White Mustang Video Theories

[Make me your Dream Life 87,457]

To start, I'll be honest. The first time I watched the music video for this still wonderful track, I just stared at my comp screen, wondering what the hell that was, what was going on, and tried so hard to figure out why I didn't enjoy the video as I pictured myself doing so.

Lana was standing atop the man that she loved in their retro future home, holding onto his hands, then swooping down next to him on their textured red rug. I mean for some, that was sensual, and I agree to some extent too, but I expect more swaying, more gyrating of the hips from side left to side right, vice versa, flirting with her dress, twirling, and her hair in the wind as the love of her life gets frustrated as hell, arms to his head, gesturing his pain as she drives off. (It's pretty Born to Die, with an UV mindset I know) We, I, didn't get that from the video. I was letdown for that day. 



It sorta just came crashing down after someone posted an edit of BAR with the video, and, well I grew frail. Like, well that's what it was. 


I tried watching the video again, the second time, it was alright, the third fourth, ok I'm getting used to it, perfectly natural. Still thinking of how it could've been if this was the actual video for the unreleased track. 
(Actually, after getting over myself, I remembered more on what I envisioned the video for Best American Record would be like, navy blues, spinning lights, still some driving, but a lot more anguish, and a balcony scene where Lana and her lover sort of have an off moment that would lead to the decay of their relationship; tho anyway).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ELqraXx-U

Ok, so back to the present, watching the video in the earlier hours of the day (like 15 minutes ago as I'm typing this), and it just sort of hit me. Maybe I'm just being mentally lazy, and that the video she meant to release was actually edited for White Mustang, and that as strange of a depiction as it is for it, that it would all still fit in place; in laymen's terms, how it's actually meant to be, as the reality of the situation is having the video released. Enough with the wordplay jump rope. Let's analyze the video.



The narrative goes like this. Her musician boyfriend basically ascends to fame, and ends up neglecting Lana her needs from the relationship that they still shared all the while this was happening. She runs off to the city, in presumably his old auto, his White Mustang, so he chases after, knowing a rift's been caused between them. They dance, he leaves, and she's seen driving alone down the freeway going who knows where exactly, memories of their last encounter still projecting in her mind. It's got the same themes from BAR having a relationship fail, he was doing it (all) for fame, and so she leaves him, fine. 



So which themes together from both tracks still share similarities? Her heartbreak, the thrill she used to have in the relationship, her leaving. It all still fits within the the track and video's story. Quoting myself from like August:

I think I know what you mean. But I guess each person's opinion is different so it's all cool.
 
Like for me, yeah White Mustang sort of takes a different direction in tone, but I think it's all supposed to be that way. It's already set in the verses of the track, that it's in the past, and I think she's just looking back at something that used to be so special to her. But now, even if she's still fond of what it was that made her feel a certain way, she knows that she can't change it, so she just takes it for what it was. That's why it's more subtle, underlying and less dramatic. There's a lot of emotion to be found within and without the narrative that kinda cradles you, making you think of what it was that she danced in situationally, but still ultimately left from.
 
That kind of warm nostalgia just makes me want to sway around to it. It stops time in more ways than one

 

For me, the video still fulfills that comment I made to what felt like ages ago. I think that it's just now, more so symbolic of the White Mustang to being the driving force of what ended their relationship. He was killing it career wise, and she still remembers how they met when he drove in with his auto to her when they fell in love. Looking at the video, he doesn't seem to be driving it anymore, and all the passion, the adrenaline, the heat of their relationship just died as soon as the engine was put to rest and turned off. 



She takes it for a drive, to a place in the city that they both obviously know, someplace special to both of them, and they have one last dance before they part ways. Her lover does leave her, but she's the one who pushes him away. In the end, she takes the car, and she drives off on her own, while the she recollects the memories of their relationship down the road, onto the freeway, smiling that even if it was over, she knew that it was real, and that it all happened. As if taking the car sort of reminds her of everything, and that she's ok with it.




One thing tho, that I can't really have myself fixate on and focus is the missile being shot in the video. I mean, for me, it sorta reminded me of a safety flare, but those are usually colored. I can't help but think that it meant some kind of surrender in the video. Was it supposed to signal her newfound disinterest? Fucks no longer given? Along with the somber horns playing in the background, in my opinion, that might just be it. Maybe someone can add on that. *Read the tweet, confirmed it's about situations we can't control


So, after having my fingers play hopscotch on the keys of my keyboard, does everything sort of make more, or less sense? Does the video connect with you now on a more resonant level? 

I was reading an article about schizophrenia the other day, and can't help thinking that I might've just talked in circles, but I do know for sure, that the video does make sense when I really think about it, and for the track specifically.


Do you have a particular theory that sort of bridges the song and video together that puts you at ease after watching it?

[Beautiful Loser 48,618]

I wrote this in the WM thread:

I start to wonder... maybe this shooting really was intended for WM. After all, there are white cars in the video (can't really tell if they're Mustangs, I don't know much about cars), she sings about dropping a record and the guy seems to be an artist at least... and she also sings about leaving ("summer's meant for loving and leaving") and she clearly leaves him in the video too.

But it's so hard to think that it really IS for White Mustang when the fan edits with BAR playing instead makes so much more sense. 
I dunno, maybe I'm just seeing what I wanna see...

 

Because somewhere in my mind, I really think that Lana made this video for White Mustang and it was just her humming in the IG story that made us think that it was suppsed to be for BAR... but then again, I also feel like it fits better for BAR and it makes it hard for me to truly enjoy the video when I 1) don't really like White Mustang that much and 2) can't help but thinking that it might have been made for BAR. But since it got leaked, she might have scrapped it from the album. Which is a shame.

And like she wrote on Twitter today:

 

Strong in the midst of outside factors that can't be controlled-symbolized by the missile- and strong because I choose to push him away

There are still so many beautiful mysteries left to unravel in our lifetime

 

That is kind of her explanation for the missile thing. I still don't think that the way they put Get Free in the middle of everything made things better, just more messy.

However, I am happy that she chose to tell a story where she finally is strong, independent and confident in herself. This is the first video that we've seen that story for her and I hope that her life will be better in the future.

 

My first thoughts on the video can be read here at the end of the page: http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/9280-next-music-video-white-mustang-out-now/page-16

[mrborn2lose 91]

This kind of cleared things up for me!

 

I can see a lot of similarities between the two songs (White Mustang and BAR). She probably wrote them about the same guy, so its only natural to think their videos would be similar too

[expandableclitoris 9,091]

Just read and analyze the BAR lyrics and you'll have the explanation of both

The video is pretty descriptive

[cheaptrailertrashglm 3,413]

how many threads about white mustang do we need?

[slang 1,532]

I have no problems with her being strong in the video. However, if the missile launch is nuclear, she should not be too surprised at people viewing the video as primarily solemn and gloomy. A nuclear reference is enough to overshadow (or outblast) every other characteristic of the video. Just saying. She also uses nuclear blast imagery in concert for Change (for instance, on the video screens; Liverpool 8/22; I think she also did in Santa Barbara, although I don't know if she does it consistently in (the rest of) Europe, where she may be more sensitive about the issue). 

 

Anyway, what I said about the meaning of the WM video (which is just how I like to view it--if given a choice--so I hope she stops explaining things too clearly about WM):

 

http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/9280-next-music-video-white-mustang-out-now/?p=554716

[reputation 6,319]

Its not that deep but you do you

[Limelight 4,707]

I had already forgotten it existed oops

[UltraviolentJack 2,811]

Dull, boring recycled footage from a better song used to make a "music video." Let's be real, her videos have been shit since Tropico.

[Make me your Dream Life 87,457]

This kind of cleared things up for me!

 

I can see a lot of similarities between the two songs (White Mustang and BAR). She probably wrote them about the same guy, so its only natural to think their videos would be similar too

And yeah I think so too. I mean, I think it was just the whole disappointment thing with BAR that sort of made me question it, but overall, it's still something nice to look at while thinking about the song. 

 

Glad it did! 

[Make me your Dream Life 87,457]

I wrote this in the WM thread:

 

Because somewhere in my mind, I really think that Lana made this video for White Mustang and it was just her humming in the IG story that made us think that it was suppsed to be for BAR... but then again, I also feel like it fits better for BAR and it makes it hard for me to truly enjoy the video when I 1) don't really like White Mustang that much and 2) can't help but thinking that it might have been made for BAR. But since it got leaked, she might have scrapped it from the album. Which is a shame.

And like she wrote on Twitter today:

 

Strong in the midst of outside factors that can't be controlled-symbolized by the missile- and strong because I choose to push him away

There are still so many beautiful mysteries left to unravel in our lifetime

 

That is kind of her explanation for the missile thing. I still don't think that the way they put Get Free in the middle of everything made things better, just more messy.

However, I am happy that she chose to tell a story where she finally is strong, independent and confident in herself. This is the first video that we've seen that story for her and I hope that her life will be better in the future.

 

My first thoughts on the video can be read here at the end of the page: http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/9280-next-music-video-white-mustang-out-now/page-16

I so badly wanted to think that the video was just for White Mustang itself bc, who, like anyone, would want something mismatched?

 

I mean at first, I watched the edited BAR video, video with the track, and thought it made much more sense, but I got to thinking that it was just easier to swallow the narrative that way when you put the two together. I think the video fits the track well actually, and I hope it doesn't ruin it for you. It turned out great imo

 

Honestly, I watched the video a lot of times, and I didn't really hear Get Free all that much. Maybe she was planning some sort of mini film for the rest of the record and spliced some clips to make the WM video. Wishful thinking I know, but being in the dark doesn't really cancel that slim chance of it happening . LFL is pretty cohesive as an album and I wouldn't be surprised how it easy it was to make one for it.