Quotes in Lana Songs

[Jazzmin 302]

I guess I know only one - "Light of my life, fire of my loins" (from "Lolita"), used by Lana in "Off To The Races". Damnly obvious, I know...

 

Are there any other quotes from poems/songs/novels/movies/other cultural stuff in Lana songs?

[LastWordsNTime 259]

There's the 'Body Electric' poem.

'One for the money, two for the show' in Million Dollar Man is prob a reference to Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis. Cus, you know, it's Elvis and we're talkin Lana here
'Come take a walk on the wild side' in Born To Die is probably a reference to Lou Reed's song of the same name. 
 

and idk if you only meant direct quotes but

Ultraviolent(-swing) from A Clockwork Orange in Hundred Dollar Bill,

'Diamonds are my bestest friend' in Body Electric refers to the Marilyn Monroe song.

 

I'm sure I've missed a lot tho but that's all I can come up with on the top of my head.

[Alicia 182]

A kind of one

 

"Heavier than Heavenly" in On our way, Heavier than Heaven was a Kurt Cobain biography

[PinUpCartoonBaby 1,017]

Gods & Monsters: "God is dead/God's dead" - Friedrich Nietzsche ("Gott ist tot")

 

G&M: "Life imitates art" - Oscar Wilde ("Paradoxically though it may seem, it is none the less true that life imitates art far more than art imitates life")

[whitman 1,286]

She quotes  Nabokov in Angels Forever "Paradise is a hell-colored flame sky"

 

" a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames" - V. Nabokov

[Lirazel 700]

I'm sorry, I have nothing productive to add... I just wanted to say that I love this topic so much!   *follows*

That's why I love this board - topics that add a whole lot to my understanding and appreciation of Lana's music.
I knews some of those references, but other things are new.

[sjrq 150]

The address Lana gives in  "TV in Black and White", "One Greenwich  Avenue" is actually a flower shop in NYC.

[DeadAgainst 1,515]

"Beautiful Player"

 

Hit me and it felt like a kiss
You know it hurts so good when you do me like this
So sad when I hear the girls talk
When I walk by, I start to cry

 

[COLACNT 5,180]

My, my, apple of my eye

I think you're really hot

And I want you to be mine

I like the way the bling on your pinky ring shine

Aye, aye, aye

 

-Simone de Beauvoir

[TrailerParkDarling 5,697]

'No one compares to you' [Dark Paradise]

'Nothing compares to you' [sinead O'Connor]

(bit of a stretch..)

 

Her whole 'Daddy' motif makes me think of Jim Morrison's Oedipus complex rant in 'The End'.. fucking the mother & killing the father. When she said 'Ultraviolence' was dark and not listenable, I have to admit I thought of that. Maybe there will be a song called ELECTRA

 

'Hollywood' seems inspired by Moonlight Drive 'Let's swim to the moon' 'When the sun descends, I dive into the waves again' .. Again, a stretch, but she also talks about Morrison in the song, so

 

'Sweet Child of Mine' [bel Air/ Guns n Roses]

 

'I'm on fire' [phrase heavily repeated by LDR, song title by Bruce Springsteen]

[fruitpunchlips 820]

In Twin Peaks Dale Cooper says "Windom Earle's mind is like a diamond. It's cold, and hard, and brilliant."

 

She also quotes Officer Brown in Backfire “Kids, come out. Ain’t no way to live, let me show you how.” 

[rdp 1,241]

"Ah he's/Harvey's in the sky with diamonds and he's making me crazy" probably a spin on Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

 

[silver starlet 1,376]

"the voice of nirvana says come as you are"- referencing  Nirvana's song Come As You Are

[DeadAgainst 1,515]

"Lolita" lyrics and "Driving in Cars with Boys" music both reference

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV5tgZlTEkQ

 

First "Dark Paradise" demo sounds like

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snb5729vZe0

[mermaid motel 538]

She quotes  Nabokov in Angels Forever "Paradise is a hell-colored flame sky"

 

" a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames" - V. Nabokov

 

+ Flame colored paradise for you darling in Velvet Crowbar

[PinUpCartoonBaby 1,017]

I've amost fogotten about this one:

 

"You're my Axl Rose husband, Blue hydrangea, White Pontiac heaven"

 

There's a poem by the great Rainer Maria Rilke named "Blaue Hortensie" which is german for "Blue Hydrangea"

 

 

(I think this is one of my favourite threads now!)

[slang 1,532]

For Paris she musically quotes Debussy Clair De Lune (in the beginning and end of Paris).

 

 

Where does "girls just wanna, just wanna have fun" come from?

[LastWordsNTime 259]

 

 

Where does "girls just wanna, just wanna have fun" come from?

 

I'm thinking Cyndi Lauper's song

[Lirazel 700]

"Beautiful Player"

 

Hit me and it felt like a kiss

You know it hurts so good when you do me like this

So sad when I hear the girls talk

When I walk by, I start to cry

 

How could I have not thought of this? I actually love the Hole cover of this...

In Twin Peaks Dale Cooper says "Windom Earle's mind is like a diamond. It's cold, and hard, and brilliant."

 

She also quotes Officer Brown in Backfire “Kids, come out. Ain’t no way to live, let me show you how.” 

I knew the diamond quote is from something. I'm a Twin Peaks fan forever. <3 The only tv series that I've seen twice.

[Lirazel 700]

I don't if this has been mentioned / discussed elsewhere, and I do know it's kinda speculative, but bear with me...

 

Blanche Dubois. You know, of 'A Streetcar Named Desire'? I've recently re-watched the film and it got me thinking.

 

From Wikipedia - "(...) the former Southern belle has a lurid past (a marriage to a young homosexual who committed suicide when she discovered his secret; notorious sexual promiscuity; ongoing alcoholism, etc.) as well as genuine spiritual idealism and refinement."

 

Also her attraction to violent and "wrong" men / abusive relationships, the tragic death of her first love (albeit in very different circumstances), her insecurity and absolute need to be adored by everyone (especially men), and last but not least Blanche's iconic quote "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers", which Lana could be referencing in the Ride monologue as well as in Kinda Outta Luck and Carmen.

 

Carmen in particular sounds like it could have been at least partly inspired by her or a Blanche-like character --- Darling, darling, doesn't have a problem / Lying to herself cause her liquor's top shelf / It's alarming honestly how charming she can be / Fooling everyone, telling how she's having fun (...) Baby's all dressed up, with nowhere to go / That's the little story of the girl you know / Relying on the kindness of strangers / Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favours / Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on --- not to mention the little French interlude.

 

At the very least she's maybe a character Lana somewhat relates to / feels inspired by? I don't know, maybe it's too much of a stretch, but what do you guys think?

Kinda Outta Luck:

Time to give in to the kindness of strangers.

 

I saw this in the Lana's Inspirations thread and it's relevant Hope that it's okay to post it here - I didn't want to post this a something that I discovered!