Text Book

[LAman 3,223]

I like how both political sides are anti-Lana Del Rey. It makes me like her more lol she’s just tone deaf y’all...she’s not hateful. 

[Mer 61,587]

11 minutes ago, LAman said:

I like how both political sides are anti-Lana Del Rey. It makes me like her more lol she’s just tone deaf y’all...she’s not hateful. 

Just goes to show how single minded-ly people approach these very complex issues.
 

The song isn’t even a statement. You could interchange the “Black Lives Matter” with literally any other noun and it wouldn’t alter the meaning of a song, which is about her relationship with her father.  

[Venice 6,933]

16 minutes ago, LAman said:

I like how both political sides are anti-Lana Del Rey. It makes me like her more lol she’s just tone deaf y’all...she’s not hateful. 

 

Agreed - my first thought when I heard that BLM line was about how this is prob just Lana's way of expressing again how she's a decent human/not racist/all the hateful bs she was accused of this past year+. I actually can't believe ppl managed to turn even this around into some wack statement, lol.

[CyberCherry 2,039]

I think she's just singing about her experiences last year. I'm not hung up about the lyrics at all, I think people just want something to be upset about with whatever she does at this point unfortunately. If the song was made by anyone else I doubt people would be pissed off with the BLM lyrics, or at-least not as pissed off. Personally, I'm just going to enjoy the music. I really love Text Book. 

[IanadeIrey 61,984]

I think the BLM line is layered in that it represents the spirit or set of values she inherited from her father that maybe she wasn't free to express in her home environment, which then manifested itself into her relationship with Sean. 

 

BLM is a much-needed response to Sean's line-of-work so I think her inclusion of it in the song sheds light on how she psychologically separated herself from him (both during and after their relationship). I do think it is also an indicator of her solidarity with the movement as a response to accusations she's faced over the last year, but for the reasons I listed above, I don't think that was her sole reason for including it. Without being intrusive, I wonder if her attending the protests caused a slight rift between her and Sean, inspiring her to include that in the song as one of the ways in which they're "different," a realization that "could set [her] free".

[littleseashell 2,499]

11 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

I think the BLM line is layered in that it represents the spirit or set of values she inherited from her father that maybe she wasn't free to express in her home environment, which then manifested itself into her relationship with Sean. 

 

BLM is a much-needed response to Sean's line-of-work so I think her inclusion of it in the song sheds light on how she psychologically separated herself from him (both during and after their relationship). I do think it is also an indicator of her solidarity with the movement as a response to accusations she's faced over the last year, but for the reasons I listed above, I don't think that was her sole reason for including it. Without being intrusive, I wonder if her attending the protests caused a slight rift between her and Sean, inspiring her to include that in the song as one of the ways in which they're "different," a realization that "could set [her] free".

I totally agree with you here. I may be reaching but I think

"& There you were with shining stars

Standing blue with open arms"

Is about Sean "standing blue" since he backed the blue and didn't seem to support the BLM movement with her. I think the entire song is very well-written, she seems to be heading towards a more poetic and emotional approach with the upcoming album, but we'll have to wait and see. There always seemed to be an element of mystery in her songs, as she only ever  (understandably) seemed to touch on the surface of her experiences. I'm really looking forward to understanding her more on a personal level

[IanadeIrey 61,984]

8 minutes ago, littleseashell said:

I totally agree with you here. I may be reaching but I think

"& There you were with shining stars

Standing blue with open arms"

Is about Sean "standing blue" since he backed the blue and didn't seem to support the BLM movement with her. I think the entire song is very well-written, she seems to be heading towards a more poetic and emotional approach with the upcoming album, but we'll have to wait and see. There always seemed to be an element of mystery in her songs, as she only ever  (understandably) seemed to touch on the surface of her experiences. I'm really looking forward to understanding her more on a personal level

Yes, I totally agree with you here as well! I also like how "shining stars" is a nod to the American flag, which could perhaps refer to the patriotism that came between them, despite Lana incorporating that imagery into her earlier work (although I would say her use was more pop-culture oriented in terms of iconography, not values which she implies Sean held. But I like how the imagery of "shining stars" could be a symbol of that great American 'familiarity' he exuded to her). I'm excited to hear her divulge more about her life - she totally doesn't have to, but I'm super grateful that she is <3 I really feel connected to Lana so I'm looking forward to understanding her more intimately as well 

[PARADIXO 32,927]

My analysis:

 

Quote

I guess you could call it textbook
I was looking for the father I wanted back
And I thought I found it in Brentwood
It seemed only appropriate you'd easily have my back

And then there was the issue of her
I didn't even like myself, or love the life I had
And there you were with shining stars
Standing blue with open arms
You touched the detriment most of the friends I knew already had

 

So, it is important to note this song is about her parents and a new lover (not sure if it's about Sean or her current boyfriend, but that's kind of irrelevant anyway). The very first 4 verses could be directed to either Rob or her lover; if it's about Rob, then she's telling him it seemed obvious that a father would defend her daughter of all danger (even if it's against her mother, as she reveals in "Wildflower Wildfire"). The texbook line means she knows the meaning of a father and thought her own would follow the rule, but apparently he did not. The Brentwood line could be a reference to her childhood; going shopping with her father in Brentwood, she felt happy and secure and thought her father would be like that forever. If these lines are rather about her new lover, then she's meaning she's a textbook example of a woman with daddy issues, looking to fill the parental void she has with a man similar to her own dad.

 

And then there was the issue of her... first mention of her mother. It's so interesting to see Lana mentioning anything related to her self-esteem; "I didn't even like myself". It hurts to know she felt that way. "The issue of her" means her mother was obviously the problem, the negative aspect in this situation. And there was her father, "standind blue", i.e. sad/depressed, but still open-armed for her daughter. Detriment means moral damage... "most of the friends" could mean her friends at boarding school, as they all shared one similar story: their parents sent her to boarding school.

 

Quote

You've got a Thunderbird, my daddy had one, too
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, screaming "Black Lives Matter" in the crowd
By the Old Man River, and I saw you saw who I am
God, I wish I was with my father
He could see us in all our splendor
All the things I couldn't want for him
I screamed for them, oh-oh-oh
I screamed for them, ah-ah

 

So this is the first clear mention of her new lover who's apparently similar to her father, as they even have the same car (a Ford Thunderbird). She wants to rewrite history -- positive change in the world -- and his story, i.e. her father's story, as she doesn't want to end up mad like her mother. She'll never be that girl and they both realize they're different; they have different stories and life perspectives; she's got injuries he does not. My take on the infamous Black Lives Matter line is that he gave her courage to get out of her own mind and realize there are things going on around her. He gave her strength to get up and let all her rage in the streets, doing good, fighting for justice and finally ignoring her pain for a moment. He can see what kind of woman she is, now that she's smiling and shouting instead of crying and constantly thinking of negative stuff. She's so proud of it she wishes her father could see her and her lover, both strong and standing up for what's good, and this is exactly how she wishes her parents were. She's screaming for both, society (black people) and her parents.

 

Quote

Could we do this dance again?
Do you think if I go blonde, we could get our old love back?
I guess this is really the end
I never felt jealous before this year, but I'm jealous now

 

The dance could be a metaphor to simply do things right; in order to do a dance you have to follow a series of steps. It seems like she actually tried to have some conversation with them, but it didn't work. The going blonde line is her asking them if they'd accept her if she went "back to her roots", if she did things their way... In "Patent Leather Do-Over", Lana writes about going blonde to leave darkness behind (as her long hair is obviously hanging towards her back) and also not to end up like her other blonde women... her mother is blonde. There's a rather long silence between "love back" and "I guess", meaning there wasn't any decent answer from her... so it's really the end for them. She never felt jealous about her mother, but now she does as her father decides to stay with her instead of Lana.

 

Quote

People say we're too much alike
But maybe, finally, I'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 wondering why

 

She's similar to her mother, at least physically, and people always let her know that, which obviously wasn't a nice thing to hear for her. So she wants to make a change, she wants to do things right unlike her mother, she wants to have a stable, beautiful relationship where she's able to be soft instead of full of rage like her mother. Now she has a man who she knows is good and honest, unlike her past exes, and she's so calm she doesn't have to waste time asking why these bad things (her exes "sticking a knife in her back") happened to her.

 

Quote

Old Man River keeps rollin'
With or without him
Old Man River keeps rollin'
Without him, oh, my old man
Old Man River keeps rollin', oh

 

The chorus is repeated and then this outro, referencing "Old Man River" which I guess everyone knows it's a song about the African-American community and the old man river is the Mississippi River. Life keeps going, with or without her father.

[lamms 11,605]

Color Blue:

I used to dream about people like you, now I don’t know why

Text Book:

Would smile at you and stick a knife in your back
Finally I met you so I'm not wondering why

Not exactly the same, but I‘m glad she still got some closure/found her answers  

[Sugar Venom 9,657]

am I going crazy or does this share a melody with Change and Yosemite?? I think they're sister songs... I love this journey for her

[pin up galore 18,992]

Do you think if I go blonde we could get our old love back? - The reason blonde Lana was so defensive and crazy in 2020 was because she was literally In the middle of trying to rekindle her relationship while being publicly bashed by the general population  literally 2014 all over again 

[CinnamonGay 10,527]

Textbook seems to be contrast wrt BlkBty

 

Black Beauty : I dye my hair a darker shade of brown...

 

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

[rhubysyrup 4,501]

Let’s rewrite history

I’ll do this dance with you 

the earth shattered

the sky opened

the rain was fire but we were wooden 

[morrison 355]

What does she mean by "you touched the detriment"? Especially when she adds that all her friends already had it? That line confuses me. 

[HighbytheSea 4,790]

9 minutes ago, morrison said:

What does she mean by "you touched the detriment"? Especially when she adds that all her friends already had it? That line confuses me. 

Retweet. I have been thinking about that line cus I feel like I've understood and vibed with the rest of the lyrics but that ones a hard one to crack.

[PARADIXO 32,927]

11 minutes ago, morrison said:

What does she mean by "you touched the detriment"? Especially when she adds that all her friends already had it? That line confuses me. 

 

http://lanaboards.com/topic/12755-text-book/?do=findComment&comment=1149013 

[IanadeIrey 61,984]

13 minutes ago, morrison said:

What does she mean by "you touched the detriment"? Especially when she adds that all her friends already had it? That line confuses me. 

I think when she says “you touched the detriment most of the friends I knew already had” she means that her friends had already touched that detriment, not that they themselves had the detriment (it took me a minute to get that too LOL). Through their interactions with her, they had previously magnified the same familial scar on Lana that Sean later did (the “you” she addresses). 

[SharktoothBlues 20]

I don't really get textbook. Like I when she says you saw me for who I am, it sounds like it's a good thing but apparently its she's not enough? You touched the detriment... like he is as damaged as her or he medicated it? 

 

All the things I couldn't want for him..  she didn't want her father to be happy coz she was mad at him? 

 

She says other men felt right but they would smile at her an stab a knife in her back , but she's met him so she doesn't wonder why...what? It sounds like she's saying she's happy with the guy now after  loads of douchebags but she isn't clearly going by the rest of the song

 

Im so confused please help me lol 

 

[Thunder Revenant 20,936]

1 hour ago, SharktoothBlues said:

I don't really get textbook. Like I when she says you saw me for who I am, it sounds like it's a good thing but apparently its she's not enough? You touched the detriment... like he is as damaged as her or he medicated it? 

 

 

 

I think she's singing about Sean in this song.  He's a Cop and shared Blue-Lives-Matter content. So I guess that line indicates they had a fall out over her protesting for BLM. He saw she did not fit his worldview

[CmonDownToFL 6,680]

  J