Dear Elliot (Westbound)

[Your Girl Lana 546]

You didn’t think about anyone else
You didn’t think about any of us when you left that place
You didn’t wanna go anywhere else
Nothing could satisfy you to you left
So you went away

Where'd you go?
Where are you now?
I ask about so many of my friends
Oh, about their ends
What about us?
Are we just dust on the floor again?
I thought we were on the mend

You really put me in a quite a position
You got me struggling as a musician with a song
You like to write about all of your problems
Put them in songs because you think it would solve them
But you’re wrong

Why did you go?
Well I guess I know
Maybe my question is, why must it come to this?
You talk about being strong
And how I want to be you and your melody

Trying to learn about something important
But you keep taking up space, you’re annoying
But I love you so
Yeah, you already know

Tryin' teach me about new ways of living
You’re tryin' to teach me about ways of forgiving
But you make it hard
You’re such a bad, bad boy

I love you anyway
No matter what what they say
You were not approved, but you are on the move
I care about how this turns out
It’s just more than I ever knew how to fight
I guess I won't

Tell me I have to, tell me I have to
I know you could
I said I know you could
"Where are you now?"
I ask about

Edited April 21, 2013 by SitarHero

[SugarVenom 464]

Corrected Lyrics~

 

You didn’t think about anyone else

You didn’t think about any of us

When you left that place

You didn’t wanna go anywhere else

Nothing could satisfy you to you left

So you went away

Where you go?

Where are you now

I ask about

So many of my friends

Oh about their ends

What about us?

Are we just dust

On the floor again

I thought we were on the mend

You really put me in a quite a position

You got me struggling as a musician

With a song

You like to write about all of your problems

Put them in songs because you think it would solve them

But you’re wrong

Why did you go

Well I guess I know

Maybe my question is

Why must it come to this

You talk about being strong yeah

How I want to be you and your melody

Trying to learn about something important

But you keep taking up space you’re annoying

But I love you so

Yeah you already know

Tryin' teach me about new ways of living

You’re tryin' to teach me about ways of forgiving

But make it hard

You’re such a bad bad boy

I love you anyway

No matter what what they say

You were not approved

But you are on the moon

I care about how this turns out

It’s just more than I

Ever knew how to fight

I guess I won't

Tell me I have to

Tell me I have to

I know you could

I said I know you could

Where are you now

I ask about

[rubytuesday 222]

I hear "you talk about being strung out" before the you & your melody line

[HEARTCORE 18,971]

"Are we just dust on the floor again?

I thought we were on the mend"

 

these lines are so raw and emotional, they remind me of Pretty Baby/For K Part 1. anyone who thinks Lana can't write songs needs to listen to this masterpiece. so fucking beautiful.

[Guest Dot]

"Are we just dust on the floor again?

I thought we were on the mend"

 

these lines are so raw and emotional, they remind me of Pretty Baby/For K Part 1. anyone who thinks Lana can't write songs needs to listen to this masterpiece. so fucking beautiful.

YES! Finally someone who also thinks Pretty Baby is For K (Part 1)! I wonder why fans labled this song Westbound. Does someone know what the idea behind that title was?

[HEARTCORE 18,971]

YES! Finally someone who also thinks Pretty Baby is For K (Part 1)! I wonder why fans labled this song Westbound. Does someone know what the idea behind that title was?

Yes, it makes sense to me! She repeats the phrase 'Pretty baby' so many times in Part 2, it only seems logical for this to be Part 1. I love how Part 1 and Part 2 parallel each other. In Part 2, she's singing about how much she loves him and adores him. But in this, she's singing about the sadder side to the love; she loves him far more then he loves her. It's so tragic when you compare the two together.

 

Hmm...I have no idea why it was called Westbound. The other tracks were incorrectly-named after lyrics in the songs, but she doesn't say Westbound in this at all, so it's curious why it was named that....

[Guest Dot]

Yes, it makes sense to me! She repeats the phrase 'Pretty baby' so many times in Part 2, it only seems logical for this to be Part 1. I love how Part 1 and Part 2 parallel each other. In Part 2, she's singing about how much she loves him and adores him. But in this, she's singing about the sadder side to the love; she loves him far more then he loves her. It's so tragic when you compare the two together.

 

Hmm...I have no idea why it was called Westbound. The other tracks were incorrectly-named after lyrics in the songs, but she doesn't say Westbound in this at all, so it's curious why it was named that....

OMG exactly what I've been preaching here all the time!!! They're the counterparts of each other in some way. It's really cool how she's done it, actually. The rythm in both songs is paractically the same but in part 1 she uses the "Pretty Baby" phrase in the verses and during part 2 she uses it in the chorus. Also, you can spin the whole comparison further if you compare the bridge in Part 1 and the verses of Part 2 to the lyrics of Blue Jeans.

[HEARTCORE 18,971]

OMG exactly what I've been preaching here all the time!!! They're the counterparts of each other in some way. It's really cool how she's done it, actually. The rythm in both songs is paractically the same but in part 1 she uses the "Pretty Baby" phrase in the verses and during part 2 she uses it in the chorus. Also, you can spin the whole comparison further if you compare the bridge in Part 1 and the verses of Part 2 to the lyrics of Blue Jeans.

She is so clever with her songs! I love how the figure of K is interwoven into so many of her tracks. I could easily write a whole essay on her portrayal of him.

[Wilde_child 490]

This is one of my faves from her May Jailer era. Simple but deep and beautiful folk songs. She could be a 60's protest singer... Wonder if Lana was listening to a lot of folk singers like Dylan, Baez and Joni or if it is pure genius experimentation... Very different from her later work.

[DominicMars 1,763]

Ugh imaging Lana listening to Joni <3333

[rubytuesday 222]

ever since she mentioned Elliott Smith i always wondered if this song was about him.

[plush 656]

Guys, lana only knows four chords on the guitar (or atleast she did on Sirens) so I doubt her playing guitar in another song with the similar chords is a coinkydink

[Trash Magic 28,380]

a small correction

 

You talk about being strung out

and how I wanna be you in your melody

 

Links back to lyric in previous verse

 

 

You like to write about all of your problems
Put them in songs because you think it would solve them

 

Lana is saying that 'Elliot' is singing songs about how she wants to be just like him

[Dark Angel 202,299]

appreciation post for this track, it's beauty and excellence is subtle but it's also very impactful <3

[edgeofseventeen 0]

On 7/22/2015 at 11:39 PM, rubytuesday said:

ever since she mentioned Elliott Smith i always wondered if this song was about him.

When did she speak about him ? I hear people say this but can never find it

[Dark Angel 202,299]

8 minutes ago, edgeofseventeen said:

When did she speak about him ? I hear people say this but can never find it

 

i don't know if she's ever mentioned him in interviews but he's listed as one of her influences on her myspace in 2006

 

[rubytuesday 222]

On 4/15/2023 at 8:23 PM, edgeofseventeen said:

When did she speak about him ? I hear people say this but can never find it

Omg I can’t believe I posted that 8 years ago I’ve been here forever. also I’ve started to think a lot of her songs are about musicians that have passed away. Elvis for example I think has soo many possible references apart from the obvious named ones.

[Dark Angel 202,299]

5 minutes ago, rubytuesday said:

Omg I can’t believe I posted that 8 years ago I’ve been here forever. also I’ve started to think a lot of her songs are about musicians that have passed away. Elvis for example I think has soo many possible references apart from the obvious named ones.

 

what are some of the other references?

[rubytuesday 222]

57 minutes ago, Surf Noir said:

 

what are some of the other references?

Soo many.
Firstly it seems like most of her references to him start in the trailer park era - so I think possibly the whole entire “Hawaiian surf” theme was inspired by him. he was closely associated w hawaii because of movies, vacations and the aloha special worldwide satellite broadcast. 
Off the top of my head, not including the one offs where she mentions his name or Velvet Elvis etc 
hawaiian tropic (and therefore Daytona Meth and EMGHW) I think is the most obviously a song for him. Black hair, Cadillacs, red hawaiian shirt, being bad and then going patriotic, Coca Cola and rollercoaster references (two of his favourite things), he gave Priscilla a white corvette, plus “king”.
 

So any time she mentions a bunch of those references. Plus King Creole is an Elvis movie where he plays at being a criminal, and a lot of the “watching tv” stuff. 
 I’ll edit this with some more when I think of them

 

edit: Supermovie has Sands Hotel Casino, chevrolets, cocacobana, vegas . 
All Smiles I believe is. 

[Dark Angel 202,299]

4 minutes ago, rubytuesday said:

Soo many.
Firstly it seems like most of her references to him start in the trailer park era - so I think possibly the whole entire “Hawaiian surf” theme was inspired by him. he was closely associated w hawaii because of movies, vacations and the aloha special worldwide satellite broadcast. 
Off the top of my head, not including the one offs where she mentions his name or Velvet Elvis etc 
hawaiian tropic (and therefore Daytona Meth and EMGHW) I think is the most obviously a song for him. Black hair, Cadillacs, red hawaiian shirt, being bad and then going patriotic, Coca Cola and rollercoaster references (two of his favourite things), he gave Priscilla a white corvette, plus “king”.
 

So any time she mentions a bunch of those references. Plus King Creole is an Elvis movie where he plays at being a criminal, and a lot of the “watching tv” stuff. 
 I’ll edit this with some more when I think of them

 

i'm not too familiar with elvis, so this is stuff i wouldn't have picked up on! it's really interesting how hawaiian tropic seems to be mostly about elvis, that'll definitely make listening to it all the more special to know the influences behind the lyrics, that's one of my favorites  

 

she also mentions coca cola and rollercoasters in coca cola/my song 57, as well as some of the leaked lyrics for "coconut and key lime pie"  

 

edit: AS WELL AS betty boop boop lol!