Dayglo Reflection [Bobby Womack feat. Lana Del Rey]

[HEARTCORE 18,971]

The solo version is nice but the instrumental is so...weird that I can't listen to it without Womack singing over it

[Creyk 11,699]

I know what I like and it's all good for me

[Creyk 11,699]

Dayglo: a brand name for a type of brightly-coloured paint that seems to shine especially brightly in ordinary light

 

 

The earth is but a dayglo reflection

 

Dayglo paint is famous for it's quality that it's reflection gives off of a very colorful and nice quality even in ordinary light. Therefore, the first line "the earth is but a dayglo reflection" refers to the idea that Earth, and Life on Earth is only a reflection of something much more wonderful that exists in the background. This is supported by Heaven being mentioned later on in the song.

 

A turn that will bring you only light
I'm forming to myself, but I'm not going
Waiting for the day to bring me light

 

This passage refers to time passing as in within a day, depending on tha angle from which the rays of sun hit an object, shadows change and so does the reflection, the quality of life that a person lives. The person singing the song (Bobby Womack) is awaiting better parts of life. He is forming, but not going yet, he is growing but the time did not come yet for him to really step out into the light.

 

If heaven thinks that everything is everything
 

The first line is very hard to grasp, Lana tries to tap into how the non-physical, Heaven thinks about life. Within many spiritual circles, it is an accepted concept that we are all one, we are all different expressions of the same wonderful being, and that is why everything really is everything. (And Lana did read books that make these kinds of statements)

 

The only thing I ever dreamed is you and me
Cause I'd break down, I'd take you down
And I'd love it every step of the way

 

Lana always wanted this feeling of unity, oneness and love, but it is not easy to get a hold of through human relationships. From earlier interviews we know she always felt she needed someone to be there to be secure, therefore If she could, she would just force the ideal  relationship, make it happen right here and now with someone, if only it was possible. (and she would love it so much every step of the way). This verse expresses the futile struggle of life as we trie to capture the harmony that is so pervasive in the afterlife, the state we all pine for while living on Earth (we're all just looking for connection, we all want to be seen - same idea there)

 

Watching from a distant constellation
 

The first obvious question is, what constellation? Since Lana is singing the song, it can only mean the star system we are in, where Lana is singing. Lana feels like the place in the universe she is at the time is far from all these ideals expressed in the song.

 

Eyes that can see the world in changing hues
 

The eyes that see clearly, are aware of these truths, see the bigger picture, understand and know what is coming, know what the changing hues, the changes of the world, but also what one's destiny in the afterlife will be like.

 

Visions still unfolding, sweet images
Time reveals that love's the only truth

 

While contemplating the concepts of heaven, spirituality, afterlife, we as people can't get a concrete sense of these things with physical senses, but there are people who claim to get visions, or premonitions about what the afterlife is like, and once we die we all return to the same form of energy, which is liquid love, it is true that once your time is down, and you die it will be revealed that love is all that there is, that really is the only truth.

 

It's been years  and years since I have been listening to this song,and pondering it's secret meaning, and this is the only sense I can make of it. This song is about the wonderful origin of the physical world, separated from our physical senses by a veil, we don't see it but we sense it, over time, with age and practice we can come closer to it, and return to it in death. This song talks about an idea of self-improvement in  Bobby Womack's verse and the sample, and focuses more on the longing towards this ideal place in the Lana penned-lines.

[Liz Taylor Blues 18,738]

I love this track, one of her better collaborations

[softcore babyface 4,376]

iconic 

[clementines 9,890]

this song is SOOO good 

[That Venice Bitch 28,140]

this is @lizzyology’s fav Lana song

[TrashMagiq 58,573]

i keep forgetting this song exists

[Liz Taylor Blues 18,738]

her real magnus opus

[Liz Taylor Blues 18,738]

honestly the lipsters bashing of THE LEGEND Bobby Womack and his stellar voice is more "problematic" and "racist" than anything lana wrote in her question for the culture. I love the live performance. It's so precious to see her and a frail legend on his way out sing the blues and share some truth. It's such a lovely message as well. We really need a soul and blues and jazz album from lana even if the controversy will be ugly i fear because her voice and emotive capture is so perfect for the genre it's a crime and a shame for their not to be.

[Dark Angel 202,157]

okay, i'm going to admit that i've never listened to this song before, but i just listened to it & it's so intriguing! i love lana's voice in this, it's so icy & glamorous, i love the lyricism as well... this song is a little bit haunting...

[Ultra Violet 18,956]

A career highlight

[bff 2,462]

i feel like such a fake fan for never knowing this song existed until now oh my god its so fucking good…

[x VB 12,508]

Wait we have a solo version?

[Thunder Revenant 20,943]

1 hour ago, TextBook said:

Wait we have a solo version?

It's just an edit

[cherryblossoms 10,415]

On 2/18/2022 at 4:00 PM, Leader of The Pack said:

honestly the lipsters bashing of THE LEGEND Bobby Womack and his stellar voice is more "problematic" and "racist" than anything lana wrote in her question for the culture. I love the live performance. It's so precious to see her and a frail legend on his way out sing the blues and share some truth. It's such a lovely message as well. We really need a soul and blues and jazz album from lana even if the controversy will be ugly i fear because her voice and emotive capture is so perfect for the genre it's a crime and a shame for their not to be.

 

I revisited the album this song was featured on after this comment and it's a really beautiful body of work. Deep River, Whatever Happened to the Times? and If There Wasn't Something There are really good 

[Rorman Nockwell 56,701]

This song is a really underrated masterpiece tbh

Also where is @Creyk

[bluechemtrails 26,721]

Here are the offical lyrics from the orchestral version (10th anniversary of song) on the Youtube channel.

 

The lyric video differs a bit from the posted text under it in the first verse (light/life?)

 

The earth is but a Dayglo reflection
A turn that will bring you only life
I'm forming to myself, but I'm not broken
Waiting for the day to bring me light/life(?)
 
(Lana Del Rey)
 
If everything said everything is everything
The only thing I ever dreamed, is you and me
'Cos I break down, I take you down and
I love it every step of the way
 
(Sam Cooke)
   
As a singer grows older
His conception goes a little deeper
Because he lives life and
He understands what he's trying to say a little more
As the singer tries to find out what's happening in life
It gives him a better insight
On telling the story of the song he's trying to sing
 
(Lana Del Rey)
 
Watching from a distant constellation
Eyes that can see the world in changing hues
Visions still unfold in sweet imagining
Time reveals that love is the only truth
 
If everything said everything is everything
The only thing I ever dreamed, is you and me
'Cos I break down, I take you down and
I love it every step of the way

 

[Dark Angel 202,157]

one of her best songs ever i fear