Text Book

[Vertimus 9,632]

On 5/25/2021 at 6:29 PM, CmonDownToFL said:

 

Would it be a reach to assume when she says

“I guess you could call IT text book”

the “it” she’s referring to is “daddy issues”? Cause then she goes on to almost define what that term means or a common pattern people who have those issues tend to follow. I feel like she didn’t wanna flat out say it cause then people are gonna say she’s romanticizing it or they’re gonna say she’s too grown for that (as if those issues go away with time alone). 
 

what do we think? Do we think I’m on to something or do we think there’s worms in me brain?

That's absolutely what she's referring to, a Freudian 'Electra' complex. She's saying, "I have a textbook case of 'Love Daddy, Hate Mommy, my competitor for Daddy's attention." 

 

When she says, "And then there was the issue of her," she's likely referring to her mother, especially as she trounces her mother as something of a monster on in 'WFWF.' As all these 'Electra' thoughts and emotions boil up, she says, "I never felt jealous before this year, but I'm jealous now," because she's projecting her jealousy of her mother onto everyone and everything, and certainly onto any woman who enters their orbit with an eye on Sean (or whomever the man or other person is). 

[Vertimus 9,632]

On 5/26/2021 at 4:59 PM, cru3lworld said:

 

this goes two ways right? people who don't support BLM and people who DO support BLM. 

 

it's quite jarring to hear in a song by an artist like her absolutely. Is Lana singing about her life and where it led to and the people she met along the way? Yes. Has she made some missteps in the way she's communicated things in the past? Sure. 

 

I don't find Lana to be harmful with this lyric. It's real, it happened, she was at the protests and something happened and she sang about it. Just like literally every other song she has written. 

 

I think it will take some getting used to, but I also believe that a long time from now it will be a song that is looked back on and is noted for its relevancy. Not many other white artists sing about current events and authentically and with the emotion the way that Lana does.  

I don't think that's necessarily true, how you feel about the line and whether or not you support, don't support, or are indifferent to BLM, though I agree with most everything else that you've said. 

 

For good or bad, better or worse, the BLM protests have been a significant part of American life for the past 3-5 years, and they'll be remembered the way the protests against the Viet Nam war in the late 60s have been. They're part of the American record. 

 

I think the lyrics reflect an actual experience of hers. It's very likely that she attended at least one BLM protest, with or without Sean, and, later, in reflection, it gave her a pivot point for the song. Who wouldn't be affected by such an experience? 

 

Unlike some here, I don't think she's saying that Sean, or whomever was with her, saw her in that moment as an authentic BLM supporter and thus 'saw her for who she is,' while the other person was not a supporter, and that individual's lack of support for BLM drove them apart once and finally.  

 

I think the second party's seeing her 'for who she was' at that moment was something that bonded them together, because the second person was seeing, however briefly or not, her authentic self, and we know authenticity and identity are issues that have long-troubled LDR. And, at that moment of mutual recognition of one another (whether the other supported BLM or not), she also felt, "God, I wish I was with my father, [that] he could see us in all our splendor." It was a moment of realization for her, and of something resembling pride in the best sense. 

[IanadeIrey 62,124]

This track is actually far more layered than I initially realized. There is the obvious distinction between herself and Sean in terms of where they may stand on certain sociopolitical and/or human rights issues – but I am realizing that there are nods to the karmic family lineage that she keeps referring to peppered throughout the song. I think there is a level of genealogical ill situated in a historical and racial context that underlies this song, too (think about the track’s declaration to “rewrite history”, nods to the Black Lives Matter movement, and references to "Ol' Man River").

 

It is brilliant how she manages to create a lyrical and thematic interplay between the end of a committed relationship, reparations of historical family karma, public infamy, and strained parental relations. This is one of her best – if not the best – written songs.

[Super Movie 51,765]

10 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

This track is actually far more layered, lyrically, than I initially thought. There is the obvious distinction between herself and Sean in terms of where they may stand on certain sociopolitical and/or human rights issues – but I am realizing that there are nods to the karmic family lineage that she keeps referring to peppered throughout the song. I think there is a level of genealogical ill situated in a historical and racial context that underlies this song, too (think about the track’s declaration to “rewrite history”, nods to the Black Lives Matter movement, and references to Old Man River).

 

It is brilliant how she manages to create a lyrical and thematic interplay between the end of a committed relationship, reparations of historical family karma, public infamy, and strained parental relations. This is one of her best – if not the best – written songs.

I've been thinking so much more about this song lyrically lately. I always had a slight feeling that the BLM lyric and him seeing who she was was meant more in a "we don't have the same morals" way since I'm pretty sure that was right around/right after they had split. I think that's why that lyric follows "Maybe just the way we're different could set me free". Because she knows that they were too different in the most important ways, so it would set her free despite it still being hard to do. I think she had thought that Sean was going to be it for her if Blue Banisters is also about him. Generally, I think that Text Book is one of those songs where having the context in the way that we do makes it better.

 

Having the nods to her relationship with her father intertwined within the lyrics that, to me, kind of entail the downfall of the relationship with Sean also add a lot of complexity. The whole thing is just so fascinating, I kind of want to do a line-by-line breakdown of the song lol. 

[IanadeIrey 62,124]

7 minutes ago, Super Movie said:

I've been thinking so much more about this song lyrically lately. I always had a slight feeling that the BLM lyric and him seeing who she was was meant more in a "we don't have the same morals" way since I'm pretty sure that was right around/right after they had split. I think that's why that lyric follows "Maybe just the way we're different could set me free". Because she knows that they were too different in the most important ways, so it would set her free despite it still being hard to do. I think she had thought that Sean was going to be it for her if Blue Banisters is also about him. Generally, I think that Text Book is one of those songs where having the context in the way that we do makes it better.

 

Having the nods to her relationship with her father intertwined within the lyrics that, to me, kind of entail the downfall of the relationship with Sean also add a lot of complexity. The whole thing is just so fascinating, I kind of want to do a line-by-line breakdown of the song lol. 

I 100% agree! I think the entire chorus can be read at least 2 different ways – it's really a complex song that I thought I fully understood upon its release, knowing the context of her relationship, BUT after her livestream on Friday, I think there's so much more to it that we can only speculate. The added layer of karmic family lineage is so intriguing. 

[Poor Stacy 12,073]

Definitely one of her most opaque and layered songs meaning-wise, if not the most. I found it interesting that critics didn't even attempt to dissect it. A very heavy song for her to make Track 1 on any album, but she manages to make it sound like a warm breeze.

[ShadesOfViolence 6,678]

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus. I hope we'll get a better opening track this time.

[Make me your Dream Life 88,344]

On 8/20/2022 at 2:21 PM, ShadesOfViolence said:

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus.

[bluechemtrails 27,004]

6 minutes ago, ShadesOfViolence said:

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus. I hope we'll get a better opening track this time.

Poor Text Book ... why do I like songs all the more after they've been slandered?

[The Stargirl Pinky 71,937]

On 8/20/2022 at 5:21 PM, ShadesOfViolence said:

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus. I hope we'll get a better opening track this time.

[sjatib 5,172]

Just now, ShadesOfViolence said:

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus. I hope we'll get a better opening track this time.

We'll pray for you, Kathi

[DeadSeaOfMercury 23,045]

4 minutes ago, sjatib said:

We'll pray for you, Kathi

& that disgusting mouth of hers…

[111 36,844]

only intellectual people can appreciate sext book

[American Whore 51,541]

1 hour ago, ShadesOfViolence said:

text book is an abomination, especially the chorus. I hope we'll get a better opening track this time.

 

the bad taste coming from you 

[KingJay 3,018]

Could we do this danceeeee againnnn

[The Stargirl Pinky 71,937]

10 minutes ago, KingJay said:

Could we do this danceeeee againnnn

Do you think if I go blonde we could get our old love back?

[delnortecounty 18]

Does anyone else hear the 'The Good The Bad The Ugly' inspired vocals in the background of Textbook. Right after "People say we're too much alike". I thought that was cool

[one time beauty queen 18,479]

i was too lazy to go thru every page of this thread so my apologies if this was already mentioned but tonight as i was driving home from work the song “Fun Fun Fun” by the Beach Boys played on the radio, ive never heard it before but here are the lyrics:

 

“Well, she got her daddy's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand, now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man, now
And with the radio blasting

[Chorus]
And she'll have fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes the T-bird away”

 

of course i immediately had to think of Text Book… do y’all think it’s deliberate ? Wbk Lana <3s the Beach Boys  

 

[Bonita 12,591]

20 minutes ago, burthday kake said:

i was too lazy to go thru every page of this thread so my apologies if this was already mentioned but tonight as i was driving home from work the song “Fun Fun Fun” by the Beach Boys played on the radio, ive never heard it before but here are the lyrics:

 

“Well, she got her daddy's car
And she cruised through the hamburger stand, now
Seems she forgot all about the library
Like she told her old man, now
And with the radio blasting

[Chorus]
And she'll have fun, fun, fun till her daddy takes the T-bird away”

 

of course i immediately had to think of Text Book… do y’all think it’s deliberate ? Wbk Lana <3s the Beach Boys  

 

 

 could be coincidental or her and sean were relating this song to the thunderbird lyric too

[lili 3,178]

When she says "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 wondering why". With all the recent Sean drama aside, as it renders all the sentiment shared in these lyrics defunct... Still I wanna know, I really do, what it must feel like to love someone so much that they make all the suffering brought upon you by others before almost a necessity, because you had to get lost that way to arrive at "the one", so you understand why what happened with others happened. I really do hope someday I'll understand. <3