Leitmotivs in Lana's Discography

[BlueJeans 2,603]

In this thread, I'd like to study the way that Lana sometimes incorporates bits of a melody that she wrote for a song into another.

 

Here are a few examples :

 

 

 

Blue Jeans samples bits of Making Out :

 

Blue Jeans : 

"I will love you 'til the end of time"

 

Making Out :

"It doesn't really matter what you say"

(AngelHeadedHipster)

 

*

 

Video Games also samples Making Out : 

 

Video Games : 

"I'm in his favorite sun dress

Watching me get undressed"

 

 Making Out : 

"I'm the New York City queen queen,

You should hear me sing sing"

(AngelHeadedHipster)

 

*

 

Afraid is sampled in Video Games, too :

 

Video Games : 

"I'm in his favorite sun dress

Watching me get undressed 

Take that body downtown"

 

Afraid : 

"You should never come

between a woman and her dream

And a man who never knew his place"

(AngelHeadedHipster)

 

*

 

 

 

In "Ultraviolence", around 3:31, you can sort of make out in the background "Lay me down tonight, in my linen and curls" which is taken straight out of "Fucked My Way up to the Top".

(BlueJeans)

*

 

Sad Girl and Pretty When You Cry both share a similar melody in the following lines : 

"Bonnie on the side"

"Pretty when you cry"

(Anthem)

*

 

Old Money echoes to Methamphetamines (which itself samples What is a Youth from "Romeo and Juliet")

"Where have you been? Where did you go?

Those summer nights seem long ago"

 

"What's happening? Where did we go?

The Jersey Shore was long ago"

(May)

 

*
 

 

 

 

Music to Watch Boys To heavily samples Sad Girl's verses melody 

(May)

 

(I'm actually making a mashup cover of both, with me singing Sad Girl over MTWBT's instrumental  - BlueJeans)

 

*

 

Freak alludes to Angels Forever 

"Is the sun in your eyes, easy rider?" - Angels Forever

"Sun reflecting in your eyes, like an easy rider" - Freak

(HBHBHB)

 

*

High By the Beach surprised us by alluding to Put Me in a Movie

"Lights camera accion, you know I can't make it on my own" 

"Lights camera accion, I'll do it on my own"

(May)

 

*

In "Swan Song", during the introduction around 0:10, you can hear some slowed-down outro vocals of "High By the Beach" (which you'd find around 3:16 and later on in the latter).

(BlueJeans)

 

*

 

 

 

The melody of Hit & Run was sampled in the bridge of Big Eyes :

 

Hit and Run : 

"Hollywood and New York, Mister Major.
Then there's me, Little queen of the stage, yeah."

Big Eyes : 
"Is it me was I wrong to have trusted you
Did I see what I wanted, what wasn't true?"

(AngelHeadedHipster)

 

*

 

 

 

A couple of melodies from Every man gets his wish are declined in various unreleased tracks.

(titles and references needed)

(May)

 

*

 

 

There are probably some more, especially in the field of her unreleased songs, but since I know very little about the year those were written and such, I prefer not to say "Oh that one references that one", when it could be the other way around.

 

Do you have examples ?

[Auto-Tuned Loon 650]

Me. All over BTD and Paradise.

[Wild One 3,305]

You mean you can hear HBTB in slow motion on Swan Song, not 24, right?

 

And she says: "Lay me down tonight in my linen and curls. Lay me down tonight, Riviera girls".

[BlueJeans 2,603]

You mean you can hear HBTB in slow motion on Swan Song, not 24, right?

 

 

My bad, I'll correct it now ! ^^ 

[Wild One 3,305]

It's actually an interesting thread.

 

I don't know if it counts but You & Me's chorus has almost the same melody as Dangerous Girl's.

[Trash Magic 26,799]

thats high by the beach in swan song intro? 

[Wild One 3,305]

thats high by the beach in swan song intro? 

Yeah.

The interlude part where she says: "high high high high" after the last chorus.

[Creyk 11,495]

inb4 an unreleased song leaks and it has "take it to the back if you really wanna talk" as it's lyrics and then we will have on for Freak as well

[National Anthem 9,896]

I looooooooove these so much, hadn't even noticed the one in "Swan Song" - so cool.

[renaissance 8,126]

"Is the sun in your eyes, easy rider?" - Angels Forever

 

"Sun reflecting in your eyes, like an easy rider" - Freak

[Anthem 1,557]

I think the best example of this is the melodies in Sad Girl and pretty When You Cry. "Bonnie on the side"/"pretty when you cry".

[May 13,297]

the most obvious one would be the melody for Methamphetamines being reused for Old Money, but idk if that was intentional bc i read it was some romeo and juliet sample anyway

also speaking of old money + meth:

"Where have you been? Where did you go?

Those summer nights seem long ago,"

 

"What's happening? Where did we go?

The Jersey Shore was long ago"

 

then there's the whole 'every man gets his wish' concept she tried out in a few unreleased songs

 

"Lights camera accion, you know I can't make it on my own" / "Lights camera accion, I'll do it on my own"

 

the melody from Sad Girl verses is reused for MTWBT verses, not sure if intentional or not

[BlueJeans 2,603]

the most obvious one would be the melody for Methamphetamines being reused for Old Money, but idk if that was intentional bc i read it was some romeo and juliet sample anyway

also speaking of old money + meth:

"Where have you been? Where did you go?

Those summer nights seem long ago,"

 

"What's happening? Where did we go?

The Jersey Shore was long ago"

 

then there's the whole 'every man gets his wish' concept she tried out in a few unreleased songs

 

"Lights camera accion, you know I can't make it on my own" / "Lights camera accion, I'll do it on my own"

 

the melody from Sad Girl verses is reused for MTWBT verses, not sure if intentional or not

 

Thank you, I knew I was missing something from Honeymoon. And all the rest is accurate as well ! 

[Wild One 3,305]

Thank you, I knew I was missing something from Honeymoon. And all the rest is accurate as well ! 

I'd be happy if you can add our examples in OP please.

[BlueJeans 2,603]

I'd be happy if you can add our examples in OP please.

 

Oh sure ! I'll do that when I get back from classes ( eeek, caught luring around LB during class )

Any tip on the way I could include them, cause I suck at layout ?

[Wild One 3,305]

Oh sure ! I'll do that when I get back from classes ( eeek, caught luring around LB during class )

Any tip on the way I could include them, cause I suck at layout ?

 

Album Name

 

Song name - Uses Bold song name's melody (for example).

[AngelHeadedHipster 2,628]

I love it when Lana samples and reuses her own melodies and/or lyrics in different songs. It's like a nice throwback to herself and an Easter Egg to her fans who get to enjoy the same beloved melodies in a different setting.

 

1.The melody of Hit & Run was sampled in the bridge of Big Eyes :-

 

Hit and Run :

 

Hollywood and New York, Mister Major.

Then there's me, Little queen of the stage, yeah.

 

Big Eyes :

 

Is it me was I wrong to have trusted you

Did I see what I wanted, what wasn't true?

 

2. Blue Jeans & Video Games are sampled in Making Out :-

 

i. Blue Jeans :

 

I will love you 'til the end of time

 

i. Making Out :

 

It doesn't really matter what you say

 

ii. Video Games :

 

I'm in his favorite sun dress

Watching me get undressed

 

ii. Making Out :

 

I'm the New York City queen queen,

You should hear me sing sing

 

3. Video Games is sampled in Afraid :-

 

Video Games :

 

I'm in his favorite sun dress

Watching me get undressed

Take that body downtown

 

Afraid :

 

You should never come

between a woman and her dream

And a man who never knew his place

 

4. Summertime Sadness was sampled in Breaking My Heart :-

 

Summertime Sadness :

 

Kiss me hard before you go

Summertime sadness

I just wanted you to know

That, baby, you're the best

 

Breaking My Heart :

 

You're breaking my heart tonight,

Kissing me hard, seeing Valentino stars tonight,

I just wanna party tonight,

We're breaking all the rules

But baby it all feels so right

 

5. The lyrics of Without You is sampled in Damn You with a slight modification :-

 

Without You :

 

We were two kids, just tryin' to get out,

Lived on the dark side of the American dream.

 

Damn You :

 

We were two kids living life on the run

Of the american dream

 

6. The lyrics of Damn You is sampled in Hollywood's Dead with a slight modification :-

 

 

Hollywood's Dead :

 

Our kind of love

It was once in a lifetime

 

Damn You :

 

Every once in a lifetime

Dreams can come true

 

7. Similar concept used in a part of Lucky Ones and Damn You lyrics :-

 

Lucky Ones :

 

Every now and then the stars align

Boy and girl meet by the great design

 

Damn You :

 

Now and then when the stars shine

You meet somebody like you

 

8. The C-Can part of Without You is sung in a similar fashion in Hollywood :-

 

Without You :

 

Hello? Hello? C-can you hear me?

 

Hollywood :

 

Oh Oh ca-can ya' see me

[BlueJeans 2,603]

Album Name

 

Song name - Uses Bold song name's melody (for example).

 

I did it ! Hope it's structured enough.. 

Also, I made little banners but as you can see, I'm no graphic designer, so if you come up with something better, by all means ...

[Wild One 3,305]

I did it ! Hope it's structured enough.. 

Also, I made little banners but as you can see, I'm no graphic designer, so if you come up with something better, by all means ...

Looks great.

[delreyfreak 5,340]

1. In "Carmen", Lana foreshadows her Honeymoon song "Swan Song":

 

Carmen: "Sing your swan song, now the camera's on"

 

vs.

 

Swan Song: "It'll be our swan song"

 

 

2. Lana references "Yayo" on every album prior to Honeymoon:

AKA: original version of the song "Yayo"

BTD: repackaged Paradise version (see below)

Paradise: re-recorded version of "Yayo" from AKA

UV: "Florida Kilos" has the word "yayo" stated at least 18 times (can't be bothered counting)

 

 

3. Freak and Florida Kilos both contain a very similar lyric with a similar melody:

 

Freak: "Come to California"

vs.

Florida Kilos: "Come on down to Florida"

 

 

4. "Angels Forever" explores a similar theme of freedom and escapism as "Ride". There is also a lyric parallel, and Angels Forever also states the title of the EP that Ride appears on, which is surely no coincidence.

 

Angels Forever: "Paradise is a game of do or die, I just ride, ride"

vs.

Ride: "So I just ride, just ride..."

 

 

5. There is a similar reference to cherry lips in "Black Beauty" and "Driving in Cars With Boys":

DICWB: "Make up stories 'bout my life and put on very cherry balm"

vs.

Black Beauty: "I keep my lips red to seem like cherries in the spring."

 

 

6. There is a reference to the colour dark blue in both "Black Beauty" and "Honeymoon" (Could they both be about Barrie?)

BB: "You can't let everything seem so dark blue"

vs.

HM: "Dark blue, dark blue"

 

 

7. In "True Love on the Side", Lana foreshadows her eventual Ultraviolence single "Brooklyn Baby"

TLOTS: "Everybody knows that they call me Brooklyn baby"

vs.

BB: "I'm a Brooklyn baby, I'm a Brooklyn baby..."

 

 

8. Lana also foreshadows her album and single "Ultraviolence" on a track from her Lizzy days called "Hundred Dollar Bills". Is it a coincidence both songs also reference a Jimmy?? Also, note that HDB references a "blue Chevvy nova" and "Shades of Cool", which comes after UV on the album also references a Chevvy. Any significance there perhaps?

HDB: "I like your ultraviolent swing"

vs

UV: "Give me all of that ultraviolence."

 

 

9. "Driving in Cars With Boys" and "Ultraviolence" both reference a man calling her poison ivy:

DICWB: "Call me poison ivy 'cause I'm far from good"

vs.

UV: "He used to call me poison, heck, I was poison ivy"

 

 

10. "Heaven in your eyes" is another favourite Lana line:

National Anthem: "Baby, heaven's in your eyes"

Starry Eyed: "You've got heaven in your eyes"

Note: I think there are possibly more references to this, I just can't think of them right now.

 

11. Oh, and who could forget her infamous red party dress!

Cruel World: "Put my little red party dress on"

Summertime Sadness: "I've got my red dress on tonight"

Again, possibly more I'm forgetting.

 

12. And what about those pale moonlight references!

Summertime Sadness: "Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight"

Body Electric: "Dancing and grinding in the pale moonlight"

Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight: "you can meet me in the pale moonlight"

 

 

I'm sure there are even more references, I'll come back if I can think of any more parallels. Some of these might actually be a bit of a stretch but thought I'd share anyway!