Text Book

[COCC 29,554]

2 hours ago, domandapiano said:

Blue Banisters 

 

when she tells Jenny she can’t remember where those dried flowers are from but then she secretly whispers Oklahoma to herself because she remembers exactly where those flowers are from  

 

powerful stuff 

God dammit Jenny, stop it with all these questions 

[Churchome Rep 3,381]

I've been thinking of the Ol' Man River reference...she clearly mentions it because it's a seminal, classic American song for depicting the African American experience at the time. (American Standards & Classics clue perhaps?)

There are facts about the song that I can see why Lana would connect to it--Frank Sinatra covered it; Nancy Sinatra says it's one of her favorites of her father's. The lyrics were written by Hammerstein who also wrote the lyrics to You'll Never Walk Alone, a song Lana covered for Liverpool FC. (Her rendition is much closer to the musical than the modern day version that most Liverpool fans know it as, according to my Liverpool fan friend.)

I'm not sure how Ol' Man River connects with the Black Lives Matter part tbh, other than to show that the brutality of the Black experience in America hasn't changed much. From what I've read, the river in the musical is to show how it runs endlessly and doesn't care about the plight of the African Americans, even though the existence of the Mississippi River is the reason why they're there doing slave labor. HOW does that work for Lana's song??? I seriously fear she uses these references to relate it to her relationship to Se*n in another ignorant white girl way. I hope it's more like her version of an awakening.

[SharktoothBlues 20]

I'm confused about the meaning of acceptable to be honest, the line you saw who I am, is that meant to say she wasn't enough for him because it sounds like the opposite? And also the line you're here now so I'm not wondering why makes it sound like a happy love song but I think it's supposed to come across the opposite?

[mlittle11 12,214]

in TB when lana says “all the things i couldn’t want for him” i believe shes speaking about her dad n it makes me think she couldnt want a happy marriage for him because of her relationship with her mother. any other thoughts on what this line could be about?

[American Whore 51,335]

19 hours ago, lamms said:

This was already answered, but I‘d just like to add, that this could be a reference to HIADTFAWLMTH-BIHI:

She talks about herself in third person here too

 

this is a great point, i love this!!

[War In My Mind 2,999]

6 hours ago, NewportBitch said:

I've been thinking of the Ol' Man River reference...she clearly mentions it because it's a seminal, classic American song for depicting the African American experience at the time. (American Standards & Classics clue perhaps?)

There are facts about the song that I can see why Lana would connect to it--Frank Sinatra covered it; Nancy Sinatra says it's one of her favorites of her father's. The lyrics were written by Hammerstein who also wrote the lyrics to You'll Never Walk Alone, a song Lana covered for Liverpool FC. (Her rendition is much closer to the musical than the modern day version that most Liverpool fans know it as, according to my Liverpool fan friend.)

I'm not sure how Ol' Man River connects with the Black Lives Matter part tbh, other than to show that the brutality of the Black experience in America hasn't changed much. From what I've read, the river in the musical is to show how it runs endlessly and doesn't care about the plight of the African Americans, even though the existence of the Mississippi River is the reason why they're there doing slave labor. HOW does that work for Lana's song??? I seriously fear she uses these references to relate it to her relationship to Se*n in another ignorant white girl way. I hope it's more like her version of an awakening.

In the song Ol man river, the river is again a personified reference to the Mississippi river. It is not a person but a metaphor for the passage of time. That despite anything that is going on, time is objective, it has a continuous flow, an unwavering direction (rivers only flow in one direction, there is never a reverse). Ol man river then can be an intertextual reference to this song yes, but more likely to the metaphor of the uncaring passage of time. For Lana, she is yearning to return to a time before ("Do you think if I go blonde, we could get our old love back?"), but she recognizing that time is irreversible despite the desires of a person or the climate of a time. The song I would argue, isn't her clamoring for a love of a person but for her relationship with time:
 

Quote

And there you were with shining stars

Standin' blue with open arms

"blue" not only being her favorite color but the color associated with water, reinforcing that the "lover" of this song is not a person but time.

Again, throughout the song we see this reference with time. From the title "text book" the physical place where the passage of time and important events are recorded. But again, in the pre-chorus where she sings:

Quote

Let's rewrite history, I'll do this dance with you

You know I'm not that girl, you know I'll never be

Maybe just the way we're different could set me free

And there we were, screamin' "Black Lives Matter" in the crowd

By the Old Man River, and I saw you saw who I am

Here we see again metaphorical references to water and time. First, that water is the first place of reflection, (pre-mirrors, it is where Narcissus discovered himself), she is seeing her reflection in the water of the river of time. Writing against the perception perhaps that she is "racist" and against the reception of her "question for the culture" post, "you know I'm not that girl, you know I'll never be". The water reflects the ideals that she truly holds but also because the passage of time makes all things clear. Then the "we were screaming Black Lives Matter" here the "we" is a collective "we" those who stand up for black lives matter, itself a historically significant event; so while the perception is that she is racist or tone-deaf might be the popular thought, but that in her reflection unconscious, she (and time) know that to be untrue.

Then there are numerous references to dance, and bodies of water in their movement are described as dances. So again, doing a dance with time, negotiating her place in the space of history or in the text book so to speak.

Quote

People say we're too much alike

But maybe, finally, that'll make it right

In the end of all these sleepless nights

Other men I met felt right

Would smile at you and stick a knife

In your back

Finally, I met you so I'm not wonderin' why

Then she talks about previous relationships and being betrayed by the men she's met before, but then she meets the "man" of the song (i.e. ol man river) and she no longer has to consider why, that perhaps with the perspective of time, relationships become useful in how they lead to development of the personality. Of her into a more independent woman with complex ideas and a complex relationship with herself and time.

[Terrence Loves Me 72,695]

Twitter is so fucking stoopid, they're like "BLM was not a trend/please don't forget and continue to raise awareness"

 

Lana: *mentions being at the protest* 

Twitter: "SHE'S CANCELLED HOW DARE SHE TALK ABT IT BITCH"

[TrashMagiq 58,573]

I would love Text Book a lot more if it didn't have the kinda cringey "I screamed for them" lyric tbh. Sonically it's my fav out of the three.

[lustforlife 19,008]

Text book is that bitch 

[Rico25 7,889]

6 minutes ago, Terrence Loves Me said:

Twitter is so fucking stoopid, they're like "BLM was not a trend/please don't forget and continue to raise awareness"

 

Lana: *mentions being at the protest* 

Twitter: "SHE'S CANCELLED HOW DARE SHE TALK ABT IT BITCH"

I'm glad I don't use Twitter anymore

 

I'm SO FµCKING tired of the lazy cancel culture, ffs

 

but that's off topic so anyways let's keep streaming 'cause these songs are surprisingly good

 

surprisingly because they are so destructured lol, they don't sound like anything that could be played on the radio and yet so beautiful

[peachlipgloss 3,093]

i love the chorus in text book i feel like the melody is super reminiscent of some of her older work 

[BlueJeans 2,606]

2 minutes ago, peachlipgloss said:

i love the chorus in text book i feel like the melody is super reminiscent of some of her older work 

It’s my favorite part of all theee songs.

« God I wish I was with my father » 

[Dark Angel 202,304]

the chorus of text book reminds me of the chorus of tv in black & white  

[peachlipgloss 3,093]

2 minutes ago, Surf Noir said:

the chorus of text book reminds me of the chorus of tv in black & white  

i love this comparison 

[strange weather 1,953]

Anyone else almost start singing "He's got the fiiiiire" from "Sad Girl" after the the "& I thought I found it in Brentwood/It seemed only appropriate you’d easily have my back" verse?

[SalvaWHORE 34,006]

Text Book actually reminds me of "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush, her vocalizing in post-chorus specifically. 

[BoardingSchool 2,918]

On 5/22/2021 at 12:54 PM, sjatib said:

Don't know if this has been discussed already, but I actually can't get what a "text book" has to do with the rest of the lyrics or the song's narrative. Im not a native speaker either, so if it's figurative I don't get it. Anyone who could help with this? 

 

It's an expression meaning something is so exactly as expected that it's cliche' or bog-standard-- she's saying in a slightly self-deprecating way that you could put her in the dictionary or the psych textbook under "daddy issues". I love it; it really is a clap-back to all the haters who have slammed her for calling men "daddy" in her songs (although that was ages ago-- we know she holds a grudge!). 

[SalvaWHORE 34,006]

2 hours ago, Terrence Loves Me said:

Twitter is so fucking stoopid, they're like "BLM was not a trend/please don't forget and continue to raise awareness"

 

Lana: *mentions being at the protest* 

Twitter: "SHE'S CANCELLED HOW DARE SHE TALK ABT IT BITCH"

Dumb fucking annoying bitches.

[Make me your Dream Life 87,827]

finally i met you so im not wonderin why  ya got a thunderbird mah daddy had one too let's rewrite history i'll do this dance wit u  old maaaaaaaaaaan river keeeeeeeeps roooooollllllinnnnnnnn I screeeaaaaaaamed for theeeeeehhhhheeeeee heeeeeeh eeeem oooooooohhhhhhhh 

[Make me your Dream Life 87,827]

u got a thunderbird mah daddy had one too  lets re-write history i'll do this dance w youu