Best American Record

[Chris Cuomo 3,318]

Okay so here's my theory:

 

The 'best American record' isn't in reference to UV like some of you said, if the song is in fact about her relationship with Barrie (I think it is), then it would be more reasonable to suspect she's referencing Born to Die.

 

First of all, Lana and Barrie became a couple months prior to the release of Born to Die, and even Lana's rise to fame (my knowledge is rusty but I'm p sure they knew eachother a lot longer than believed). I've always believed their relationship problems were attributed to Lana's difficultly managing her then new found fame.

 

Their relationship was stable at the beginning despite Lana working on making Born to Die (you were so obsessed with writing the next best American Record), but when Lana rose to fame and began receiving a harsh backlash it ultimately put a damper on things (by the time we got to bed there was nothing left). It's like instead of being able to enjoy their relationship even moreso like they thought they would have, the shift in Lana's life proved to be too damaging for them.

 

Such a sad song (minus that out of place, cheap sounding chorus)

[hbhbhbhoneymoon 18]

is this song going to me on LDR5???????????????

[Thunder Revenant 20,693]

is this song going to me on LDR5???????????????

hopefully!

[hbhbhbhoneymoon 18]

hopefully!

i saw on twitter that it wont be, why is people saying that???

[Thunder Revenant 20,693]

i saw on twitter that it wont be, why is people saying that???

Rule n.1 of being a Lana-fan: don't give a f*ck about twitter speculations

[delreyfreak 5,340]

Just a few notes...

 

1. The "architecture" line is likely referencing how this guy would use the fact that Lana was already established as an artist to get fame for himself, but could also be a reference to the architecture of the "houses of the holy" she sings in the following line, or also as others have suggested, could be her body, perhaps how they got intimate together. This line also reminds me of the lyric in Cruel World, "you're dancing circles around me"... which could perhaps have a similar meaning relating to how a guy would take advantage of her fame for his own advantage.

 

2. The other thing is that those "beeps" you hear at the start are the sounds that the music programs GarageBand and Logic Pro make before you start a recording - it's like a count-in so the person singing/recording knows when the recording will start.

 

3. Because of this sound, I highly doubt this is the final version. There is no way Lana or any producer with integrity or credibility would be silly enough to leave this sound on the final track. It would be amateur, pointless and they would be mocked by music critics since it is a sound from a music software typically pre-installed on computers. 

 

And by the way, I agree with the idea that in the verses she is singing about her man; while in the pre-chorus & chorus she is singing about herself. The pronouns clearly change from "he" to "you", which obviously means she is singing about two different people. It's not uncommon for Lana to use other pronouns to refer to herself. For example, in Carmen and Lolita she uses pseudonyms to describe herself. She has done this is in other songs as well by sampling saying "she" or "you" to refer to herself, so it wouldn't be a first. Just a thought. 

[Thunder Revenant 20,693]

I think the "beeps" in the beginning are really cute. Could be a part of the production. Imagine the record starting like that!

[issgouding 1,428]

inb4 that beeps is from that messy someone who riped the song from somewhere by using something 

[Afterparty 3,025]

To me, the beeps are the countdown noises from a film reel

 

5...4...3...2...1

 

[surfnoirswing 2,483]

I love the glass breaking at one point. some people speculated it's because the song was ripped from the music video but I hope it's just part of the production

[nope 1,314]

Maybe Bill, K and Jim are just imaginary archetypes of men Lana keeps using again in order to have a person to form a fantasy around.

 

if that's true, my whole life has been a lie  

[nope 1,314]

I love the glass breaking at one point. some people speculated it's because the song was ripped from the music video but I hope it's just part of the production

 

glass breaking part is the highlight of the song in my opinion. i hope they still use it for the final version.

[WildMustang 14,725]

glass breaking part is the highlight of the song in my opinion. i hope they still use it for the final version.

 I love the bridge, it's really dark to me and then the glass breaking is perfect for a climax

[strange weather 1,950]

2. The other thing is that those "beeps" you hear at the start are the sounds that the music programs GarageBand and Logic Pro make before you start a recording - it's like a count-in so the person singing/recording knows when the recording will start.

 

hmm, i guess we will see in the final version, but i think they are intentional. i use logic and even though it does countdown similarly, it doesn't actually record the beeps. 

[pawn shop blues 2,345]

I caved in and listened and am feeling very conflicted about the song. I'm getting the same vibe I got when I listened to the final version of Love--it's nice, I like the vibe and Lana branching off into slightly new territory, but there is something that just feels like it is still in the warmup/demo stage. The verses (especially the opening) are beautiful and I don't want them to do anything to that, but there is something about the chorus and outro (as well as the transitions) that doesn't quite click. I hate to say I want this to be more of a bop, because "slow" lana can be just as good as "fast" lana, but this song in particular, based on the structure, feels like it wants to go a little harder/faster in the chorus. The beat drop especially throws me off, because the drop kind of indicates we are moving away from the vibe of the verses and exploring harder/faster territory, but Lana's vocals and the production in the chorus sounds just too soft and mellow to really justify that excitement and false promise that comes from the drop. It's like the equivalent of driving slowly and calmly, then revving up the engine only to go just 10 mph faster, before dropping the speed back down to its original place. It doesn't offer that same rush when holding back. 

 

I'll keep listening, though, because perhaps there are things that I'm not picking up on yet, but these are my initial impressions based on a couple of listens. 

[Thunder Revenant 20,693]

I would not have a problrm if the track stayed like it is right now. It's great. Pretty much the usual kibd of Lana song but really intriguing and beautiful. I hope the final version keeps the vocals, they are perfect.

[derangedmanic 150]

The beat drop especially throws me off, because the drop kind of indicates we are moving away from the vibe of the verses and exploring harder/faster territory, but Lana's vocals and the production in the chorus sounds just too soft and mellow to really justify that excitement and false promise that comes from the drop. It's like the equivalent of driving slowly and calmly, then revving up the engine only to go just 10 mph faster, before dropping the speed back down to its original place. It doesn't offer that same rush when holding back.

The transition was something The Blackest Day excelled at and I do think BAR's structure is reminiscent to that of TBD somewhat. Also is it just me that thinks the verses and pre-chorus in BAR might be reflective of the early Joan Baez influence that Lana had in the early stages of the LDR5's conception? It's just so good.

[expandableclitoris 9,087]

https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-about-Architecture-Creativity-Independent/dp/1845907256

 

"Dancing about Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity by Phil Beadle is unusual in that it is both a strong, pointed conceptual vision for the nature and origin of creativity, and a kind of activity book for grown-ups that invites you to learn how to implement the skill set of creativity through a series of hands-on exercises applicable wherever your creative journey may take you, from the studio to the classroom to the boardroom."

 

 

 

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture—it’s a really stupid thing to want to do”- Elvis Costello

 

 

 

If its not a reference, then certainly is a huge coincidence

[The Greatest 8,803]

I feel like everyone who is trying to draw linear meaning from this song will never get there. If you've ever written a song or poem, you'd know that it might be true but not literal, or it might just be an attempt to convey a meaning. Tim O'Brien talks a lot about this in The Things They Carried; you can say things that aren't literally true that have truth behind them. "Bill" could be an amalgamation of many of her old boyfriends, a representation of herself, of the way she believes other people treat her in general, etc. I've written things that don't necessarily feel consciously true they just came out in a song. If you think any song of hers always conveys literal truth you are pretty gullible. 

[kitschesque 9,863]

The glass is like a double orgasm considering the fact that the line "I see you for who you really are" is misleading and you kinda think it'll turn into a chorus and drop the beat but it doesn't so you just wait there hearing the Bill playing guitar line. And thEN THE GLASS happens and the beat comes and snatches your weave