PROOF: Lana is a great songwriter

[ilovetati 15,297]

Using just released songs, here are my favorites:

 

Kill Kill: 

 

"Love you, I do; stay here, I won't

The stars fade from your eyes

I'm in love with a dying man
I'm in love with a dying man
I'm in love, lying in the sand"

 

OSCYS:

 

"The headlights from passing cars

They illuminate my face then leave me the dark
The voice of Nirvana says, "Come as you are"
And I will
The night time is almost ours"

 

Raise Me Up:

 

"It's the voodoo, Mississippi south

Sixty-nine million stars
Birds are flying out of my mouth
Spirits creeping in my yard
Hold my head, it's tilting back
Something dancing me around
Putting crystals on my neck
Lifting my feet off the ground, the ground"

 

PSB:

 

"In the name of higher consciousness

I let the best man I knew go
'Cause it's nice to love and be loved
But it's better to know all you can know
I said it's nice to love and be loved
But I'd rather know what God knows"

 

The entirety of BTD (song)

 

Much of OTTR from a film-noir perspective

 

"Singing in the old bars

Swinging with the old stars
Living for the fame
Kissing in the blue dark
Playing pool and wild darts
Video games

He holds me in his big arms
Drunk and I am seeing stars
This is all I think of
Watching all our friends fall
In and out of Old Paul's
This is my idea of fun
Playing video games"

 

I personally think the Diet Mt Dew verses are really great. The chorus...not so much.

 

National Anthem:

"It's a love story for the new age

For the sixth page
We're on a quick, sick rampage
Wining and dining, drinking and driving
Excessive buying overdose and dying
On our drugs and our love and our dreams and our rage"

 

I love Carmen's lyrics.

 

TIWMUG is really great lyrical story-telling

 

Without You:

"But burned into my brain are these stolen images

Stolen images, baby stolen images
Can you picture it? Babe, that life we could've lived?"

 

Ride (much of it...but especially):

"I hear the birds on the summer breeze,

I drive fast, I am alone at midnight.
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble,
But I, I've got a war in my mind."

 

Bel Air:

"Don't be afraid of me, don't be ashamed

Walking away from my soft resurrection
Idol of roses, iconic soul
I know your name
Lead me to war with your brilliant direction

Roses, Bel Air, take me there
I've been waiting to meet you
Palm trees in the light, I can see late at night
Darling, I'm waiting to greet you
Come to me baby"

 

With UV, you have to consider the sarcastic/sardonic tone of most songs. 

 

"Jim raised me up

He hurt me but it felt like true love
Jim taught me that
Loving him was never enough"

 

"We could go back to New York

Loving you was really hard
We could go back to Woodstock
Where they don't know who we are"

 

SOC:

"But I can't fix him, can't make him better

and I can't do nothing about his strange weather.

But you are unfixable

I can't break through your world"

 

Brooklyn Baby:

"They say I'm too young to love you

They say I'm too dumb to see
They judge me like a picture book
By the colors, like they forgot to read
I think we're like fire and water
I think we're like the wind and sea
You're burning up, I'm cooling down
You're up, I'm down
You're blind, I see
But I'm free"

 

All of West Coast...I love the allusion to her sobriety and California's obsession with celebrity.

 

"Down on the West Coast, they got a sayin'

If you're not drinking, then you're not playing
But you've got the music, you've got the music in you, don't you?

Down on the West Coast, I get this feeling
Like it all could happen, that's why I'm leaving
You for the moment, you for the moment, boy blue, yeah, you

You're falling hard, I push away, I'm feeling hot to the touch
You say you miss me and I wanna say, 'I miss you so much'
But something keeps me really quiet, I'm alive, I'm a lush
Your love, your love, your love

I can see my baby swinging, his Parliament's on fire and his hands are up
On the balcony and I'm singing, 'Ooh baby, ooh baby, I'm in love'
I can see my sweet boy swaying, he's crazy y Cubano como yo, my love
On the balcony and I'm saying, 'Move baby, move baby, I'm in love'""

 

MPG:

"The sun also rises on those who fail the call

My life, it comprises of losses and wins and fails and falls"

 

Old Money:

"The power of youth is on my mind

Sunsets, small town, I'm out of time
Will you still love me when I shine
From words but not from beauty?

My father's love was always strong
My mother's glamour lives on and on
Yet still inside, I felt alone
For reasons unknown to me

But if you send for me, you know I'll come
And if you call for me, you know I'll run"

 

Much of Black Beauty

 

Wait for Life:

"But I can't let you in

And I can't keep you out
I wait for life to win
But it never comes around
And I can't hear you call
And I can't hear me shout
I wait for it to break
But it never comes around
Don't know me
And I'm lonely"

 

Parts of Honeymoon aren't great, but I love the bridge

 

"There are violets in your eyes

There are guns that blaze around you
There are roses in between my thighs
And a fire that surrounds you
It's no wonder every man in town
Had neither fought nor found you
Everything you do is elusive
Even to your honey dew

Our honeymoon

Dreaming away your life"

 

HBTB:

"We won't survive

We're sinking into the sand"

 

"Everyone can start again

Not through love but through revenge
Through the fire we're born again
Peace by vengeance brings the end"

 

Terrence Loves You

 

"I put the radio on hold you tight in my mind

Isn't strange that you're not here with me
But I know the lights on in the television
Trying to transmit can you hear me

Ground control to Major Tom
Can you hear me all night long

 

But I lost my self when I lost you"

[PARADIXO 32,925]

why is burning desire anywhere near the bad lyrics................... 

 

"Every Saturday night I get dressed up to ride for you, baby

Cruising down the street on Hollywood and Vine for you, baby

I drive fast, wind in my hair, I push you to the limits 'cause I just don't care"

We already heard that shit

 

"You ask me where I been?

I've been everywhere

I don't wanna be no where but here

(Come on, tell me boy)"

This part is nice tho

 

"Every Saturday night I seem to come alive for you, baby

Santa Monica, I'm racing in the lights for you, baby"

Oh my God Lana! Different places on the second verse? You clever huh?

 

"have to touch myself to pretend you're there

Your hands were on my hips, your name is on my lips

Over over again, like my only prayer"

This is good

 

"I'm driving fast, flash, everyone knows it

I'm trying to get to you, baby

I'm feeling scared and you know it"

*repeats 50 times*

 

And then, again, she drives fast!!!

[slang 1,532]

Surprise no love for Hollywood's Dead. Most people write just about one famous person dying before their time (Lennon, Joplin). She writes about a bunch people dying before their time as a general topic for a song. Has anybody else done that? And the saddest thing about that song is she probably left out more names than she included.

[analwinterofmylife 2,644]

 

"Every Saturday night I get dressed up to ride for you, baby

Cruising down the street on Hollywood and Vine for you, baby

I drive fast, wind in my hair, I push you to the limits 'cause I just don't care"

We already heard that shit

 

"You ask me where I been?

I've been everywhere

I don't wanna be no where but here

(Come on, tell me boy)"

This part is nice tho

 

"Every Saturday night I seem to come alive for you, baby

Santa Monica, I'm racing in the lights for you, baby"

Oh my God Lana! Different places on the second verse? You clever huh?

 

"have to touch myself to pretend you're there

Your hands were on my hips, your name is on my lips

Over over again, like my only prayer"

This is good

 

"I'm driving fast, flash, everyone knows it

I'm trying to get to you, baby

I'm feeling scared and you know it"

*repeats 50 times*

 

And then, again, she drives fast!!!

 

this song is electric, desperation runs through the whole thing. Im someone who LOVES california! i love that she name drops hollywood and vine. and santa monica. They really create a great vibe for the song. HOW DARE U COME FOR THE BRIDGE OF THE SONG LIKE THAT! 

 

the bridge is so amped seriously! i just love this song because it really embodies desire and a bit of danger/fear and also just the desperation that comes with it.... honestly I'm really disappointed to see someone thinks this is a lyrically bad song...

[naachoboy 7,993]

This thread is a nope, from me. This is all personal opinions lol. I do think she's a good songwriter, but she's more a great artist in general, her melodies can fix a bad lyric for me and sometimes i don't really mind them being bad or cringeworthy because the melody is good or how she's singing them 

[newemotion 467]

Burning Desire is so good though  I like the idea for this thread, jokes aside. Some of her lyrics/songs are..interesting (*cough cough* Delicious...) but she's one of my favorite writers easily. Although the "actually bad" list is half composed of my favorites   Born to Die needs to be on the amazing list imo. 

[Intriguing Penguin 867]

"Flipside" though is seriously one of her bests lyrical wise. It's so raw and honest. 

 

Imo, "Ride" is one of her best written choruses of all time, before it gets to the, "I just riiiiiiiiddeeee, x4" 

[PARADIXO 32,925]

It's not that serious guys, come on

[ZeroZero 2,225]

What about Try Tonight, A Star For Nick, Wait, and the rest of her guitar may jailer songs (forget about Birds Of A Horrible Ugly Autotuned Feather)??????

[Constantine 4,074]

What about Try Tonight, A Star For Nick, Wait, and the rest of her guitar may jailer songs (forget about Birds Of A Horrible Ugly Autotuned Feather)??????

"How Do You Know Me So Well?" is also well-written

[KillForLove 13,361]

In all honesty, I think Lana is a fantastic writer in her own niche. Overall she's not a great songwriter in the way someone like Sia is, but she's very talented at writing for her own "character". The lyrics are all very specific to the picture of herself that she paints further separating Lana Del Rey from Lizzy Grant. Whether or not some of her fans will admit it, Lana Del Rey is a character (drawing from and embellishing real life emotions and experiences). I think she's a talented songwriter in that aspect. Lyrically she's very hit or miss for me. Nothing yet from this era has really done anything for me but then theres stuff like Born to Die which lyrically is a fantastic (near perfect) introduction to the concept of Lana Del Rey. 

[Limelight 4,707]

Omg yes how could I have forgotten about May Jailer. Sirens is so perfect Bad Disease, All You Need, Try Tonight, Find My Own Way, Pride, I'm Indebted to You and pretty much the rest of the album except for Birds of A Feather And You, Mister

[Jazzmin 302]

I don't think people realize how hard it is to write lyrics until they try it themselves. Its very difficult.

Somebody actually saying it isn't? And it isn't any argument against the right to criticize lyrics that are bad in your opinion.

 

(Sorry if it sounds like mere nitpicking but I have a strong aversion to the "try-it-yourself" phrase in this kind of context since it's often intended to keep people from expressing their constructive opinions too just because they are not 100% laudatory to certain music, book etc. Doesn't mean I support plain, ungrounded hating on Lana, regardless of whether her lyrics are mind-blowingly awesome or totally cringe-worthy.  )

 

@@naachoboy of course the thread is subjective, personal and doesn't convey any undeniable truth but aren't people entitled to discuss things they like and things they don't?

 

Back to the subject   I won't repeat the songs already mentioned (or at least I will try not to).

 

Lyrics which I'd use to prove Lana is a great songwriter:

 

A Star for Nick

 

Pin-Up Galore

 

Butterflies, part 1 & 2

 

 

I've always liked Now my life is sweet like cinnamon / Like a fucking dream I'm living in

 

Aviation (simple but good!):

 

Have a big degree in philosophy

But I don’t know what I wanna be

 

 

Velvet Crowbar:

 

A flame-colored paradise for you, darling

But death doesn't come with a warning

 

 

She's Not Me:

 

When you think you’re over me:

And your bad baby's dead and gone

(Remember)

I’m the ghost in your machine

I’m your real life suicide blonde

 

 

And it's not an excellent lyric from a conventional point of view but in Ghetto Baby I like:

 

We're a match made in heaven

If they're gonna talk, let 'em

If they don't think we're good together

Baby, just forget 'em

When he's bad, he's bad

But when he's good no one's better

'Cause we're match made in heaven

And this kind of love's forever

 

Match made in heaven is such an obvious cliché in this context, getting quite along with the worn out I-don't-care-what-they-say-about-us motiv and when he's bad, he's bad so downright tautological like some good ol' yogiism that I can't help loving this part, to be honest   

 

(However, I have less liking for When I'm hot, I'm hot in Making Out, I dunno why, maybe because it isn't followed by some, mhm, conclusion? Like, correspondingly, But when he's good no one's better.)

 

And IMHO Lolita doesn't deserve to be written off as a badly written song.

 

 

 

 

And some bad ones:

 

 

Breaking My Heart

 

HDB I'm in my party dress, he says "you're such a mess"

 

Boarding School: Yale's not a problem, let's solve it (only Lana can solve non-existing problems)

 

Daddy Issues is a mess, I think

 

Betty Boop Boop

 

Criminals Run The World

 

IMHO the chorus of FMWUTTT isn't that bad, I mean, sure it ain't no masterpiece but I personally don't find tragic, just mediocre. The rest absolutely does belong to the worst-Lana-lyrics-ever chart, though.

 

[naachoboy 7,993]

Somebody actually saying it isn't? And it isn't any argument against the right to criticize lyrics that are bad in your opinion.

 

(Sorry if it sounds like mere nitpicking but I have a strong aversion to the "try-it-yourself" phrase in this kind of context since it's often intended to keep people from expressing their constructive opinions too just because they are not 100% laudatory to certain music, book etc. Doesn't mean I support plain, ungrounded hating on Lana, regardless of whether her lyrics are mind-blowingly awesome or totally cringe-worthy.  )

 

@@naachoboy of course the thread is subjective, personal and doesn't convey any undeniable truth but aren't people entitled to discuss things they like and things they don't?

 

Back to the subject   I won't repeat the songs already mentioned (or at least I will try not to).

 

Lyrics which I'd use to prove Lana is a great songwriter:

 

A Star for Nick

 

Pin-Up Galore

 

Butterflies, part 1 & 2

 

 

I've always liked Now my life is sweet like cinnamon / Like a fucking dream I'm living in

 

Aviation (simple but good!):

 

Have a big degree in philosophy

But I don’t know what I wanna be

 

 

Velvet Crowbar:

 

A flame-colored paradise for you, darling

But death doesn't come with a warning

 

 

She's Not Me:

 

When you think you’re over me:

And your bad baby's dead and gone

(Remember)

I’m the ghost in your machine

I’m your real life suicide blonde

 

 

And it's not an excellent lyric from a conventional point of view but in Ghetto Baby I like:

 

We're a match made in heaven

If they're gonna talk, let 'em

If they don't think we're good together

Baby, just forget 'em

When he's bad, he's bad

But when he's good no one's better

'Cause we're match made in heaven

And this kind of love's forever

 

Match made in heaven is such an obvious cliché in this context, getting quite along with the worn out I-don't-care-what-they-say-about-us motiv and when he's bad, he's bad so downright tautological like some good ol' yogiism that I can't help loving this part, to be honest   

 

(However, I have less liking for When I'm hot, I'm hot in Making Out, I dunno why, maybe because it isn't followed by some, mhm, conclusion? Like, correspondingly, But when he's good no one's better.)

 

And IMHO Lolita doesn't deserve to be written off as a badly written song.

 

 

 

 

And some bad ones:

 

 

Breaking My Heart

 

HDB I'm in my party dress, he says "you're such a mess"

 

Boarding School: Yale's not a problem, let's solve it (only Lana can solve non-existing problems)

 

Daddy Issues is a mess, I think

 

Betty Boop Boop

 

Criminals Run The World

 

IMHO the chorus of FMWUTTT isn't that bad, I mean, sure it ain't no masterpiece but I personally don't find tragic, just mediocre. The rest absolutely does belong to the worst-Lana-lyrics-ever chart, though.

 

Yeah i get it, but it was like PROOF, so i entered thinking it was going to have receipts of critics or people who know about songwriting 

[graham4anything 2,859]

among all of them-songs that are story songs and one can pain a picture listening to, songs that have meaning and attempting to figure out what meaning, etc.

Taking a common phrase and inserting or inverting it so that it changes a word in a different verse or song and one has to catch the change as if it were a Highlights magazine Hidden Picture puzzle

How something can mean something one day, then the next one thinks of a different meaning (much like say Paul Simon)

 

Lucky ones

Born to Die

Pawn shop blues is incredible (and having recently to clear the house of a person close to us who died, and having to go through all the stuff, tossing some things out, frantically figuring out where to put something one doesn't want to throw out, and driving back and forth listening to this song brought tears to my eyes each time, even though specifically that is not the meaning of the song, that is the mark of a great songwriter)

Brooklyn Baby

Ride

The Ride monologue and end

American (I actually picture that song being about Barack Obama even though it isn't)

I fucked my way to the top

Yayo (and it doesn't matter which version of it, the songwriting stands alone)

High by the beach (how it seemingly was about one thing then it obviously was not about that, but was about something else entirely)

 

and the way she inserts a grunt, a groan, a moan

[PARADIXO 32,925]

Yeah i get it, but it was like PROOF, so i entered thinking it was going to have receipts of critics or people who know about songwriting 

 

lmfaooooooooooo sorry, this thread isn't serious

[naachoboy 7,993]

lmfaooooooooooo sorry, this thread isn't serious

it's ok haha  

[Anthem 1,557]

Somebody actually saying it isn't? And it isn't any argument against the right to criticize lyrics that are bad in your opinion.

 

(Sorry if it sounds like mere nitpicking but I have a strong aversion to the "try-it-yourself" phrase in this kind of context since it's often intended to keep people from expressing their constructive opinions too just because they are not 100% laudatory to certain music, book etc. Doesn't mean I support plain, ungrounded hating on Lana, regardless of whether her lyrics are mind-blowingly awesome or totally cringe-worthy.  )

 

 

I was more or less making a general statement that its hard. But if you had seen the Honeymoon Pre-release thread a few days ago you'd understand, people were basically saying Lana's songwriting was subpar and always has been which I really didn't agree with seeing as she writes some really beautiful things and can really evoke feelings and imagery with her work. I completely agree that some of it is bad and should be called out, but to completely discredit her songwriting just isn't fair. 

[HighLikeABitch 138]

That list is kind of bogus

[demiannn 83]

Why Crooked Cop and Hurricane aren´t in Amazing lyrics?