Blue Banisters - Post-Release Discussion Thread + Poll

[American Whore 51,314]

5 minutes ago, lustforlife said:

Violets For Roses and Black Bathing Suit are clearly about Clay 

 

i even thought this about IYLDWM, too, even though it was written a while ago, it makes sense to be about him. "don't say you're over me when we both know that you lie" and he was on twitter making tweets saying "hey bachelor put me on next season" or whatever. i'm sure she reworked some of it a little bit. it's interesting that she had him add some beats to the interlude and then that was that. like did he hear the album before it dropped?

[lustforlife 19,008]

3 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

 

The way I forgot about him entirely 

I was thinking today that she used to post alot of photos with her pink nail when she dated him... and alot of others things on the lyrifs makes me think about that... 

 

So miss lana made a record about 3 men? 

[lustforlife 19,008]

Clay seems so much a fame seeker... I wonder if he tried to make lana use her "famous power" a little more... 

[LiamDR 0]

22 minutes ago, Dealer Magnus Opus said:

Obviously this just speculation but I think she fired him as a producer. She’s clearly bugged about the Lorde thing ( as well as with COCC it seemed like he was undermining/ overriding her on the production being done/ not as wild as she wanted, his remarks in the inyerview a couple months ago.) We know that Lana is 100 percent in charge. That’s not to speculate that they are no longer friends or on good terms but she clearly decided to go in a different creative diret, scrap the songs she made with him for this project, and I doubt it was with no hard feelings

What's the tea here? What did Jack say? I didn't know Lana wanted COCC to be more wild sounding?

[Super Movie 51,663]

31 minutes ago, lustforlife said:

Violets For Roses and Black Bathing Suit are clearly about Clay 

Black Bathing Suit to me is more so about the public's perception of her and her feelings towards them, and even her feelings towards herself. It's not a song that talks to a romantic partner specifically, in my opinion, but rather expresses that she would like one. But I can see how it could be taken as being about Clay. The only songs I think on this album are about him in some form are BB (him being the "man that's still right here") and maybe VFR depending on when she wrote it, although at first I did get more of a Sean vibe from that song. 

[1212 348]

wildflower wildfire is really a top 5 lana track, maybe even top 3... im glad i waited to listen to it with the album.

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

The Fern Stone reaction is up and it’s glorious. She’s truly one of us…

 

Also, I’m creating a fall playlist and let me tell you this: Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You flows SO WELL into Thunder. Legit sister songs 

 

[gatadelrey 4,617]

I used to think the color Blue was used as a positive like “out the black, into the blue” on Get Free. or “paint me happy in blue.” But now it seems to be used in a different way. 
 

“I can turn blue into something beautiful” on beautiful and “I get wild and fucking crazy like the color blue.” 

Maybe she’s using the word blue to describe who she truly is. Like her banisters and what makes her her is blue but she’s trying to paint them different colors. 
 

 

idk. Ignore me. Just a thought I had and I find her use of the word blue throughout her albums interesting. 

[sparklertrailerheaven 465]

OKAY SO

i love the album but i have my issues with the placement of some of the tracks i feel like it doesn’t flow that well

so here’s my take

 

wildflower wildfire

text book

arcadia

if you lie down with me

dealer

thunder

black bathing suit

beautiful

living legend

violets for roses

nectar of the gods

cherry blossom

sweet carolina

blue banisters

 

i cut out the interlude cause let’s be honest -even tho it’s nice- it doesn’t really belong to this album sonically 

[Honeyyoung 17,096]

53 minutes ago, Dealer Magnus Opus said:

She basically confirmed it on the livestream

what did she say?

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

3 minutes ago, gatadelrey said:

I used to think the color Blue was used as a positive like “out the black, into the blue” on Get Free. or “paint me happy in blue.” But now it seems to be used in a different way. 
 

“I can turn blue into something beautiful” on beautiful and “I get wild and fucking crazy like the color blue.” 

Maybe she’s using the word blue to describe who she truly is. Like her banisters and what makes her her is blue but she’s trying to paint them different colors. 
 

 

idk. Ignore me. Just a thought I had and I find her use of the word blue throughout her albums interesting. 

 

True.

 

And in Honeymoon (probably the album where she references “blue” the most) it seems that it’s used to represent escapism and an overall state of feverish dream-like oblivion, where nothing is truly palpable or concrete.

[Anthony 3,348]

Well, a tiring week of work in which the Blue Banisters kept me company - And the more I listen to this album, the more I like it. This album is certainly vying for second place in my rankings with the NFR, after Ultraviolence and before Honeymoon.

 

My girlfriend, who is a casual listener, loved the album, especially "Cherry Blossom" and "Sweet Carolina" - She's a mother now so I think these songs spoke directly to her in a very emotional way. And my father called me this morning to thank me for the CD I bought him - Is it that or he will "steal" my CD's  - and to say he loved the album and couldn't stop listening to it. His favorite songs are "Arcadia", "Dealer" and "If You Lie Down With Me". 

[gatadelrey 4,617]

6 minutes ago, Sportscruiser said:

 

True.

 

And in Honeymoon (probably the album where she references “blue” the most) it seems that it’s used to represent escapism and an overall state of feverish dream-like oblivion, where nothing is truly palpable or concrete.

Yes. Thank you. I had a whole post in mind, starting typing and then just got lost. Yes the Blue is referenced a lot on Honeymoon. 
 

I'm just interested to look into if maybe it changes as she changes or as her state of mind changes. I think it means something. But maybe it just means the color blue and she likes the color. 

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

Re: the discussion of songs being about Clay —Sure, there are little references to him here and there (maybe two, in all honesty), but I really think this record is about her recalibrating her life after her breakup with Sean. I think the end of that relationship brought a lot of change in her life — good and bad — and this whole record explores that. We see her dig deep into her family karmic lineage and how that translates into her interpersonal relationships, we see her battle inner disruptiveness caused by family-of-origin trauma and how that translates into the public’s projection onto her. I think the end of that relationship was significant and not at all frivolous, based on how she talked about it in her livestream, and how we can see notes of that appear in the songs, the themes of which we can trace back to events in her life that we’ve been privy to over the last 2 years. It’s a beautifully dense record. 

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

1 minute ago, IanadeIrey said:

Re: the discussion of songs being about Clay —Sure, there are little references to him here and there (maybe two, in all honesty), but I really think this record is about her recalibrating her life after her breakup with Sean. I think the end of that relationship brought a lot of change in her life — good and bad — and this whole record explores that. We see her dig deep into her family karmic lineage and how that translates into her interpersonal relationships, we see her battle her inner disruptiveness caused by her family-of-origin trauma and how that translates into the public’s projection onto her. I think the end of that relationship was significant and not at all frivolous, based on how she talked about it in her livestream, and how we can see notes of that appear in the songs, the themes of which we can trace back to events in her life that we’ve been privy to over the last 2 years. It’s a beautifully dense record. 

 

Precisely! This is why I find it so unfair when someone says this is just a collection of old songs or that she’s lazy or uninspired… clearly this break-up was a catalyst to a very intense self-analysis and self-exploration that trace all the way back to her family and the impact her formative traumas still have on the current relationships they haunt.

 

That she laced that incredibly layered and dense concept with the themes of sisterhood, newfound stability within the family she chose and her own desire to fix the wrongdoings of her family by not only trying to do right by society but ALSO fostering nurturing and caring maternal reflexes towards everyone she cares about, is nothing short of breathtaking. 

[gatadelrey 4,617]

8 minutes ago, IanadeIrey said:

Re: the discussion of songs being about Clay —Sure, there are little references to him here and there (maybe two, in all honesty), but I really think this record is about her recalibrating her life after her breakup with Sean. I think the end of that relationship brought a lot of change in her life — good and bad — and this whole record explores that. We see her dig deep into her family karmic lineage and how that translates into her interpersonal relationships, we see her battle inner disruptiveness caused by family-of-origin trauma and how that translates into the public’s projection onto her. I think the end of that relationship was significant and not at all frivolous, based on how she talked about it in her livestream, and how we can see notes of that appear in the songs, the themes of which we can trace back to events in her life that we’ve been privy to over the last 2 years. It’s a beautifully dense record. 

You’re a genius. I agree with everything you say on here about the album. So true. That relationship with Sean was a big deal for her, more so than anyone I would say besides Barrie. 
 

it’s incredible to witness something like this happen to her- a breakup and recreating her life from it- and how (like she said in her live stream about struggling after a relationship ends) she can turn it into something beautiful. Like this fucking gorgeous album. She’s truly THE artist of our time. Like fuck the Grammy’s they wouldn’t know talent if it hit them on the head. Lana is the talent. 

[IanadeIrey 62,021]

15 minutes ago, Sportscruiser said:

 

Precisely! This is why I find it so unfair when someone says this is just a collection of old songs or that she’s lazy or uninspired… clearly this break-up was a catalyst to a very intense self-analysis and self-exploration that trace all the way back to her family and the impact her formative traumas still have on the current relationships they haunt.

 

That she laced that incredibly layered and dense concept with the themes of sisterhood, newfound stability within the family she chose and her own desire to fix the wrongdoings of her family by not only trying to do right by society but ALSO fostering nurturing and caring maternal reflexes towards everyone she cares about, is nothing short of breathtaking. 

1000%! That’s why it makes me quite sad, actually, to see people dismiss songs on the record or say that some should have been scrapped — and I know people will read this and think whatever about me — but the reality is that this record is one thing you absolutely cannot dispute. It’s someone’s story — as all her records largely are — and while I understand that people care about the sonic aspects of an album, I think this record isn’t the one where that’s what you need to see its brilliance. Don’t get me wrong - sonically, it’s gorgeous and stunning and layered - but the lyrics and narrative of the record holistically are what make it what it is, they are what make it a groundbreaking, critical record for her. And I feel like when you’re a fan of Lana, you’re not in it solely for the soundscape or the visuals, you likely resonate with/have been touched by the poetic honesty and lyricism through which her character shines. 

 

Controversial to say, and I know people won’t like that I said that — but it’s just how I feel about it lol. That’s where I see the magic in this record!

10 minutes ago, gatadelrey said:

You’re a genius. I agree with everything you say on here about the album. So true. That relationship with Sean was a big deal for her, more so than anyone I would say besides Barrie. 
 

it’s incredible to witness something like this happen to her- a breakup and recreating her life from it- and how (like she said in her live stream about struggling after a relationship ends) she can turn it into something beautiful. Like this fucking gorgeous album. She’s truly THE artist of our time. Like fuck the Grammy’s they wouldn’t know talent if it hit them on the head. Lana is the talent. 

Ugh you are the genius!  I feel the same exact way, it’s really amazing to be able to witness her life in real time and see it become beautiful art that will live on till the end of time. That’s her contribution to our world and we’re lucky to bear vast witness to it. 

[Liz Taylor Blues 18,738]

1 hour ago, lustforlife said: 

 

So miss lana made a record about 3 men? 

Her Mama Mia ( 2008) moment!

[Super Movie 51,663]

I don't think this album is about Clay just for the simple fact that most of the album was made before or right around when she started dating him. Like I said, I think he was mentioned in Blue Banisters, but that's it. Most of the album to me isn't about her romantic life in particular, but rather how that translates into the other aspects of her life. Songs like Text Book and Black Bathing Suit are so interesting to me because they do that. They take something like a break up or relationship struggles and make it into something bigger. They're able to convey such a complex story. Listening to Lana talk about how the breakup with Sean impacted her and how it inspired her to write Arcadia put the rest of the album into a different perspective for me. Even when Lana's not talking about him specifically on a certain song, she's talking about her life after they split and how that impacted her. I almost wonder if she added Thunder and Nectar onto the album because she felt like she was back in that sort of point/situation in her life again. Cherry Blossom I think was added because of baby Phoenix and Lana generally thinking more about motherhood, and then Living Legend might have just been because she saw it leaked and remembered how much she loves that song. The whole album is just so interesting to me in that way. 

 

Note: I don't want to speculate on Lana's relationship with Sean or Clay or anything like that because I don't feel it's my place to do so, I'm more so just going off of things she's said and the lyrical content. I could talk about how smart her writing is forever 

[trailerparkdream 1,326]

I need to trauma dump again really quick but its still relevant to the album so I want to post here if thats okay

 

on the 22nd my aunt suddenly died (she enjoyed Lana, especially Honeymoon & Chemtrails style songs.. she would have loved BB the most i think...)

 

tonight my 16 year old dog i got in 2nd or 3rd grade died (im 24)

i also received bad medical results about myself today

 

and tomorrow (the 30th) will be 6 years since my grandma who raised me randomly died in a car accident 

 

with all that being said, THIS ALBUM... oh my god

so beautiful. so special. so intimate. 

 

I know im taking on an even deeper meaning than the songs already have because of my personal situation but I just truly love this album so much and im so thankful for it.

Lana doesnt lie when she says its a cruel world.

 

with the passing of my aunt the first few days i was absolutely sobbing to sweet carolina & living legend

tonight & for the next few days I guess it will be cherry blossom.

 

Im lost you guys! i dont have the words to express how i feel but if youve ever experienced grief you know.

So grateful for this website, its a great distraction and helpful hobby <3