. So, with the new songs, I think it sometimes sounds like they were scrapped into a song with a change of mind now that we know her poetic style. That said, I enjoy them, but I can see why some people might not. And that’s okay. Don’t know why it even became an issue. Everyone can have their opinions, otherwise why would there be Lanaboards? Again, I don’t want to put words in your mouth rorman, this is just my take on what you said. Much love to everyone ?

My interpretation is that she was very much influenced by Sylvia Plath whose relationship with her mother was quite strained as Lana’s own relationship with her mother seems to be. Sylvia’s mother is suspected to be a narcissist and had this idea of perfect womanhood Sylvia felt like she failed to fit into. Lana might have experienced the same thing which explains her affinity with Plath. I think with “the issue of her” in this case, Lana could be either referring to her mother, or the perfect Elizabeth Grant she was deemed to be mold into or both. As for the line in HIADT, my opinion is she’s talking about her mother.

I guess it has to do with these songs being extremely personal. I just love how she doesn’t give the slightest shard of fuck ?

She’s such a Cancer lol

And redundant. Since twerking is sad by itself. (twerking fans, don’t come for me, I’m messing around. Kind of...)

But hey, the verses are so Amy Winehouse. There’s still hope! ?

After all the comments about the resemblance to a Demi Lovato song, I’m happy that I’ve never heard a Demi Lovato song in my life.

It’s not childish at all. The title could also be ironic in that people taking her for lesser than she is, not recognizing her immense creativity and deeming her a “text book” case. Because whatever issues she has, she channels them through her art into ethereal things. “Taking our dreams, turning them to things, it’s like magic babe, isn’t life wonderful?” ?

I thought the title fell a bit flat at first, too, but it actually fits the song really well. Not only in that it references her quest in finding fatherly love in a partner only to see it fail - so text-book Freudian daddy issues - but also in that it is the quintessential “text book” Lana song. Then again, it is interesting it hits me as such since she has never been so explicit before to open a song with such lyrics, but you can still tell as a fan that this song is purely uniquely her.

I personally don’t think it refers to the Nirvana song, but even if it does, the song itself was inspired by the medication since Kurt Cobain was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in teenage years.

She also mentions “lithium” which is known to be used to treat a specific disorder. Some parents are not very understanding of that and think sending their kids away could be the solution.

Ah, okay then. As someone who was neglected by both parents, I guess I could say it’s textbook... Hope Lana’s with her people now.

I’m merely trying to analyze the lyrics and not cause speculation but maybe referring to Patty as her “father’s wife” is not sheer out of anger, but she’s not her biological mother and that’s why they had a strained relationship? I should probably add that I’ve never seen Patty, maybe they share a striking resemblance... Anyway, sorry if this is going too far.

“Life rocked me like Mötley” is a terrible lyric, I adore that masterpiece of a song though.