Personal "Review" on HM

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

I'd like to share my short "review" on Honeymoon.

 

The reason why I fell in love with Lana’s music is simple: She expressed feelings through her words I couldn’t express myself.

I was bored by what mainstream artists were delivering at that time. Everything that was released sounded the same.

 

The first few times when I listened to Honeymoon, I was disappointed by her lyrics. And frankly, I was worried about this to happen eventually. Nevertheless, I loved in terms of instruments, especially after having listened to the instrumental versions.

 

Let’s go back to the lyrics issue.

Lyrics are important to me. I prefer music that has good lyrics.

As I mentioned before, I was disappointed at first.

 

After a while, I realized that Honeymoon actually does have great lyrical moments.

The metaphor „Ground control to major tom“ in TLY is really beautiful.

 

Additionally, the way how Salvatore is built: It starts with her admiring this guy, and even comparing him to a King.

In the end, she suddenly changes her view: „salvatore can wait, now it’s time to eat soft ice cream“.

In my opinion, this turn kind of shows how she is playing with him. It almost sounds as she is making fun of him.

 

Another great moment is the „pink flamingo“ part which I think is an allusion to the transformation flamingos go through to become pink.

The title is „MTBW“, so she basically went through a transformation as well since she used to be the one who was left alone and sad by her lovers. Now she just watches them leaving, not being hurt.

 

In fact, I could go on but I think and hope that you guys get what I wanted to express

 

What do you think?

[Limelight 4,697]

Did this really deserve its own thread?

[evilentity 13,303]

Did this really deserve its own thread?

Yeah, it seems like this either belongs in a Honeymoon discussion thread or as a blog post.

[Creyk 11,497]

I really like your idea about the usage of "Pink Flamingo" metaphor, it never occurred to me.

Thank you for sharing

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

Did this really deserve its own thread?

If this is not the right place, I'm sorry. The mods can move it

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

I really like your idea about the usage of "Pink Flamingo" metaphor, it never occurred to me.

Thank you for sharing

I was amazed by this when I found this on genius:

 

"Pink flamingos aren’t actually born pink. They become pink through their diet; Lana’s reference to them has transformative undertones. She believes that through her peace and acceptance of something she has no power over (her man leaving). she has gained a new sense of understanding and womanhood (like a flamingo turning pink)"

[PARADIXO 31,622]

I think the message/concept of Honeymoon is beyond excellent, but it's terribly executed half of the time.

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

I think the message/concept of Honeymoon is beyond excellent, but it's terribly executed half of the time.

Can you elaborate?

 

Tbh, I don't see any concept behind HM except beautiful music.

Whereas BTD and UV do have a concept. BTD is dedicated to the American Dream (love, money, fame).

And UV is just something destructive and dark

[Wild One 3,305]

I think she's just saying that beautiful men are just like pink flamingoes (which are a beautiful animal).

[PARADIXO 31,622]

Can you elaborate?

 

Tbh, I don't see any concept behind HM except beautiful music.

Whereas BTD and UV do have a concept. BTD is dedicated to the American Dream (love, money, fame).

And UV is just something destructive and dark

 

Obviously, Honeymoon isn't as conceptually/visually strong as UV or BTD, but it truly is just about being carefree and independent. What I meant with "terribly executed" is the lyrics - lazy metaphores (accompanied with some bad choice of words) and basically not as shocking as her previews lyrics. The song meaning is still there, and it's brilliant, but the lyrics themselves aren't as good. The best example is High By the Beach.

 

Also, I believe some lines and even one whole song (Art Deco, she kinda confessed it) have no meaning at all. A few lines in Salvatore just cannot have any meaning... that or they're horribly written.

 

Some lyrics are really well made though... The Blackest Day, 24, Religion, most of Swan Song... this is just my opinion anyway.

[slang 1,509]

Obviously, Honeymoon isn't as conceptually/visually strong as UV or BTD, but it truly is just about being carefree and independent. What I meant with "terribly executed" is the lyrics - lazy metaphores (accompanied with some bad choice of words) and basically not as shocking as her previews lyrics. The song meaning is still there, and it's brilliant, but the lyrics themselves aren't as good. The best example is High By the Beach.

 

Also, I believe some lines and even one whole song (Art Deco, she kinda confessed it) have no meaning at all. A few lines in Salvatore just cannot have any meaning... that or they're horribly written.

 

Some lyrics are really well made though... The Blackest Day, 24, Religion, most of Swan Song... this is just my opinion anyway.

Yeah, the lyrics are de-emphasized ever since UV when she stopped even providing them in the physical notes; however, it sort of depends on who you're comparing her too, Leonard Cohen or Ariana Grande? 

 

"I know only what the girls know, hoes with lies akin to me" was pretty shocking. Many people didn't believe she actually wrote that lyric, but she put it in her liner notes as the one representative lyric for that song.

 

With regards to Salvatore what lines are specifically objectionable?

 

Also you started a thread "Reasons why Honeymoon is a great album", and this thread would be good to concatenate to that one, as that's sort of what the conversation is about, at least initially.

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

Obviously, Honeymoon isn't as conceptually/visually strong as UV or BTD, but it truly is just about being carefree and independent. What I meant with "terribly executed" is the lyrics - lazy metaphores (accompanied with some bad choice of words) and basically not as shocking as her previews lyrics. The song meaning is still there, and it's brilliant, but the lyrics themselves aren't as good. The best example is High By the Beach.

 

Also, I believe some lines and even one whole song (Art Deco, she kinda confessed it) have no meaning at all. A few lines in Salvatore just cannot have any meaning... that or they're horribly written.

 

Some lyrics are really well made though... The Blackest Day, 24, Religion, most of Swan Song... this is just my opinion anyway.

 

HBTB: I would not say its lyrics are bad. First of all, there are two options to interpret the lyrics (love or her relationship with the paparazzi). Secondly, the last part ("everyone can start again ...") is pretty good, in my opinion.

 

Salvatore: I think it is brilliant since its sound itself is heavy and serious whereas the lyrics change gradually to a point where she is almost making fun of him.

 

I think Honeymoon, the song, has the worst lyrics. Sonically, it is beyond beautiful, but lyrically, pretty weak.

[kristinaj 1,166]

It's kind of a shame that Honeymoon is so poor lyrically. She said that she'd go into this surrealistic Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Picasso and Fellini place with Honeymoon but where is it then

[PARADIXO 31,622]

"I know only what the girls know, hoes with lies akin to me" was pretty shocking. Many people didn't believe she actually wrote that lyric, but she put it in her liner notes as the one representative lyric for that song

 

Yeah that line was shocking, it got me thinking a lot actually about why and how she relates to the word "hoe". But yeah, that's pretty much it.

 

 

With regards to Salvatore what lines are specifically objectionable?

 

Basically the entire second verse. The first one is really good to begin the story-telling, but the second one is just the same thing all over again, but much worse.

 

HBTB: I would not say its lyrics are bad. First of all, there are two options to interpret the lyrics (love or her relationship with the paparazzi). Secondly, the last part ("everyone can start again ...") is pretty good, in my opinion.

 

That's the part I dislike the most haha

[yourgirlcorny 132]

It's kind of a shame that Honeymoon is so poor lyrically. She said that she'd go into this surrealistic Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Picasso and Fellini place with Honeymoon but where is it then

"Its so surreal" 

[yourgirlcorny 132]

Yeah that line was shocking, it got me thinking a lot actually about why and how she relates to the word "hoe". But yeah, that's pretty much it.

 

What does " hoes with lies akin to me" even mean? Maybe its my bad english but when I try to translate it it doesn't make any sense to me. Can anybody explain?

[cashcomesquick 5,379]

What does " hoes with lies akin to me" even mean? Maybe its my bad english but when I try to translate it it doesn't make any sense to me. Can anybody explain?

I'm not a native speaker, but as far as I recall it means "hoes with lies are similar to me"

[PARADIXO 31,622]

What does " hoes with lies akin to me" even mean? Maybe its my bad english but when I try to translate it it doesn't make any sense to me. Can anybody explain?

 

Akin: "essentially similar, related, or compatible <his interests are akin to mine>"

Hoe: slut/whore/bitch/etc.

 

It means she relates to people who use lies to get what they want (maybe sex, money, etc)

[slang 1,509]

Yeah that line was shocking, it got me thinking a lot actually about why and how she relates to the word "hoe". But yeah, that's pretty much it.

 

 

 

Basically the entire second verse. The first one is really good to begin the story-telling, but the second one is just the same thing all over again, but much worse.

 

 

That's the part I dislike the most haha

So long as it's not the chorus of Salvatore, which I associate with Kurt Cobain (i.e., "A mullato, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" (from Feels like Teen Spirit), and which I really like.

but:

 

All the lights are sparkling for you it seems

On the downtown scenes, shady blue

Beatboxing and rapping in the summer rain

Like a boss, you sang jazz and blues

 

 is kind of meh, I guess; however, not absurdly bad (if that is in fact what she's singing,idk). Is it because one is lead to think she's talking about a mafioso in the first verse and a street bohemian in the 2nd verse?

 

And for more "shocking" lyrics:

 

"We all know that it's not fashionable to love me" 

 

which the critics had a field day with wrt her career, but completely ignores the shady super-criminal she's apparently saying it to (which makes me think the song's character is a prostitute). And yeah, "Dark Blue" is a simple lyric, but I give her some credit for singing it like a Gregorian chant in multi-part harmony.

 

and 

 

"you're so ghetto ..."  which got people upset (for various reasons). Art Deco isn't meaningless, although the title seems contrived so she can rhyme with that line. Still it's about teenagers who go out at night (I mean she said this in an interview). I guess they have a certain look too. Some here have also compared it to Carmen 2.0.

 

And Freak...

I'm reading the Electric KoolAid Acid Test (Tom Wolfe) now, which is about Ken Kesey (author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and his entourage of acid droppers, who travel across America in a bus. I'm not too far into it, but it does seem related to the song (and more so the video, of course). The word "freak" (along with the word "thing") was an especially important word in the early 60s and Wolfe made a point (in '68) of saying this in the first chapter (pg. 10).

 

"...Thousands of kids were moving into San Francisco for a life based on LSD and the psychedelic thing. Thing was the major abstract word in Haight-Ashbury. It could mean anything, isms, life styles, habits, leanings, causes, sexual organs; thing and freak; freak referred to styles and obsessions, as in "Stewart Brand is an Indian freak" or "the zodiac--that's her freak," or just to [acid?] heads in costume. It wasn't a negative word. ..."