SONG OF THE WEEK (#1)

[Sitar 22,218]

i haven't really read through lanalysis, but isn't it speculated that one of her exes (K?) is / was in prison? so maybe this song is about them ~running from the law or something? more of a bonnie & clyde thing, rather than just an innocent little roadtrip 

 

Both this song and Every Man Has His Wish have always given me Lanalytical troubles. (@@TrailerParkDarling I would definitely agree that they're related)

 

On the surface, the Chevrolet shout-out seems to relate to "Hundred Dollar Bill," which namedrops a "Jimmy"

 

Then there's the idea of her being on the open road with some man, more than likely the criminal figure in her life. This is the basis of "Us Against the World" and related songs--living a secluded life on the run, literally or figuratively, with a boyfriend

 

However, we can also trace it back even further to "Prom Song (Gone Wrong)" (Let's get out of this place / 'Cause you're starting to waste within this teenage wasteland), a song with clear associations to Mr. Campbell. It's this idea of craving escape but maybe not even getting it. You can imagine her fantasizing about that Lolita-style roadtrip getaway with this older man.

 

While we're on the topic, compiling all the escapist songs end up looking like

1949

On Our Way

Every Man Has His Wish

Lucky Ones

Prom Song (Gone Wrong)

Take Me to Paris

Us Against the World

Ride

Yayo

Queen of the Gas Station

Diet Mountain Dew

Westbound

Aviation

 

If you ask me, this doesn't necessarily relate to one man, but rather her perspective on love as kind of sweeping her off her feet and taking her away. "You have to take me right now from this dark trailer park life now." It could even be that she is only figuratively escaping her woes by falling in love.

[alidusi 70]

this was only posted last night and i'm already super excited for next week's! don't know if i can wait ahh

[lauradelxx 1,082]

I love OOW it reminds me of country alternative lizzy idk my fav part is the "you o o o, ooo oo oo you light my red fayre baybe how white n blue" just the way she sings it. I love it,

[lola 6,644]

I really love On Our Way, I think it's a great example of one of the main reasons why I love Lana. She's not really a genius poet, singer or guitar player (heh) but her lyrics are extremely personal. And not only because of how much she opens up in them but how much personality they show. I don't think a lot of songwriters could get away with writing about Chevrolets all the time or picking up cheap lip gloss form K-Mart but I like it with Lana because I know that's her whole style and every time she mentions little things like that I feel like I'm getting to know her more and more. This probably one of the reasons why I don't like people covering her songs, it just sounds weird hearing some random girl on the internet say things only Lana would say. I think there are a lot of musicians who are either great poets or who have mastered their instrument but I'll never be nearly as invested in them because they don't show any personality in their songs even if they objectively are talented.

[COLACNT 5,180]

I don't think a lot of songwriters could get away with writing about Chevrolets all the time or picking up cheap lip gloss form K-Mart but I like it with Lana because I know that's her whole style and every time she mentions little things like that I feel like I'm getting to know her more and more

 

so true 

 

i also kind of love the "whyyy do i think too much" juxtaposed with the 'pink lip gloss' line, and the footage of her looking like a blonde bimbo in the tranny wig lel

 

its kind of funny too that she says "you tell me not to worry, cause you're the boss", etc because doesn't it seem like she's the more dominant presence in her relationship with barrie? she holds the economic reigns, she drives them everywhere, he brings and lights her cigarettes on stage, etc lmao i know those are all minor things and we don't really know what their relationship is actually like but i guess i just can't imagine barrie being very ~aggressive w/ her the way she seems to 'prefer' in her songs. i don't know if thats all part of a character or if its just another one of her strange paradoxes 

[ConeyIslandQueen262 1,068]

its kind of funny too that she says "you tell me not to worry, cause you're the boss", etc because doesn't it seem like she's the more dominant presence in her relationship with barrie? she holds the economic reigns, she drives them everywhere, he brings and lights her cigarettes on stage, etc lmao i know those are all minor things and we don't really know what their relationship is actually like but i guess i just can't imagine barrie being very ~aggressive w/ her the way she seems to 'prefer' in her songs. i don't know if thats all part of a character or if its just another one of her strange paradoxes 

 

haha you're absolutely right, Barrie doesn't seem pretty dominant to me    

[lola 6,644]

its kind of funny too that she says "you tell me not to worry, cause you're the boss", etc because doesn't it seem like she's the more dominant presence in her relationship with barrie? she holds the economic reigns, she drives them everywhere, he brings and lights her cigarettes on stage, etc lmao i know those are all minor things and we don't really know what their relationship is actually like but i guess i just can't imagine barrie being very ~aggressive w/ her the way she seems to 'prefer' in her songs. i don't know if thats all part of a character or if its just another one of her strange paradoxes 

maybe she's gotten over wanting to be dominated. all of her other boyfriends were older and "kind of" bad boy types, maybe she's learned from those relationships not working out

[Creyk 11,727]

 

 

OK, I'm stopping to hammer that point of view. But being serious now, to be honest I personally dislike these lyrics a bit. Don't know why but somehow they bother me more than "You Can Be The Boss" D:

 

The rest of "On Our Way" lyrics is finest.

 

But hun if you've been in love before you get how those lyrics are totally true when you become that attached to the other person

[Creyk 11,727]

 

its kind of funny too that she says "you tell me not to worry, cause you're the boss", etc because doesn't it seem like she's the more dominant presence in her relationship with barrie? she holds the economic reigns, she drives them everywhere, he brings and lights her cigarettes on stage, etc lmao i know those are all minor things and we don't really know what their relationship is actually like but i guess i just can't imagine barrie being very ~aggressive w/ her the way she seems to 'prefer' in her songs. i don't know if thats all part of a character or if its just another one of her strange paradoxes 

 

Heheh, you're right She is even the more successful one.

If we look at her songs, among her released material, BTD and Paradise, that theme is wanting to be dominated is not emphasized as in her unreleased material. That aspect comes up the strongest in You Can Be The Boss, and even that is an old song.

Maybe as she grew older she changed and now other things are important to her, I guess more artsy stuff. There was that interview where she criticized the music industry and said that most people are not focused enough on their artistry, or something like that...AFFA is about this too partially, with these lines:

 

"We are heavy metal lions

They will never understand

The kind of people you or I am.

Bow your heads and take your hands."

[DUKE 2,530]

First of all, my knees are getting weak hearing this electric piano play throughout the song. I really am a sucker for electric pianos. They sound so cute, yet seductive in opposite to their intangible and majestic sounding ancestors: acoustic pianos. Why did they have to use a (sampled) acoustic piano in the outro?  I think this sort of mirrors Lizzy Grant(/Lana Del Rey), though. Cute, yet seductive. I'm not sure but are there two guitars playing? One acoustic guitar and one electric guitar? Do I see a patter there?

 

Let's just say... if I were Twin Peaks' Audrey (in drag), I'd want this song played by that jukebox. And I'd certainly dance away like this, get lost and stumble over something like I usually do. "On Our Way" is totally an 11pm "let's just play one more" jukebox kinda song. It's not necessarily the kind of song that would make me stay. Rather the kind of song I'd listen to before leaving, but one that stays in your ear while you're driving through the dark forrest surrounding Twin Peaks. It has this "we are on the way" kind of quality to it because, well, we are "On Our Way."   Sure, not necessarily physically but I really get this traveling vibe from it. 

 

As for its lyrical content, I think @@lola pointed that out really well. There is quite nobody else that could get away with something like this, because it is Lizzy Grant/Lana Del Rey/You Name It through and through. Yes, I cringe so bad when I hear your random YouTube girl do a guitar cover of a Lana song like this. Because n o! I don't see this girl do anything mentioned in the song. I just don't because it's a Lana Del Rey thing to do. End of story. 

 

I really like this Song of the Week idea. 

[Creyk 11,727]

I really like this Song of the Week idea. 

 

Basically, this :agree: :agree2:

[Mileena 2,693]

The lyrics... Well, if Lorde knew this song, she might call it the most "anti-feministic" Lana song:

 

OK, I'm stopping to hammer that point of view. But being serious now, to be honest I personally dislike these lyrics a bit. Don't know why but somehow they bother me more than "You Can Be The Boss" D:

 

The rest of "On Our Way" lyrics is finest.

 

 

'Why do I think too much?' could also entail about her own self doubt, not just about not thinking for herself or whatever you were trying to insinuate. 

[sweetie 6,628]

I used to listen to OOW a lot when I was in a very dark period of my life   so I refuse to listen to it anymore because I'm afraid it will bring back the memories/thoughts I had back then.

[Jazzmin 302]

Hm, you are right. To my surprise the song has grown on me and I can't recall what I meant about a week ago ^^' . The lyrics are quite natural Lana ones.

[Trinity 1,227]

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

First impression: I thought her voice sounded a little weird but I loved the summery getaway vibe it gave off.

Impression now: Still love it.

iTunes plays: 37 (relatively, my most-listened-to song has 121)

Songs I play along with it: Never Let Me Go, My Best Days, The Man I Love, Trash (Miss America), I Don’t Wanna Go

What I like about it: I like the innocence Lana portrays in the lyrics as well as the cute memories she tells the story of (going to K-Mart, etc).

What I dislike about it: Although I like that she experiments with her voice in this song, I find it just a little annoying at some points. Also, I can’t wait for the song to end after she repeats “on our way” so many times until it fades out.

Memories I associate with this song: Riding around in my boyfriend’s car with the windows down in the middle of summer.

Colors/images that come to mind: I think of warm colors, mostly a peachy-orange color and the only images that come to my mind are the homemade video (which is so cute).

Favorite lyrics: I love you more with each and every day (I say this to my boyfriend all the time).

Interpretation: I think this song was written in a time when Lana’s life had taken a turn for the good after it had been crappy for a while (relationship-wise). I think “on our way” has sort of a double meaning. Firstly, in the literal sense, that Lana and her lover are in the car and on their way somewhere, getting away from reality. Secondly, that their relationship is on its way to becoming better. I think this is supported by lines such as “you got a real good plan, my trouble’s all over now because you’re my man”. Maybe Lana was in a relationship that was falling apart and this song is written about the man she fell in love with afterward who sort of rescued her from a dark time in her life. Also, I think the “you tell me not to worry because you’re the boss” line isn't really about being submissive but is more so about trusting in this guy after being with someone who she couldn't put her trust in.

 

I’m really loving this song of the week thing!

[Sitar 22,218]

Overall rating: ★★★★☆

First impression: I thought her voice sounded a little weird but I loved the summery getaway vibe it gave off.

Impression now: Still love it.

iTunes plays: 37 (relatively, my most-listened-to song has 121)

Songs I play along with it: Never Let Me Go, My Best Days, The Man I Love, Trash (Miss America), I Don’t Wanna Go

What I like about it: I like the innocence Lana portrays in the lyrics as well as the cute memories she tells the story of (going to K-Mart, etc).

What I dislike about it: Although I like that she experiments with her voice in this song, I find it just a little annoying at some points. Also, I can’t wait for the song to end after she repeats “on our way” so many times until it fades out.

Memories I associate with this song: Riding around in my boyfriend’s car with the windows down in the middle of summer.

Colors/images that come to mind: I think of warm colors, mostly a peachy-orange color and the only images that come to my mind are the homemade video (which is so cute).

Favorite lyrics: I love you more with each and every day (I say this to my boyfriend all the time).

Interpretation: I think this song was written in a time when Lana’s life had taken a turn for the good after it had been crappy for a while (relationship-wise). I think “on our way” has sort of a double meaning. Firstly, in the literal sense, that Lana and her lover are in the car and on their way somewhere, getting away from reality. Secondly, that their relationship is on its way to becoming better. I think this is supported by lines such as “you got a real good plan, my trouble’s all over now because you’re my man”. Maybe Lana was in a relationship that was falling apart and this song is written about the man she fell in love with afterward who sort of rescued her from a dark time in her life. Also, I think the “you tell me not to worry because you’re the boss” line isn't really about being submissive but is more so about trusting in this guy after being with someone who she couldn't put her trust in.

 

I’m really loving this song of the week thing!

 

Loving this format

[Trinity 1,227]

@ I think it's been a week, time for a new song