Lana songs with possible references to other artists songs

[SweetCherryCola]

I was just realising that I've sometimes heard some Lana songs that are extremely close to lyrics from a song by another artist. Only one jumped out at me immediately but I noticed another one over time and then another today and wondered if there were any more. Not that I'm suggesting that Lana is copying or even that she made these references intentionally, I just think it's interesting whether it was meant or not. So far, I have:

 

* Florida Kilos - "Guns in the summertime, drink a cherry cola, lime" reminds me of I Want You by Savage Garden where the lyrics are "sweet like a chicka-cherry cola." It wasn't until I saw the lyrics written out that I even realised she was saying "drink a," sounded so much like "chicka" all this time which makes it sound even similar. Bonus fact, I only noticed now that this could be another reasoning behind my username because I do quite like this song! Totally unplanned but totally cool! 

* High By The Beach - "I just wanna get by by the beach, get by, baby, baby, by, by" reminds me of Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC where the lyrics are "it ain't no lie, baby bye bye bye." Definitely the most obvious one. I definitely don't read Lana as a fan but I can't imagine she or anyone on her team wouldn't have noticed this. 

* Yosemite - "I showed up for you, you showed up for me" reminds me of Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel where the lyrics are "show up for me, I will show up for you." What a great song to reference if this is the case, that final part is the best bit of the song! I suppose it must be a fairly common turn of phrase but it struck me nonetheless. 

 

Let me know if you find any more. If this is what she is doing, it certainly is a very subtle way of doing it so that it's not a direct copy, it's all her own.

[Pink Champagne]

She does it pretty often, such as in Terrence Loves You with “ground control to Major Tom” and referencing Henry Nilsson in Did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd. There are lots! It’s fun when you notice them. 

[SweetCherryCola]

19 hours ago, Pink Champagne said:

She does it pretty often, such as in Terrence Loves You with “ground control to Major Tom” and referencing Henry Nilsson in Did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd. There are lots! It’s fun when you notice them. 

 

Of course, can't believe I forgot that one! She referenced Rapper's Delight by name too. And then there's the obvious parallel with Music To Watch Girls By. Iggy Pop also released an album called Lust For Life too. Are there any more? I've always viewed Lana's writing as so unique and she's someone who does her own thing so have been struck by these random similarities. 

[spookytanooki]

The "two cats in the yard" line in How to Disappear is a direct pull from Our House

[Veinsineon]

I would almost swear her homages and allusions were much more covert before the Norman era. Nowadays she will literally just rip a line from the song she’s referencing and call it good. Which I think really began during the LFL era and her beach boys Stan phase

[Veinsineon]

Then it was Joni for a couple years…… then there was Harry Nilsson during tunnel…. 

[Pink Champagne]

3 hours ago, SweetCherryCola said:

 

Of course, can't believe I forgot that one! She referenced Rapper's Delight by name too. And then there's the obvious parallel with Music To Watch Girls By. Iggy Pop also released an album called Lust For Life too. Are there any more? I've always viewed Lana's writing as so unique and she's someone who does her own thing so have been struck by these random similarities. 

-If I Die Young: Jimmy Buffet reference

-The greatest: “life on mars ain’t just a song” plus the reference to Kokomo and The Beach Boys

-The Grants: “like Rocky Mountain high, the way John Denver sings”

-Lust for Life: “my boyfriends back” is a reference to the song of the same name by The Angels

-Venice Bitch: “crimson and clover, honey” and the other lyrics with that line are a reference to Crimson & Clover by Tommy James & The Shondells

-Body Electric: a reference to Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (not a song but a poem)

-Pink Champagne: “we could get lost in the purple rain” reference to Purple Rain by Prince

-Yosemite: “I remember watching ‘How Green Was My Valley’” a reference to the movie and book 

 

I’m sure there are many more but those are some I can remember off the top of my head. 

[luckypartyoftwo]

This site is good for finding her references in songs- I wouldn’t say it’s 💯 but it has many of her references 

 

https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/Get_Free_(song)

[Crazy Husband Thief]

Thunder: “You act like fucking Mr. Brightside when you’re with all your friends"

-> The Killers - Mr. Brightside

[Embach]

The most famous reference must definitely is The Crystals' "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss) in Ultraviolence!

[Crazy Husband Thief]

12 hours ago, Veinsineon said:

I would almost swear her homages and allusions were much more covert before the Norman era. Nowadays she will literally just rip a line from the song she’s referencing and call it good. Which I think really began during the LFL era and her beach boys Stan phase

She also heavily channels The Shangri-Las on that album. Especially on the title track. The intro is very reminiscent of "Leader of the Pack".

[Just Cherry]

“Honey put on that party dress” is from Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. 

[Pink Champagne]

I remembered some more

 

-If I Die Young: “it’s all over now, baby blue” is a reference to the Bob Dylan song of the same name

-Cola: “Harvey’s in the sky with diamonds” is a reference to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by The Beatles

[King of Roses]

I guess it's not a direct or intentional reference, but Bob Dylan has this song [she belongs to me] where he sings, “she can take the dark out of the nighttime / and paint the daytime black”

In Black Beauty she sings, “you said if you could have your way / you'd make it nighttime all today / so it'd suit the mood of your soul”

[AngelHeadedHipster]

Nursery Rhymes References in Playground, Million Dollar Man & Serial Killer by Lana Del Rey. 

 

Spoiler

https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/Playground_(song)

https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/Million_Dollar_Man_(song)

https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/Serial_Killer_(song)

 

1. Rain Rain Go Away 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_Rain_Go_Away

2. Ring Around the Rosie 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_a_Ring_o'_Roses

3. One For The Money, Two For The Show

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_for_the_Money

4. Wish I May, Wish I Might

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Light,_Star_Bright

[SweetCherryCola]

Wow, thanks for all those references, @Pink Champagne! There's also so many other contributions that I should've noticed as well. I'm not sure if critics have ever picked up on this and if they consider it a plus or minus. There are some who might say such references are copying and nothing more and if you want respect as a songwriter, you have to be completely original. But then there's the other angle of believing that referencing a beloved song is a smart tactic and a way of uniting listeners and educating young listeners about older music.