Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

[rightofjupiter 16,591]

lana's always been a great lyricist but the marriage of her more developed poetry craft and song lyrics is truly a dream...the whole metaphor of being a person akin to a boarded over tunnel is so surprising and so lana, and she articulates it all beautifully in classic lana ways (references to other art, iconic places) with mature lana voice

[bluechemtrails 26,723]

In the radio version the "Fuck me to death" line was changed to "Love me to death"

 

 

[sympathyisaknife 16,014]

3,683,293 plays on spotify ugh she keeps winning

[FredRed 4,836]

"When's it gonna be my turn?"

 

That's the line that hits everyone. 

As I get older I don't know if it works that way. May sound corny but I have to look at my life and be grateful for what I have and the desire to change what I don't like. 

[GangstaBoy 3,930]

Silly little question: is it "...only silver mirrors running down the corridor” as in a corridor lined with nothing but mirrors (Versailles comes to mind) or "...only silver mirrors, running down the corridor” as in a person actually running down said corridor?

[daphnedinkley 13,475]

im still a little confused by the whole "leaning on my back" line so I have some theories

 

is she saying "Lennon in the back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't" ? as in John Lennon and a reference to the Beatles song (the chorus is "baby you can drive my car") and she's saying that ironically even tho she's listening to that song she doesn't acc have the strength to drive??

 

orrrr is she saying "Lennon on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't"? as in she has this imaginary friendship with Harry Nilsson and John Lennon (who worked together) and while Harry is giving her fire (or five or whatever the lyric says) Lennon is there encouraging her holding her shoulders or hugging her back or something singing "baby you can drive my car" or just telling her she can drive??

 

OR is she saying "linen on my bed/linen on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive but I cant", implying that she's laid on linen sheets and her lover is telling her that she can drive somewhere if she wants to but he can't?

 

ORRRR is it "linen on my bed/linen on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't", suggesting her lover is telling her/encouraging that she can drive but she retorts that she can't?

 

OR is it indeed "leaning on my back, whispering in my ear saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't"?

 

 much to think about

 

ETA: and of course the possibility that its actually "thrive" and not "drive" lol

[Deadly Nightshade 12,849]

On 12/9/2022 at 7:01 PM, honeybadger said:

okay i got really into this analysis so it's in a spoiler

 

  Reveal hidden contents

to me this song feels so desperate, more than any other emotion.

 

so many lyrics in this song are questions, or almost pleas, from the first line (did you know...) to the entirety of the chorus (the question: when's it gonna be my turn? and the pleas: open me, tell me, fuck me, love me, and the most impactful: don't forget me). over and over she asks for these things, so much so that it begins to feel distressing. the desperation builds so beautifully throughout the song, culminating in the repeated "don't forget me" – more than anything, even if she can't get what she needs, she just doesn't want to be forgotten. 

 

When's it gonna be my turn?
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself

 

the desperation is definitely (at least partially) related to romantic relationships. however i also really get the sense that it's addressed to the public/her fans – it's not just a desperation to remain relevant and loved by a partner, but to remain relevant to the world. she doesn't want to be forgotten by everyone (like the tunnel under ocean blvd has been forgotten, after being so beautiful and special for so many years). in a way the lyrics feel parallel to young and beautiful – will we forget her, or will her lover forget her, as she grows older, and becomes possibly less relevant? the line "when's it gonna be my turn" really pulls on this for me as well; just like the tunnel eventually was abandoned, when will it be her turn to be forgotten and abandoned? 

 

I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul
Handmade beauty sealed up by two man-made walls

 

these lines in particular really get me. (whether she intended it this way or not) the feeling of her body marring her soul feels so relevant to my/many people's struggle with body image and body dysmorphia. sometimes we can't help feeling that if our bodies aren't good enough, we aren't good enough – hence our bodies "mar"/ruin/ruin the appearance of our souls. she returns to the metaphor of the tunnel so beautifully with the idea of man-made walls; her interior beauty, and the tunnel's interior beauty, is hidden by external appearances and walls. i think the line also refers to emotional man-made walls. who she really is (her emotions, thoughts, and true desires) have been sealed by who she appears to be (physically, emotionally, etc etc etc), and who she tries to appear to be – to the public eye, to herself, to her partners, to her friends.

 

she is also trying to be treasured for who she is now – by asking "did you know that there's a tunnel", she draws attention to something otherwise ignored, much like she fears she will be. she wants people to notice her now, treasure her now, bringing love back to herself when she feels forgotten and lost. by asking to be "opened up", she creates a parallel between opening up the tunnel to restore it/treasure it and opening her up to find everything beautiful inside rather than just continuing to neglect her. among all the mess and run-down interior of the tunnel, she wants to be told "you like it" – just like she wants to be "liked" for all the mess and neglect inside herself. because she feels neglected and crumbling to pieces internally, she wants to be "loved" for this until she feels she can "love herself" for all her imperfections. 

 

there's also an aspect of yearning for who she used to be – the tunnel is in a state of disrepair because it's been ignored, and restoring it will bring it back to its former beauty. while she is appreciating the tunnel for all of its issues/disarray, even asking for it to be appreciated this way, the nagging feeling of "i wish it was fixed and still as beautiful as it used to be" runs underneath. the "don't forget me" lines work with this as well, because even though the tunnel should be "liked" for what it is, it has still been forgotten. lana doesn't want to be forgotten, and therefore doesn't want to be allowed to exist in this state of disrepair. it feels like she wants to restore her former self, who she used to be on the inside and on the outside, before she sealed herself up, maybe even forgot herself, and before people forgot who she was. she wants to be loved for who she is now, but can't help but feel she was maybe better before. 

 

There's a girl that sings "Hotel California"
Not because she loves the notes or sounds that sound like Florida
It's because she's in a world, preserved, only a few have found the door

It's like Camarillo, only silver mirrors, running down the corridor

 

the only thing i can think of that relates to "camarillo" is the mental institution that used to be in camarillo. it's been rumored that "hotel california" refers to the camarillo state mental hospital, so honestly it feels plausible considering there's a hotel california reference a few lines above.

 

regarding the hotel california line, it comes across as follows – she's not singing hotel california because she wants to but because she's almost stuck in this "preserved" world, in which she has no other options but to sing these songs. it reminds me of how she was singing GKIT recently, which someone else mentioned, and how GKIT also references hotel california – it’s possible she could mean hotel california as in the GKIT i tried lyric, which creates a really interesting reflection on her external/public appearance and singing her old songs…  it could also be that she's preserved herself in this world, trapped herself in some sort of idea of who she is or needs to be, and therefore forces herself to continue singing. to me this ties in with the contradictory emotions of wanting to restore herself to who she used to be, while also wanting to be loved for who she is now. the idea that "only a few have found the door" suggests that there are some people who have been able to find her true self, or something along those lines.

 

but also, because of the camarillo reference – is she singing hotel california because her former self is preserved, or because she's stuck in an institution, "preserved", deemed as crazy or detoxing or struggling in some way, like the line "you can check out any time but you can never leave"? has she trapped herself figuratively in the tunnel, stuck in this whirlwind of ideas of who she's supposed to be on the inside and on the outside? has someone else trapped her there – have we trapped her there, with our preconceived notions of who she is? have her friends and partners trapped her there? this verse is honestly fascinating – the idea of mirrors and self reflection, or being forced to look at yourself, the reference to camarillo/hotel california, the reference to florida – possibly a reference to her younger self, as she used to visit florida quite a bit –, the idea that only a few can find her, the idea that she's stuck in this scene........ i love it.

 

Harry Nilsson has a song, his voice breaks at 2:05
Something about the way he says "Don't forget me" makes me feel like
I just wish I had a friend like him.... 

.... whisperin' in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can thrive", but I can't

 

these lines are honestly just so sweet to listen to. they tie in so beautifully with the themes of the song and are so beautiful melodically. her wish to have a friend who would tell her she can thrive is so simple and sweet – truly, what she wants is external validation. someone to tell her they like her for who she is, imperfections and all, someone that will love her, who knows she can thrive. 

 

the lyrics to this song are just so special. like i said, they feel so desperate. the intro to the song also reminds me so much of the intro to ride – the strings followed by a deep breath. however, in ride, she inhales – she's building up all this energy – whereas in ocean blvd, she exhales. the entire song is just such a cathartic release of emotion and feeling, releasing these pleas into the world that she's otherwise held in. it is a true window into her soul, breaking down the walls that she asks to be broken in the song, opening herself up, and hoping that we like it. the exhale at the beginning sounds almost like a wave washing over your head. the very end of the song there's a little click that sounds like a record needle stopping which not only is iconic but really compartmentalizes the emotion in the song – the exhale is the beginning, the needle scratch is the end. 

 

the only takeaway that i think is worth sharing outside of a spoiler is that "camarillo" might be referring to the camarillo state mental hospital, which "hotel california" has been rumored to be about. whether or not hotel california is about camarillo, i think it makes sense for lana to reference the two in the same verse!

Everything you said is so beautiful, ty for the analysis 

One of the reasons that made me fall in love with her music is her vulnerability , the fact that she does not shy away from her feelings and turns them into art.  Her music makes me feel that being sensitive and feeling things so deeply is not a disadvantage but something to be proud of . 

[BoardingSchool 2,918]

13 hours ago, GangstaBoy said:

Silly little question: is it "...only silver mirrors running down the corridor” as in a corridor lined with nothing but mirrors (Versailles comes to mind) or "...only silver mirrors, running down the corridor” as in a person actually running down said corridor?

 

I don't know, but I mentally associated it with the "mirrors on the ceiling" line from Hotel California since she references that song as well...I love the idea that the closed-off tunnel, like the Hotel in the song and the real-life Camarillo mental hospital, is this metaphor for a place of confinement, reflecting yourself back to you but no one else is there. Isolation and madness. Ugh, her mind. 

[American Whore 51,313]

I haven't read this thread yet but I wanted to put this out there. I think the lyrics of this song are truly important to the story she meant to tell with Blue Banisters or even when it was called Rock Candy Sweet. 

 

The first line, she's asking you a question she already knows the answer to. No, we didn't know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd. And that's the point. Asking that question, it translates to her asking if we know that there's depth to her. And I don't even think it's a question to the listener, as much as it is for her lover. 

 

The song thematically is about internally feeling as if you don't meet the standards of society or really, critics. Listening to it over and over, I think I finally realized why it seems so sad to me. "When's it gonna be my turn" to not be this figure of beauty and societal fuck, but to be in love and loved for her depth and layers, overall, not just her beauty. When will anyone listen to what I'm trying to say and how the music sounds? "Open me up, tell me you like it" isn't physical, she wants him to get down to her depth, to read her layers and truly like her for her, and this is still a double meaning for the critics too. On the surface level, Ocean Blvd is this city and what everyone perceives as pretty and bustling, but underneath, theres something much more dark, something with more layers than what the outside can show off. In a way it feels like this is pleading for the question she asked back in Young & Beautiful, "will you still love me when I'm no longer young & beautiful?" and now she's simply saying "Don't forget me, like the tunnel under ocean blvd" especially at the end, she changes it from "theres" to "like the tunnel under ocean blvd." It's a subtle change, but is important. You can even go further with this thought, that maybe this tunnel is in some sort of a way, a rotting layer where a princess has been locked away. The second verse kind of cements that for me, that this tunnel is a double entendre for her feelings and depth, but also something that's locked her away whether that's from relationships or friendships, hence the Camarillo line, only silver mirrors running down the corridor, where she's literally the only one in this second metaphorical tunnel looking back at her self. It makes her realize how alone she is in this eternal fight for someone to understand her.

 

Which puts us at the third verse "I just wish I had a friend like him, someone to give me fire, Lennon in the back, whispering in my ear, 'Come on baby, you can drive/thrive' but I can't" This line immediately made me think of this song, if she is in fact saying "Lennon" and "Baby, you can drive"

 

 

This track also gives more meaning to the line "You are a tunnel lined with yellow lights on a dark night" from Yayo, which doesn't seem extremely deep, but it's a well liked line because it's so visual, but now I think I understand it even more. She's saying this person's depth shines bright but you have to drive through it, rather than digging straight down into it, which I think kind of plays a part here. 

 

I think this video would fit this song extremely well

 

 

[bluechemtrails 26,723]

idk why everyone thinks it's Lennon

3 hours ago, daphnedinkley said:

im still a little confused by the whole "leaning on my back" line so I have some theories

 

is she saying "Lennon in the back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't" ? as in John Lennon and a reference to the Beatles song (the chorus is "baby you can drive my car") and she's saying that ironically even tho she's listening to that song she doesn't acc have the strength to drive??

 

orrrr is she saying "Lennon on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't"? as in she has this imaginary friendship with Harry Nilsson and John Lennon (who worked together) and while Harry is giving her fire (or five or whatever the lyric says) Lennon is there encouraging her holding her shoulders or hugging her back or something singing "baby you can drive my car" or just telling her she can drive??

 

OR is she saying "linen on my bed/linen on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive but I cant", implying that she's laid on linen sheets and her lover is telling her that she can drive somewhere if she wants to but he can't?

 

ORRRR is it "linen on my bed/linen on my back, whispering in my ear, saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't", suggesting her lover is telling her/encouraging that she can drive but she retorts that she can't?

 

OR is it indeed "leaning on my back, whispering in my ear saying 'Come on baby, you can drive' but I can't"?

 

 much to think about

 

ETA: and of course the possibility that its actually "thrive" and not "drive" lol

I think it's more "leaning" than "Lennon," because she talks about Harry Nilsson all the time in the lines before, so why would she suddenly change the person? But maybe it's intentionally ambiguous, because she hasn't published any lyrics yet (not even on Spotify).

[daphnedinkley 13,475]

31 minutes ago, bluechemtrails said:

idk why everyone thinks it's Lennon

I think it's more "leaning" than "Lennon," because she talks about Harry Nilsson all the time in the lines before, so why would she suddenly change the person? But maybe it's intentionally ambiguous, because she hasn't published any lyrics yet (not even on Spotify).

 

tbh the main reason i thought it was “lennon” (although to me it sounds more like “linen”) is cause john lennon produced the song don’t forget me! 

[bluechemtrails 26,723]

14 minutes ago, daphnedinkley said:

 

tbh the main reason i thought it was “lennon” (although to me it sounds more like “linen”) is cause john lennon produced the song don’t forget me! 

Ok, I didn't know that ... then that changes things for me!

[one time beauty queen 18,411]

1 hour ago, bluechemtrails said:

idk why everyone thinks it's Lennon

I think it's more "leaning" than "Lennon," because she talks about Harry Nilsson all the time in the lines before, so why would she suddenly change the person? But maybe it's intentionally ambiguous, because she hasn't published any lyrics yet (not even on Spotify).

It could be Lennon& it isn't exactly random to bring him up here since he produced the Harry Nilsson album Pussycats.. thats the album Dont Forget Me is on and John is even on the cover art. Plus we know generally that Lana has always viewed John/The Beatles as an inspiration.

It adds up for me... more than the leaning or linen theories anyway

 

def need a lyric sheet tho

 

 

edit: oh just saw someone already told you about John being producer

<3

[Eugene 26,669]

Is

 

Quote

Leanin' in my back, whisperin' in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can thrive"

 

or

 

Quote

Lennon in the back, whisperin' in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can thrive"

 

I don't even know what I'm listening to 

[one time beauty queen 18,411]

1 minute ago, salvatorelovesyou said:

Is

 

 

or

 

 

I don't even know what I'm listening to 

I'm guessing the Lennon one,  since hes an inspiration to her for years now + the producer of Dont Forget Me

also,  Lanas better than the "leanin" one imo. its not very strong or meaningful

[Um Chile Anyways So 7,099]

4 minutes ago, salvatorelovesyou said:

Is

 

 

or

 

 

I don't even know what I'm listening to 

It's Lenin in my back

[Dominikx4 25,404]

1 minute ago, JessicaAppleBottomJeans said:

It's Lenin in my back

it's lenin in my ear, whispering in my ear, "property is theft"

but my thoughts are priceless

[Um Chile Anyways So 7,099]

Just now, Dominikx4 said:

it's lenin in my ear, whispering in my ear, "property is theft"

but my thoughts are priceless

Actually he's whispering to Lana "you can thrive" when all vinyl variants sell out 

[Summerain 1,269]

Leaning in my back, whispering in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can drive"
But I can't 

[Sportscruiser 11,894]

6 minutes ago, Summerain said:

Leaning in my back, whispering in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can drive"
But I can't 

 

Wait I hear “Lennon in my back whispering in my ear “come on baby you can thrive” but i cant”