@@kittycat1887 why would you want hits, when you could have something in-depth? Something that can leave an impact on someone’s thoughts for a long time to come?
It was that part for me! I had to immediately subscribe! I hate my ignorance/privilege from being a male because the kart wheel line has flown right over my head until today. There are so many things we as men take for granted and never have to think or worry about simply because we are men, yet from young ages, women are forced to bear that burden of not only being self aware but aware of how they are perceived by everyone else, but especially men and that’s terrible and I’m sorry. I love how there’s so much intentionality in Lana’s Penmanship and also sonically with how she collaborated with the producers to put you in a certain mood or to evoke certain emotions through the instrumentation! ❤️ I loved this reaction, it’s the best one I’ve seen so far as to understanding the lyrics and Lana’s frame of mind. Bravo! Can’t wait to watch more! 🙌🏾
@@fairoadiaryteenage diary of a girl i’m assuming talks about innocent teenage girls and forensic files talked about people with messed minds. lana was saying she should’ve watched forensic files to understand she wasn’t the problem, but instead she watched teenage diary of a girl and it made her feel dirty and like she lost her innocence
@@cheeseconsumer3000Teenage diary of a girl is actually about a 15 year old girl who starts a sexual affair with her mothers 35 year old boyfriend..... it adds a lot of context to this verse
I love how a therapist has better understanding of what Lana wanted to say than any poet or person whos reaction video I watched! Thank you for such a good react !
agreed. the soulless reactions on here about the dumb aesthetics or whatever about her song, instead of the actual dark message, were making me cynical. But this lady here truly FEELS the song
@@mendwithmereshe nods to the 2015 movie The Diary of a Teenage Girl, which is a film about a 15 year old who begins an affair with her mother’s boyfriend. She questions whether she is like the main character of the movie.
I LOVE that finally someone understands the depths of Lana's lyrics without accusing her of "romanticising" things like so many others have - this is her experience, and she's talking about it. Your analysis is completely on point, I love it.
That song is so heartbreaking. She's not just damaged, she's gone. Done for. Testify in a rape case? What's the point? And then along comes Jimmy. Del Rey is a force. Thanks for this.
In her song "Ultraviolence" her abusive lover is "Jim", I wonder if he and this "Jimmy" are the same person? "Jim told me that, he hit me and it felt like a kiss" "Jim brought me back, reminded me of when we were kids" "Jim taught me that, loving him was never enough"
@@SaVanityVan Lana has said in the past that sometimes she's singing about drugs when it seems like she's singing about a man. "Jimmy" could be code for that, for example it could be short for Jim Beam. Lana has struggled with alcohol addiction since she was 14 years old. She has also mentioned always singing about the same guy but that's the guy from Video Games, Born To Die and Blue Jeans and in none of those songs does she mention a Jim or Jimmy.
It's Lana's voice that does it. Her voice is one of a kind. You can hear and feel the emotion and pain in her voice as she sings. It's an incredible talent that very few singers actually have.
it sounds like she's talking about using casual sex as a way of trying to fill that void in her heart where love should be. sounds like she's using casual sex as a form of self-harm. too many young women have had this experience.
Thank you for grasping how dark the second half is! I feel like it's obviously lyrically the "lighter" half of the song given the dark content in the first half, but the warped and chaotic energy and uncomfortable sounds in the second half are just as telling.
When I was a teen I had a lot of tragic, traumatic experiences including a SA, and because I didn't have the tools to handle it emotionally I spiraled out of control. I turned to substances and men and anything else that would give me a sense of control- all while knowing the reality was that I had none. And the way the second half sounds is the same way the spiral felt.
I desperately wanted a breast reduction when I was a teenager. I couldn't feel safe in my body and I was constantly harrassed at school for being "underdressed" (cleavage) according to dress code. The truth was that I came from a poor family and grew up in a trailer- my sister and I could only afford to wear hand-me-downs from my older sisters. When I was a teenager, I would be sexually assaulted by a adult man (graduate of my high school, someone who I thought was my friend) who would later be imprisoned for an aggravated charge of doing to his ex wife exactly what he did to me. I always felt shame for not reporting what happened to me... Maybe I could've protected her. He came from a wealthy family, and I was scared. I knew nobody would believe me and my dad told me I shouldn't have been hanging out with him anyway. Great analysis. Makes me feel less alone when I see how much sexualization and objectification happens to all women and girls. Sharing our stories is important and powerful. Thanks for taking the time to read mine. ♥️
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I totally agree that we all need to so we don’t feel so isolated. I feel you about how you felt about your body and the shame when you never asked to be perused by this man or anyone. Please be gentle with yourself around not reporting it. It is more complex than anyone realizes. Feeling scared and then being from a lower socioeconomic status are valid reasons to feel afraid to report. If we talk about it more and if more support is given, especially in cases with such major power dynamics at play, I hope it can help the next person. You have no idea who may read your comment right now and feel the same feelings and feel less alone because of it. Thank you for sharing 🤍
You interpreted this song so much deeper than I've thought of when I was listening to it, I teared up when you were sharing your story as I relate to it. This is an amazing review, thank you! I hope you do more Lana's songs.
what is so interesting to me about lana is that she started out as like “americas sweet heart” sugar daddies and expensive night life and her music now is reclaiming herself and telling her own stories. love lana!!
Shes grown and so has her music and I love it because I've grown and changed as well and her music always seems to match where I'm at amd what I need to hear!
the movie she was referencing "diary of a teenage girl" is actually very dark, if you watch it or know what its about it definitely adds more context to the theme of the song & what shes singing about. i recommend watching it (only if you are able to handle it, huge trigger warning for on screen CSA & victim blaming)
It is very dark! Very similar to what Lolita talks about. Where the moms bf SA the daughter. As someone whose been in a similar situation I def think Lanas not just randomly saying this stuff.
The movie was inspired by a graphic novel with the same name by the artist Phoebe Gloeckner. It become way more darker if you think that these stories are someway inspired by the real life of the author. Great book and great drawings by really really raw and hard to handle.
@@ckay8191how come the girl in the diary of a teenage girl was SA? the girl initiated it, she wanted it. it's just she doesn't know much about what she's doing because she's too young. I will never invalidate someone's desire regardless of age. Their feelings matter too.They ended up liking what they started doing it (in the movie)
Ok, I've always liked Lana, but when I first heard this song I became a fanatic. This song actually scared me; it was like hearing a truth i wasn't ready to hear.
MANNN. Her interpretation made me so aware of how I feel towards this song and how I relate to it. I mean, this is of course a story of how women feel, but as a g*y man, sometimes it feels like romance is NOT allowed for us, so you should take any kind of "affection" because that's how much you're gonna get. So you just give in. This just hit me harder than before.
Truly I thought I was the only person that felt that way! I feel like someone who values you emotionally connection is strongly frowned upon. You take what you can get :(
I’m a girl that’s has grown up experiencing so much rejection from others, even from my dad. That it hit me so hard because in this point of my life I’m really considering just give in and have anything near as affection with anyone that I don’t care if they use me
The line about no one believing her that she didn't want it is so gut wrenching. I've always admired that Lana owns her sensuality and knows she's beautiful, she always made me feel like it was okay. But to hear her call out that no matter what she says everyone will assume she wanted it all based on her looks and her confidence? Devastating.
Thank you so much. As a survivor myself, the second half of the song is completely warped. Makes me feel how I felt when I was coping with my trauma with drugs and alcohol. Your reaction is spot on.
Thank you for sharing this and the second part really gives that chaotic with substance use vibe which can be the few things to drown out trauma. It isn’t the way to handle trauma but I don’t judge anyone that hasn’t been there. It’s so hard to cope for so many reasons. Sending you 🤍
this was such an incredible and well-worded review of the song, i need every lana fan to watch. it’s so easy for me to listen to only the production of a song but this really spelled it out for me. especially the cartwheel line, i’d registered the loss of innocence before but had never thought about how it could be exposing to flip. the detail!! the song really is the depression of wanting out and then the mania of just saying “fuck it” and giving in. such an important song.
As a fellow therapist and HUGE Lana fan, I loved hearing your take on this song. Lana’s music is super emotional, absolutely beautiful, but also haunting. This has quickly become one of my favorite Lana songs, and I’m so thankful for you sharing your insights!
i’ve never seen someone have such a clear understanding of song lyrics like even i can barely understand certain things lana sings about unless i rlly sit and listen to the lyrics themselves she’s just listening to the song and immediately understanding what’s going on..that’s a talent fr
oh my god you hit it right home with the "looking like a sidepiece at 33" part. back in 2019 she was in a relationship with a guy who she believed she could finally settle down with and have a family, but she found out he was already engaged to someone else and had been hiding it from her the whole time. loved this video!
Lana references a film in the line “Watching Teenage Diary of a Girl wondering what went wrong”Teenage Diary of a Girl is a dark coming of age film where the 15 year old protagonist naively tries to seduce her mothers boyfriend and he takes advantage of her repeatedly. It’s well acted and well written but graphic and disturbing. It’s worth a watch if you can stomach those themes. The film by no means glorifies what happens to the girl but rather serves as a commentary on girlhood, the trials of growing up too fast, and loss of innocence
Also on the part where she says “I already fucked up my story” I think it speaks on the fact that she was sexually active so since that was known she felt that her validity on saying she was taken advantage of would be tossed because people would uphold and highlight her history. So there would always be a blurred line between her consensual relationships and crimes of her being taken advantage of/non consensual
It's so good to finally see a mental health professional analyse Lana's lyrics, and shed light on how she weaves in dark stories from her life. The public and music critics never acknowledge the sheer amount of trauma Lana has been through. Instead, they judge her on her public persona alone. People often forget that artists are only human, and being rich and famous does not mean they are immune to mistreatment and life's hardships. Writing music is their way of processing their feelings, and sharing that music is an act of incredible vulnerability.
I had a breast reduction at 18.. the way boys and men treated me frightened me. I was hyper sexualized since I was a child so I got the reduction and felt immensely comforted. Because men were constantly trying to kidnap me, chased me, raped at 14, etc. I find most mens thinking is repulsive and they are unable to look at women as autonomous human beings. They are so perverted in their thinking. The reduction allowed me to heal and to not be such a problem for men to leave me alone. I’m obsessed with Lana because her haunting lyrics are so honest and relatable.
this video kinda broke me. i had to pause several times to just think and cry. you phrased what she was singing about so beautifully and logically and that made me think about my own messed up experiences as a woman especially with older men and society. i've been a huge fan of lana's music since 2012 and i've heard this song so many times but didn't really open it up like you did, thank you. also, can you be my therapist? 🥺
That was an intense reaction. I'm a newbie to Lana's world, so still haven't listened to a lot of her music or know her story that well. She's deep. A true poet. The guy Lana is referring to is most likely a TV cop she was dating who, unbeknownst to her, was engaged at the time he and Lana were together. It sounds like Lana thought he was 'the one' and was understandably crushed to learn she was a "side piece". To promote DYKTTATUOB, Lana put up one and only billboard in, of all places, Tulsa, OK (the guy's hometown); she simply said, "It's personal"... I find it curious that you loved Born To Die but haven't listened to Lana since then. Anyway, I'm glad I stumbled upon your channel. Looking forward to more Lana reactions. Be well🥰
Thank you for sharing this and I’m glad she’s putting little Easter eggs out there. That’s horrible about learning he was engaged. What a POS. I haven’t listen to more Lana bc I’ve been going through stuff and I swear she makes me feel too much bc it hits so close to home. I’m gonna keep doing the reactions to her! 🤍
@@mendwithmere Hits too close to home. I hear you🥰. From what I can tell, Lana seems genuinely kind, gracious, and generous to almost everyone--especially to her fans. There's a great Tik Tok comparing and contrasting how Lana Interacts with her fans (hugs, kisses) vs. Adam Levine (another POS) et al. (pushes, punches). A fun thing she does is reference other songs in a lot of her own songs: In Part 2 of "A&W", she sings "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" (a 1959 song by Little Anthony and the Imperials) before it morphs into "Jimmy, Jimmy Coco Puff". She also has a LOT of unreleased material of studio quality (Some people speculate that Lana herself is the leaker..). I still haven't listened to Ultraviolence, but have two unreleased gems from that era ("Yes To Heaven" and "Dragonslayer") on my Spotify playlist. There's a lot for you to react to!😊 (I see you react to Taylor, as well.). I just subscribed. Looking forward to being on this Lana journey😊
I couldn't have said it better myself! Lana Del Rey's voice is truly angelic. She has this ethereal quality to her vocals that just transports you to another world. It's no wonder why her music resonates with so many people. Her voice is like a soothing melody that touches the soul. 🎶✨
Rolling Stone named A&W in top 500 songs recently which doesn't mean shit but at least it's getting the recognition it deserves and it was released just months ago.
I was raped at 17 and my boyfriend died (he comite sui-ide)5 months later, I had to learn to live with those two things, I didn't testify either because I'm a trans girl so it would be worse i think, because most of us work in prostitution so they would say: "you asked for it" "was it your client?" Or at least I thought so. Now i have 19 and i'm very, very happy, in this 2 years i learn a lot of things and yeah... Excellent video, I love you.
Yesss you analyzed this one pretty perfectly, even the second part which most people don’t point out that she’s playing into that role and unironically sounds a lot like her born to die album.
Lana never knew the path she would have to walk when she first put out Born to Die / Paradise. she really did build up not just a person of a daddy lover but also a woman child that can be kept and owned. even tho she did become more empowered in the Lust for Life era, she was already well down the path in her personal life as well. Norman F Rockwell was catastrophic, because it captured the latest relationship with a somewhat involved man that eventually left her to marry someone else. she let herself be used as part of the persona, but it had real world consequences as we are now seeing in A&W. and for such a family oriented person, the breakdown of her relationship with her mother is a major call for help.
Now that’s good content- reaction videos with in depth psychological analysis of music. I feel that there’s a lot to this subject that most people seem to overlook- lots of things being sung in a more abstract, unconscious aspect that’s fascinating and devastating. specially in what Lana does. That’s how you know she’s a real artist
Also a fun fact - a lot of this album was written based on Jung’s active imagination, also through automatic singing, so yeah she’s definitely saying a lot.
I'm really glad you didn't skip over the part about rape - a lot of reviews of this album have used euphemisms etc and kinda been too scared to address it I guess? I'm a guy so I don't know what it's like to be objectified in the same way as women are. But I love Lana and these lyrics are so frank they feel like a punch in the face. I think it's her best record yet (and I really didn't think it was humanly possible to top NFR! tbh) - thank you for this x
Tell me why i've listened to this song A LOT, knowing the meaning. BUT watching your reactions and references to it just made me cry and truly get into the mentality of this song and the art that Lana made here.
Jack Antonoff, the producer of this song, calls Lana “Jimmy” as a nickname, so part of me feels like the second part of the song is her falling into the narrative people created for her and her spiraling. Jack’s great at producing instrumentals that reflect their lyrics (Hard Feelings by Lorde is a great example) so I feel that’s the narrative the second half of the song was trying to shape
This is a great and fitting analysis. This song also hit me quite hard, it's the way she casually describes everything which accurately mirrors such an experience within a societal context. No one cares what you went through, just move on. Not everyone's like that but many people don't even want to deal with the shadow side of life at all. And they look at you weird when you do.
Daniela Mondstein, I so deeply relate to, specifically, that last sentiment. That others are quite capable of feeling disturbed by, even offended by, •your• traumatic experience, often, •in spite of• the fact that you didn't even force them to know about it. Frequently, it is their own idle search for something novel and potentially titillating and/or morbid that brought them into contact with your story in the first place. Then, regardless of whether you freely or reluctantly shared it, •you• are held to account for 'forcing' them to think or feel more deeply than they would have liked, about subjects •they• judge to be too 'intense', too heavy, or too dark. I have lost count of the number of times (especially when I was much younger), where I was literally 'accused' of subjecting people to the horrors of my answers to their incessant and seemingly inescapable questions. I was frequently told that I had become the cause of nightmares in whole households of mainly women and girls, who just couldn't seem to shut up about me. Like I was the original campfire story or urban legend or the consequence of a frightening cautionary tale, instead of being my own mystified self, instead of just being another parents' child. I think sometimes people forget you are a person who is in the middle of living a life, not an anecdote or a joke or a juicy piece of gossip. And if you have enough experiences like that, it can make you very much more aware of your shadow self. And if you are in touch with your own darkness, sometimes you will be treated like you're virulent, a contagion, a vector, or a seed-cell of harmful elements that contaminate innocence, when more often than not, it was •your innocence• that was corrupted and it was done so against your will.
Lana del rey writes her life story in many of her songs and it cuts deeper and harder because it did that to her. Don't forget for a bunch of years all Media and the music industry brutally criticized her in every single possible way. She just now is coming into being in a happier place.
Also, you are the first therapist I have come across that seems to genuinely care about people, that’s my intuition anyway. I gave up on therapy a long time ago because I was so alienated by the process and the people that I knew didn’t really care. I partially understand why professional boundaries are a thing but at the core of most issues it’s the lack of anyone who genuinely cares or empathises with you that sets you on the wrong path in life. Much like this song so beautifully illustrates.
I have been numb, can’t be happy or care enough to be sad Im not able to cry. this video gave me an opportunity to feel. It’s been 5 months and I finally remember what it is to grieve. I didn’t know I needed this. thank you so much.
Love your videos Mere!! I also think Lana is referencing her recent weight gain when she says “the shape of my body” (I mean, she looks perfect and amazing but is no longer Hollywoods standard of “thin”), and feeling that she wouldn’t be believed about sexual assault is due to the unbelievable amount of criticism she’s gotten over the years. She has been labeled as “anti-feminist”, which is insane to me!
Whaaaaat? I swear people talk shit just to be talking shit. I didn’t know about this but going to look more into it. Thank you for watching the videos! Means so much
okay but if she is referring to this song about her weight and referring to being 33 this can only mean 2 things bc she is about to be 38 in June. She has either written this song now referring to being 33 or she wrote it and is just now publishing it and either way she wasn't overweight at 33
I definitely get the feel that her comment about being a sidepiece at 33 is only referencingher age. It often seems that when men cheat on their significant other, that they do it with younger women. And by society's standards age 33 isn't "young" enough.
well, she herself said "Feminism is just not an interesting concept." Granted that quote is from 2014, but LDR herself rolled her eyes and scoffed at the notion of feminism.... I'm the hugest LDR fan, but it's disappointing to hear her express such anti-woman sentiments to say the least.
As a guy who experienced SA this song hits hard cause I was also affected by my puberty when men saw me differently, I was a bit curvy… I never expected that something like that would happen to a guy, but it does. People are disgusting.
i’ve never been more intrigued with a commentary video before, actually my first time hearing this song in full.. and i’m crying. thank you for interpreting this song the way you did, i would have not known the full meaning
this was a really great insight into the song and the meanings. I'm forwarding to my 12 year old daughter, she is going thru the utterly disgusting experience of dealing with middle school boys saying horrifying things and making incredibly inappropriate comments at school. it totally changed the way she dresses and how she expresses herself. it is heartbreaking to see.
I just watched this video and your video on Did You Know... and I'm so floored at how you actually hear the emotion behind the words and composition of her songs upon first listen, it really shows how both empathetic and knowledgable you must be as a therapist! I think everything you said about this song is so spot on and important for people to consider. Best regards from a new subscriber.
When I first listened to a&w I cried I don’t know as a single woman in her 20’s who’s dealt with being SA’d, undervalued by men, and being someone with boobs just existing in the world being sexualized for existing, the lyrics spoke to me. It’s one of my most played songs of 2023, I can listen to it without crying now but wow lana truly blew my mind. I love her so much!
The way she barely enunciates the word rape too, she doesn’t feel like she’s allowed to say the word or call it assault because she’s been promiscuous. I didn’t even hear it the first time I listened to it
This song is an absolute masterpiece. The correlation between the title A&W being an old Americana brand (which Lana is image as an artist is heavily influenced by) and the rebranding of the acronym in this song to American Whore and how A&W is also a drive through restaurant and Lana using that as a way to describe men walking all over her sexually. Not only this but the first half of the song is very sad and traumatized and then if almost as if during the instrumental the song starts to change as a reference to Lana’s behavior changing from sad to rebellious and then it goes onto again another famous old Americana song that is rebranded to tell a darker deeper meaning while keeping the rebellious attitude. Lana is such a genius song writer
Absolute masterpiece. Even the change in the middle is exactly like spiralling down, chaotic, messy, and looking to fix it in all the wrong places. But to someone who doesn't know - sounding like a "banger." It's brilliant and immensely sad.
Thank you so much for the analysis. This song explores some really triggering and uncomfortable topics so I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Lana’s music always has a way of making you get in your feelings which is amazing but can be really heavy at times. New sub 💖
That’s an excellent interpretation of “I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine”. Though I will say I think it’s present day Lana watching “Diary of a Teenage Girl” since that film came out in 2015 so she’s likely reflecting on her past through the film. She also talks about being 33 which leads me to believe the events of this song are happening in 2018.
Ever since I fist heard this song I felt like I could relate to it, but I had no idea why. Listing to you explain your thoughts about the song makes me realize it's because this is how I think about myself and my life, and I know others probably feel the same way.
I first heard Lana when she performed as Lizzy and I’ve never stopped listening to her, she just write down and sung everything I’ve gone through. I think that’s what makes her so captivating, the way she can accurately depict these things where if you’ve gone through them you feel understood
can we talk about how the playful youth plays a big part of the narrative and then just the “your mom called” part pops up and makes me thinks about how we were all scared as a kid like if we did something bad what our mom would do or say like… she say’s she doesn’t care and it doesn’t really matter anymore more but “your mom called” and in the beginning she said “haven’t seen my mother in a long time” maybe to avoid shame or guilt!!!??!????!? GOD I LOVE LANA SO MUCH
As soon as I heard this song, I was hooked (it seems to be about me) The second part is just a consequence of that experience of sexualized abuse at an early age that is mentioned in the first, you use sex as a cure for everything, but only hurt yourself more and more with it
“Your mom called, I told her youre f’ing up big time” I think this song is about many instances that she was taken advantage of. Like a “life flashed before my eyes” type of moment because the “American Whore” character she created as a cope mechanism… she’s killing it and confronting the reality of it all. So with that lyric, this person who was taking advantage of her was turning everyone she loved and who loved her (family) against her by telling them all the negative things she was doing during the spiral of her coming to this current point of ending the American whore persona. They wanted to make her dependent on them for love although they made her feel like a side piece until they wanted s*x
that's EXACTLY what i thought when i heard the song for the first time. the way she talks about the loss of her innocence and not feeling valued or respected because of her appearance is something that i related to for a long time in my life when i was younger, and i could feel what she was trying to transmit during every second of the song... this has to be one of my favorite lana's songs because i have the feeling that it's telling everything i couldn't tell when i had the chance.
WOW, I have listened to this song a bunch of times but you make these songs so much sadder than they already are by breaking them down like this. devastating! but she is an amazing lyricist and so relatable to Women everywhere.
I am a huge lana fan and love her so much. This song made so much more sense and is more important for me because i have a one year old daughter. She is an infant and people have already been telling me to cover her up, not to have her diaper free ever, trying to make her nose thinner and eyebrows better. I got so triggered that i fought to hell with all of them and cut ties. I am trying really hard to raise my daughter so she doesn't go through what i and my mom went through. I hope i succeed. Thank you so much for this video. Your words mean a lot to me ❤
Holy crap this was dark , but your breakdown was amazing and Lana has always affected me the same way. As much as I love her music I have to pick when I can mentally handle it. Thanks for being soo vulnerable it will help soo many people ❤️
Yes, Fiona Apple! She writes from the crushed up bits of the soul, the temper, and the heart. She does it so, eloquently- in lyrics and delivery. Please cover Fiona Apple. I agree that this song is in the same ‘category’ (for lack of a better word 😕)
Yes, you can continue pausing. Your reactions and opinions are very valid and are crucial to understanding the psychology of music. Thank you for that!
I had a therapist who, when I opened up about being assaulted in college, 1) told me it didnt count as SA because it wasnt r*pe. 2) said i shouldve expected a college boy to do that and i was being naive, and 3) told me it was too late to press charges and it would never hold up in court (i never said i wanted to press charges. Never even implied it. I literally had just told her what happened.) I sat there sobbing, being retraumatized, as she said all these things to me. At the end of the session she said, "do you want to make another appointment or are you done?" I made the appointment because i always resort to a fawning trauma repsonse. Then i called the office later to cancel and never went back. It took me like 3 years after that to finally have the courage to see any therapist again. My brother (who's an addiction counselor) wanted me to report her. But it was the same thing for me as reporting an SA. It would've just put me through hell and would most likely amount to nothing. I dont even remember her name now. (In that same session i was telling her i just found out i was pregnant and was terrified because i almost died having my first. She told me i shouldve closed my legs). This is the reality women live in the US. Mine is not an isolated incident. Literally trained therapists arent even guarenteed safe people. Thank you Mere for the emotional labor you give to us, who arent even your patients.
This hit me hard. I testified at 21 for what happened to me when I was 20. I wasn’t the “perfect victim” and he was found not guilty. My world shattered more than it already had by then. I didn’t sound like the innocent, childlike, sweet, young woman that people expect to see after being assaulted. I was angry, I was bitter, I was a hurricane. And it wasn’t the “right” way to testify in front of a jury.
As a Lana fan and a first time watcher of your video, it was magical how you got what she wanted to say in the first line. You're a fan, I can tell. Thank you so much for this insightful video. I hope those who are doubters of Lana - or at the very least, those who don't get her - get to see your videos. Thank you!
4:44 so true. Nobody loses their innocence. It’s always taken away in one form or another. For the lucky folks time, but really rules tradition organized religion based on dark ages. It scares of indentured, servants and slavery. We are also hell told to eventually be ashamed whether we made anything by it or not. at least people into a very awkward position sometimes… How can I not smile if I did see any child doing a cart wheel successfully but if I was seen looking that way, what do you think any other onlooker would think of me? That’s a loss of innocence is it just from one perspective? It is viral in a sense innocence can’t be a state of mind that the most prude folks sexualize the silliest things. It is extremely confusing as a child to grow up around those double triple quadruple standards never being told why sometimes being told BS but never really understanding why there Hass to be a better way, but it leaves very deep scars, regardless of trauma it affects everyone’s behavior negatively I think that’s probably why white people can’t dance for us a damn, lol we have so much trouble letting go scolded from an early age movie our bodies. Even the word is always bastardized, and it is not inherently sexual, but Karens made it that way and now that’s just how it is. Which sucks. Everybody Hass to worry about hurting someone else’s feelings or looking like something is not nefarious when it truly is it is it and I think this leads to folks being so self-conscious, they are ignorant of real problems, including actual predators
i think the zipper sound in the second half of the song is very interesting, especially considering the whole theme of the song and how the zipper can be associated with that whole theme
I've been binge watching your videos and I got to say I love your commentary so much. Also I hope you know that are absolutely gorgeous and intelligent.
Hey! Didn't expect to see your comment here too, fellow INFJ ^_^ I was thinking the same thing, I wanted to send this video to my ISTP boyfriend because this song can also describe the experiences of most teenage girls growing up. Sigh. I feel bad for Lana and hope she gets the help and healing she deserves.
@@blancheb3533 Oh my gosh!! I've been thinking about you! Haha! We hang around the same parts of the internet, I bet! If you do send it to him, let me know what he thinks (if that's not too invasive). I'm so glad to "see" you again!
I am watching Daisy Jones, and the six, and one of the bandmembers is complaining about Daisy’s legs and how they’re distracting and daisy looks at him and says” you know it’s not my job not turn you on right” and I’ve never felt a line more!
hello i just discovered your channel and i am blown away!! the amount of meaning you could gleam from the first line alone that i could never is astounding; you are so incredibly astute! im only 5 minutes in but im super excited to see the full extent of this video, your other lana videos, and perhaps even more of your other videos!
after i finally finished this video there are some points of analysis i think that paint a bigger picture - "gods a charlatan" could be alluding to the idea that she feels she has been betrayed by god or that god is not looking kindly on her. this could be highlighting the idea that people who get raped often feel dirty, sinful, and as if they were at fault. this could be another line showing how disgusted she feels at her perceived "sinful" body as god no longer loves her. this concept is super big in religious communities (something lana often rights about) as they are very particular about the concept of female virginity. - in "jimmy jimmy cocoa puff", the name "jim" or "jimmy" also frequently appears in lana songs. jim was the name of the character of the cult leader who courses lana in the ultraviolence album and title track. jim is a recurring character in her songs that represents control, power imbalance, drug abuse, and religious authority. This is just an extra layer over jimmy jimmy cocoa puff. - finally, the upbeat track at the end could be a representation of lana becoming the "american whore." she is falling into this character she is cast as because she has no other choices to cope or regain control. It could also suggest a cycle of madness. perhaps her mind has been broken by the trauma to the point where it has consumed her whole life. this is the point you were articulating i believe but this is just how i would have phrased it. thank you for this insightful video.
My cousins as young kids had to testify in court against their father over things that were done to them and I feel terrible every time I think about it. It was put with names in their city newspaper and they had to move because of everyone knowing what happened and talking about it and making fun of it. People are so mean and they don't understand how bad words hurt other people.
She has this haunting mysteriousness that lingers around her.. don’t want to say darkness but we all have a shadow within us.. she seems to be able to drawn IN those of us w/ a deep empathy
Its so interesting that so many people can relate a song to their experience even having such different experiences. For me, I've always been overweight and have never had a desirable body shape, my interpretation is growing up and thinking your going to fall in love and settle down and that not happening so you seek out affection from men anyway you can get it. For a minute you feel loved.
this is the first video of yours i found and i’m sold, please PLEASE do more lana reactions, especially from the new album 😭🖤 this is such a beautiful album and quite possibly her most personal to date so i’d love to hear more insight from you.
It is not the case, but Lana has lines that hit me like a train: "If he's as bad as they then I'm cursed, looking into his eyes I think he's already hurt. He's already hurt". I am a man and theses lines make me cry a river. I understand the deepths of Lana Del Rey's lyrics and it seems she is talking about me in "Happiness is a butterfly", "Blackest Day", "Norman F****** Rockwell", "Ultraviolence".
I found your video because I was looking up an A&W mukbang😅. A&W’s is pretty popular in Canada. The burgers are delicious and I think its way better than a lot of other fast food chains. Anyways, I had no idea Lana Del Rey had a song called A&W’s, and was not expecting to watch the entirety of this video, but I was really impressed by your analysis of the lyrics and I enjoyed Lana’s song.
For me, the second half of the song where it’s sped up is kind of Lana’s way of taking back the way she’s been treated and using it to empower herself. I think it’s her way of trying to take back that power of guys who are treating her like an object. Idk could be wrong
I’ve had people tell me this for years, when I was assaulted I was told by my loved ones that it was my fault and my ex told me I was asking for it because of how I looked. I thought that was normal until I heard about victim shaming. My therapist was shocked when I said “I know it was my fault if I hadn’t had been there” she said NO nothing that happened to you was your fault.
I am so glad I came across this… the first time I listened to the song it actually triggered me a little I cried (I’m a csa warrior) and immediately related to the first couple lines. I also feel like jimmy maybe uses lana to get high (using her physically and emotionally it seems) but I also feel like she encapsulated the entire culture of girlhood and womanhood in the American culture and society. To me the end of the song sounds like she realized what he was doing, hence she told his mom he’s fucking up big time 😂 love that lyric lolll It’s like a giant cultural critique on rape culture while also being such a personal story. I think there’s so much to relate to and I’m so glad to see someone talking about the deeper meanings behind her poetry like this 🤌✨ she will forever make art of her life
i think seeing this reaction affects me more than the the frankness of the lyrics. Lana sings it as someone whos done a lot of c'est la vie-ing. This is the sad, sad story but it happens. Its so interesting how a light can do SO much before it goes out. The light is still flickering in this song but its a STRONG light that's gone through a lot. But yeah, the therapist's reaction is like a reality check.
The 2nd part of the song to me feels like a representation of mania and love addiction. I don’t think she’s just talking about him using her. Love me if you love or not, you can be my light is a metaphor for him being a drug to her.
Lana has turned her trauma into art
Very beautiful and meaningful art.
From lithium cane poetry
As Carrie Fisher said take your broken heart and make art
why tho... none of those songs are hits. it's a memoir, not a music album
@@kittycat1887 why would you want hits, when you could have something in-depth? Something that can leave an impact on someone’s thoughts for a long time to come?
You know she's a good therapist as she picked up immediately what Lana was trying to say at the 1st line
🤍🤍🤍
This is what I thought!
which is pretty obvious...
It was that part for me! I had to immediately subscribe! I hate my ignorance/privilege from being a male because the kart wheel line has flown right over my head until today. There are so many things we as men take for granted and never have to think or worry about simply because we are men, yet from young ages, women are forced to bear that burden of not only being self aware but aware of how they are perceived by everyone else, but especially men and that’s terrible and I’m sorry.
I love how there’s so much intentionality in Lana’s Penmanship and also sonically with how she collaborated with the producers to put you in a certain mood or to evoke certain emotions through the instrumentation! ❤️
I loved this reaction, it’s the best one I’ve seen so far as to understanding the lyrics and Lana’s frame of mind. Bravo! Can’t wait to watch more! 🙌🏾
true :( finally knowing what this song is actually about and being able to relate it to the things i lived as a child r*pe victim completely broke me
Finally someone understands that lana isn't just poet or aesthetic and she can understand what's the meaning of lana's lyric
truth :)
That teenage diary and forensic files connection is GENIUS
she's brilliant
i didn’t get that part
@@fairoadiaryteenage diary of a girl i’m assuming talks about innocent teenage girls and forensic files talked about people with messed minds. lana was saying she should’ve watched forensic files to understand she wasn’t the problem, but instead she watched teenage diary of a girl and it made her feel dirty and like she lost her innocence
@@cheeseconsumer3000Teenage diary of a girl is actually about a 15 year old girl who starts a sexual affair with her mothers 35 year old boyfriend..... it adds a lot of context to this verse
@@cheeseconsumer3000you don’t need to assume what it’s about though, if you haven’t seen it you could look it up…
I love how a therapist has better understanding of what Lana wanted to say than any poet or person whos reaction video I watched! Thank you for such a good react !
Wow! Thank you for the compliment 🤍
agreed. the soulless reactions on here about the dumb aesthetics or whatever about her song, instead of the actual dark message, were making me cynical. But this lady here truly FEELS the song
@@mendwithmereshe nods to the 2015 movie The Diary of a Teenage Girl, which is a film about a 15 year old who begins an affair with her mother’s boyfriend. She questions whether she is like the main character of the movie.
for real. I was flabbergasted I mean I've blindly listened to that song so many times and she knew what it meant from the first few words like..
Was the poet a man?
I LOVE that finally someone understands the depths of Lana's lyrics without accusing her of "romanticising" things like so many others have - this is her experience, and she's talking about it. Your analysis is completely on point, I love it.
That song is so heartbreaking. She's not just damaged, she's gone. Done for. Testify in a rape case? What's the point? And then along comes Jimmy. Del Rey is a force. Thanks for this.
welcome. sending you love
In her song "Ultraviolence" her abusive lover is "Jim", I wonder if he and this "Jimmy" are the same person?
"Jim told me that, he hit me and it felt like a kiss"
"Jim brought me back, reminded me of when we were kids"
"Jim taught me that, loving him was never enough"
@@SaVanityVan she is Jimmy
@@SaVanityVan Lana has said in the past that sometimes she's singing about drugs when it seems like she's singing about a man. "Jimmy" could be code for that, for example it could be short for Jim Beam. Lana has struggled with alcohol addiction since she was 14 years old. She has also mentioned always singing about the same guy but that's the guy from Video Games, Born To Die and Blue Jeans and in none of those songs does she mention a Jim or Jimmy.
@Josefine Bliss I think that guy died of an overdose.
It's Lana's voice that does it. Her voice is one of a kind. You can hear and feel the emotion and pain in her voice as she sings. It's an incredible talent that very few singers actually have.
it sounds like she's talking about using casual sex as a way of trying to fill that void in her heart where love should be. sounds like she's using casual sex as a form of self-harm. too many young women have had this experience.
this is right on point!
Also man
YES
Is it weird as a guy to relate to this lol specifically to the epidemic of casual gay sex
@@desireandfire No sure why that would be weird at all. A lot of gay men feel this way when hooking up and the ones that don’t feel like an “outcast”
Thank you for grasping how dark the second half is! I feel like it's obviously lyrically the "lighter" half of the song given the dark content in the first half, but the warped and chaotic energy and uncomfortable sounds in the second half are just as telling.
Absolutely. It really captured that chaotic feeling
When I was a teen I had a lot of tragic, traumatic experiences including a SA, and because I didn't have the tools to handle it emotionally I spiraled out of control. I turned to substances and men and anything else that would give me a sense of control- all while knowing the reality was that I had none. And the way the second half sounds is the same way the spiral felt.
@@TheAutbomb I can relate..
It sounds like someone who's finally given up. It's so sad. & a vibe lol. Lana is magic.
@@TheAutbomb that’s exactly what i feel too! The ending was anger and the official downfall/spiral out of control. I fucking love this song.
I desperately wanted a breast reduction when I was a teenager. I couldn't feel safe in my body and I was constantly harrassed at school for being "underdressed" (cleavage) according to dress code. The truth was that I came from a poor family and grew up in a trailer- my sister and I could only afford to wear hand-me-downs from my older sisters. When I was a teenager, I would be sexually assaulted by a adult man (graduate of my high school, someone who I thought was my friend) who would later be imprisoned for an aggravated charge of doing to his ex wife exactly what he did to me. I always felt shame for not reporting what happened to me... Maybe I could've protected her. He came from a wealthy family, and I was scared. I knew nobody would believe me and my dad told me I shouldn't have been hanging out with him anyway.
Great analysis. Makes me feel less alone when I see how much sexualization and objectification happens to all women and girls. Sharing our stories is important and powerful. Thanks for taking the time to read mine. ♥️
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I totally agree that we all need to so we don’t feel so isolated. I feel you about how you felt about your body and the shame when you never asked to be perused by this man or anyone. Please be gentle with yourself around not reporting it. It is more complex than anyone realizes. Feeling scared and then being from a lower socioeconomic status are valid reasons to feel afraid to report. If we talk about it more and if more support is given, especially in cases with such major power dynamics at play, I hope it can help the next person. You have no idea who may read your comment right now and feel the same feelings and feel less alone because of it. Thank you for sharing 🤍
Jim Morrison
Yes.
You interpreted this song so much deeper than I've thought of when I was listening to it, I teared up when you were sharing your story as I relate to it. This is an amazing review, thank you! I hope you do more Lana's songs.
You are SO welcome! More to come 🤍
Yes! I have been listening to this song for months now but this video actually made me realise what lana meant.
what is so interesting to me about lana is that she started out as like “americas sweet heart” sugar daddies and expensive night life and her music now is reclaiming herself and telling her own stories. love lana!!
Right.
Shes grown and so has her music and I love it because I've grown and changed as well and her music always seems to match where I'm at amd what I need to hear!
the movie she was referencing "diary of a teenage girl" is actually very dark, if you watch it or know what its about it definitely adds more context to the theme of the song & what shes singing about. i recommend watching it (only if you are able to handle it, huge trigger warning for on screen CSA & victim blaming)
It is very dark! Very similar to what Lolita talks about. Where the moms bf SA the daughter. As someone whose been in a similar situation I def think Lanas not just randomly saying this stuff.
thank you for letting me know!
The movie was inspired by a graphic novel with the same name by the artist Phoebe Gloeckner. It become way more darker if you think that these stories are someway inspired by the real life of the author. Great book and great drawings by really really raw and hard to handle.
omg im reading it rn and i just realized what you said is right 😭😭
@@ckay8191how come the girl in the diary of a teenage girl was SA? the girl initiated it, she wanted it. it's just she doesn't know much about what she's doing because she's too young. I will never invalidate someone's desire regardless of age. Their feelings matter too.They ended up liking what they started doing it (in the movie)
Ok, I've always liked Lana, but when I first heard this song I became a fanatic. This song actually scared me; it was like hearing a truth i wasn't ready to hear.
MANNN. Her interpretation made me so aware of how I feel towards this song and how I relate to it. I mean, this is of course a story of how women feel, but as a g*y man, sometimes it feels like romance is NOT allowed for us, so you should take any kind of "affection" because that's how much you're gonna get. So you just give in. This just hit me harder than before.
Truly I thought I was the only person that felt that way! I feel like someone who values you emotionally connection is strongly frowned upon. You take what you can get :(
that’s what i thought too for gay men when listening to this
... how angry men weaponize their self-pity and abuse other people 😒
I’m a girl that’s has grown up experiencing so much rejection from others, even from my dad. That it hit me so hard because in this point of my life I’m really considering just give in and have anything near as affection with anyone that I don’t care if they use me
It’s so interesting that people who are romantically involved with men universally end up feeling this way, even if they are men
The line about no one believing her that she didn't want it is so gut wrenching. I've always admired that Lana owns her sensuality and knows she's beautiful, she always made me feel like it was okay. But to hear her call out that no matter what she says everyone will assume she wanted it all based on her looks and her confidence? Devastating.
I like how your knowledge as a therapist also informs your perspective in the meaning behind the poetry in the song! Killer insights
Thank you and thank you for watching!!
Thank you so much. As a survivor myself, the second half of the song is completely warped. Makes me feel how I felt when I was coping with my trauma with drugs and alcohol. Your reaction is spot on.
Thank you for sharing this and the second part really gives that chaotic with substance use vibe which can be the few things to drown out trauma. It isn’t the way to handle trauma but I don’t judge anyone that hasn’t been there. It’s so hard to cope for so many reasons. Sending you 🤍
Absolutely xx
Thank you for sharing ! Makes me understand the song more!! Lana makes such complex and hauntingly beautiful songs
More Lana, please.
Will do!!!
yes plsss
Not sure if it's good or bad I can relate to LanaDelRey so much but I love her no matter what. ❤Such an amazing song.
@@mendwithmere thanks for what you do! please consider lana del rey’s blue banisters & chemtrails albums 💚🌊
@@mendwithmere please do the grants
this was such an incredible and well-worded review of the song, i need every lana fan to watch. it’s so easy for me to listen to only the production of a song but this really spelled it out for me. especially the cartwheel line, i’d registered the loss of innocence before but had never thought about how it could be exposing to flip. the detail!! the song really is the depression of wanting out and then the mania of just saying “fuck it” and giving in. such an important song.
It is so important. Thank you for the kind words and I’ll be doing more Lana soon 🤍
Her songs are deep and meaningful and her voice is so unique!
Agreed!
As a fellow therapist and HUGE Lana fan, I loved hearing your take on this song. Lana’s music is super emotional, absolutely beautiful, but also haunting. This has quickly become one of my favorite Lana songs, and I’m so thankful for you sharing your insights!
i’ve never seen someone have such a clear understanding of song lyrics like even i can barely understand certain things lana sings about unless i rlly sit and listen to the lyrics themselves she’s just listening to the song and immediately understanding what’s going on..that’s a talent fr
Wow, thank you! I feel like I’ve found my calling :)
oh my god you hit it right home with the "looking like a sidepiece at 33" part. back in 2019 she was in a relationship with a guy who she believed she could finally settle down with and have a family, but she found out he was already engaged to someone else and had been hiding it from her the whole time. loved this video!
Thank you, I didn't know that and now see things way deeper, thank you!
thank you for the love and watching!
Omg who was the guy who was already engaged?
Imagine hiding Lana Del Rey. I mean, you shouldn’t hide anyone it’s a terrible thing to do, but what the absolute fuck
Was it the guy from live pd??
Lana references a film in the line “Watching Teenage Diary of a Girl wondering what went wrong”Teenage Diary of a Girl is a dark coming of age film where the 15 year old protagonist naively tries to seduce her mothers boyfriend and he takes advantage of her repeatedly. It’s well acted and well written but graphic and disturbing. It’s worth a watch if you can stomach those themes. The film by no means glorifies what happens to the girl but rather serves as a commentary on girlhood, the trials of growing up too fast, and loss of innocence
Also on the part where she says “I already fucked up my story” I think it speaks on the fact that she was sexually active so since that was known she felt that her validity on saying she was taken advantage of would be tossed because people would uphold and highlight her history. So there would always be a blurred line between her consensual relationships and crimes of her being taken advantage of/non consensual
It shouldn't matter though if someone has a history of being promiscuous they should still be taken seriously
It's so good to finally see a mental health professional analyse Lana's lyrics, and shed light on how she weaves in dark stories from her life. The public and music critics never acknowledge the sheer amount of trauma Lana has been through. Instead, they judge her on her public persona alone. People often forget that artists are only human, and being rich and famous does not mean they are immune to mistreatment and life's hardships. Writing music is their way of processing their feelings, and sharing that music is an act of incredible vulnerability.
I had a breast reduction at 18.. the way boys and men treated me frightened me. I was hyper sexualized since I was a child so I got the reduction and felt immensely comforted. Because men were constantly trying to kidnap me, chased me, raped at 14, etc. I find most mens thinking is repulsive and they are unable to look at women as autonomous human beings. They are so perverted in their thinking. The reduction allowed me to heal and to not be such a problem for men to leave me alone. I’m obsessed with Lana because her haunting lyrics are so honest and relatable.
I absolutely adore this woman for opening up and sharing he own personal story to help us understand.
this video kinda broke me. i had to pause several times to just think and cry. you phrased what she was singing about so beautifully and logically and that made me think about my own messed up experiences as a woman especially with older men and society. i've been a huge fan of lana's music since 2012 and i've heard this song so many times but didn't really open it up like you did, thank you. also, can you be my therapist? 🥺
That was an intense reaction. I'm a newbie to Lana's world, so still haven't listened to a lot of her music or know her story that well. She's deep. A true poet. The guy Lana is referring to is most likely a TV cop she was dating who, unbeknownst to her, was engaged at the time he and Lana were together. It sounds like Lana thought he was 'the one' and was understandably crushed to learn she was a "side piece". To promote DYKTTATUOB, Lana put up one and only billboard in, of all places, Tulsa, OK (the guy's hometown); she simply said, "It's personal"... I find it curious that you loved Born To Die but haven't listened to Lana since then. Anyway, I'm glad I stumbled upon your channel. Looking forward to more Lana reactions. Be well🥰
Thank you for sharing this and I’m glad she’s putting little Easter eggs out there. That’s horrible about learning he was engaged. What a POS. I haven’t listen to more Lana bc I’ve been going through stuff and I swear she makes me feel too much bc it hits so close to home. I’m gonna keep doing the reactions to her! 🤍
@@mendwithmere Hits too close to home. I hear you🥰. From what I can tell, Lana seems genuinely kind, gracious, and generous to almost everyone--especially to her fans. There's a great Tik Tok comparing and contrasting how Lana Interacts with her fans (hugs, kisses) vs. Adam Levine (another POS) et al. (pushes, punches). A fun thing she does is reference other songs in a lot of her own songs: In Part 2 of "A&W", she sings "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" (a 1959 song by Little Anthony and the Imperials) before it morphs into "Jimmy, Jimmy Coco Puff". She also has a LOT of unreleased material of studio quality (Some people speculate that Lana herself is the leaker..). I still haven't listened to Ultraviolence, but have two unreleased gems from that era ("Yes To Heaven" and "Dragonslayer") on my Spotify playlist. There's a lot for you to react to!😊 (I see you react to Taylor, as well.). I just subscribed. Looking forward to being on this Lana journey😊
I couldn't have said it better myself! Lana Del Rey's voice is truly angelic. She has this ethereal quality to her vocals that just transports you to another world. It's no wonder why her music resonates with so many people. Her voice is like a soothing melody that touches the soul. 🎶✨
Rolling Stone named A&W in top 500 songs recently which doesn't mean shit but at least it's getting the recognition it deserves and it was released just months ago.
I was raped at 17 and my boyfriend died (he comite sui-ide)5 months later, I had to learn to live with those two things, I didn't testify either because I'm a trans girl so it would be worse i think, because most of us work in prostitution so they would say: "you asked for it" "was it your client?" Or at least I thought so. Now i have 19 and i'm very, very happy, in this 2 years i learn a lot of things and yeah... Excellent video, I love you.
Yesss you analyzed this one pretty perfectly, even the second part which most people don’t point out that she’s playing into that role and unironically sounds a lot like her born to die album.
It totally gave me that vibe too. Thank you for the love
If you don't know anything about music, don't comment@@mendwithmere
Lana never knew the path she would have to walk when she first put out Born to Die / Paradise. she really did build up not just a person of a daddy lover but also a woman child that can be kept and owned. even tho she did become more empowered in the Lust for Life era, she was already well down the path in her personal life as well. Norman F Rockwell was catastrophic, because it captured the latest relationship with a somewhat involved man that eventually left her to marry someone else. she let herself be used as part of the persona, but it had real world consequences as we are now seeing in A&W. and for such a family oriented person, the breakdown of her relationship with her mother is a major call for help.
absolutely, thank you for sharing
This is so insightful. I love it. You’re a real one.
You couldn't be more wrong. But seems like you already set up a narrative about her.
Woooow
@@rumelakar624 ok, then what’s your take
Thank you for mentioning the goddess Fiona Apple. She definitely needs more credit.
I'm so excited you have started your Lana series. 🙌🏾
I LOVE Fiona. I’ve been a fan since the start when I was in middle school thinking I related to “sleep to dream”
Her writing is incredible - and she was so young when Tidal was written.
Now that’s good content- reaction videos with in depth psychological analysis of music. I feel that there’s a lot to this subject that most people seem to overlook- lots of things being sung in a more abstract, unconscious aspect that’s fascinating and devastating. specially in what Lana does. That’s how you know she’s a real artist
Also a fun fact - a lot of this album was written based on Jung’s active imagination, also through automatic singing, so yeah she’s definitely saying a lot.
@@davilynch8611 ooooo loving this
she's a genius
I'm really glad you didn't skip over the part about rape - a lot of reviews of this album have used euphemisms etc and kinda been too scared to address it I guess? I'm a guy so I don't know what it's like to be objectified in the same way as women are. But I love Lana and these lyrics are so frank they feel like a punch in the face. I think it's her best record yet (and I really didn't think it was humanly possible to top NFR! tbh) - thank you for this x
Tell me why i've listened to this song A LOT, knowing the meaning. BUT watching your reactions and references to it just made me cry and truly get into the mentality of this song and the art that Lana made here.
Jack Antonoff, the producer of this song, calls Lana “Jimmy” as a nickname, so part of me feels like the second part of the song is her falling into the narrative people created for her and her spiraling. Jack’s great at producing instrumentals that reflect their lyrics (Hard Feelings by Lorde is a great example) so I feel that’s the narrative the second half of the song was trying to shape
She really understands the message lana was trying to send and depicted the lyrics so well
Every Lana album tells a story. You need to listen to all of her discography.
I def will!
This is a great and fitting analysis. This song also hit me quite hard, it's the way she casually describes everything which accurately mirrors such an experience within a societal context. No one cares what you went through, just move on. Not everyone's like that but many people don't even want to deal with the shadow side of life at all. And they look at you weird when you do.
Exactly!
Perfekt beschrieben 👍🏼
Daniela Mondstein,
I so deeply relate to, specifically, that last sentiment.
That others are quite capable of feeling disturbed by, even offended by, •your• traumatic experience, often, •in spite of• the fact that you didn't even force them to know about it.
Frequently, it is their own idle search for something novel and potentially titillating and/or morbid that brought them into contact with your story in the first place. Then, regardless of whether you freely or reluctantly shared it, •you• are held to account for 'forcing' them to think or feel more deeply than they would have liked, about subjects •they• judge to be too 'intense', too heavy, or too dark.
I have lost count of the number of times (especially when I was much younger), where I was literally 'accused' of subjecting people to the horrors of my answers to their incessant and seemingly inescapable questions.
I was frequently told that I had become the cause of nightmares in whole households of mainly women and girls, who just couldn't seem to shut up about me.
Like I was the original campfire story or urban legend or the consequence of a frightening cautionary tale, instead of being my own mystified self, instead of just being another parents' child.
I think sometimes people forget you are a person who is in the middle of living a life, not an anecdote or a joke or a juicy piece of gossip.
And if you have enough experiences like that, it can make you very much more aware of your shadow self.
And if you are in touch with your own darkness, sometimes you will be treated like you're virulent, a contagion, a vector, or a seed-cell of harmful elements that contaminate innocence, when more often than not, it was •your innocence• that was corrupted and it was done so against your will.
Exactly!!!
Lana del rey writes her life story in many of her songs and it cuts deeper and harder because it did that to her. Don't forget for a bunch of years all Media and the music industry brutally criticized her in every single possible way. She just now is coming into being in a happier place.
Truly one of her best songs of all time. Somehow this song feels like it IS Lana. It is probably my favorite song right now, so hauntingly beautiful.
Also, you are the first therapist I have come across that seems to genuinely care about people, that’s my intuition anyway. I gave up on therapy a long time ago because I was so alienated by the process and the people that I knew didn’t really care. I partially understand why professional boundaries are a thing but at the core of most issues it’s the lack of anyone who genuinely cares or empathises with you that sets you on the wrong path in life. Much like this song so beautifully illustrates.
I’m so glad you could feel that. I do genuinely care and I’ve also given up on therapy a time or two 😂 bc of similar feelings
I agree with you, she seems to be someone who cares
I have been numb, can’t be happy or care enough to be sad Im not able to cry. this video gave me an opportunity to feel. It’s been 5 months and I finally remember what it is to grieve. I didn’t know I needed this. thank you so much.
Love your videos Mere!! I also think Lana is referencing her recent weight gain when she says “the shape of my body” (I mean, she looks perfect and amazing but is no longer Hollywoods standard of “thin”), and feeling that she wouldn’t be believed about sexual assault is due to the unbelievable amount of criticism she’s gotten over the years. She has been labeled as “anti-feminist”, which is insane to me!
Whaaaaat? I swear people talk shit just to be talking shit. I didn’t know about this but going to look more into it. Thank you for watching the videos! Means so much
okay but if she is referring to this song about her weight and referring to being 33 this can only mean 2 things bc she is about to be 38 in June. She has either written this song now referring to being 33 or she wrote it and is just now publishing it and either way she wasn't overweight at 33
I definitely get the feel that her comment about being a sidepiece at 33 is only referencingher age. It often seems that when men cheat on their significant other, that they do it with younger women. And by society's standards age 33 isn't "young" enough.
well, she herself said "Feminism is just not an interesting concept." Granted that quote is from 2014, but LDR herself rolled her eyes and scoffed at the notion of feminism.... I'm the hugest LDR fan, but it's disappointing to hear her express such anti-woman sentiments to say the least.
As a guy who experienced SA this song hits hard cause I was also affected by my puberty when men saw me differently, I was a bit curvy… I never expected that something like that would happen to a guy, but it does. People are disgusting.
💔
i’ve never been more intrigued with a commentary video before, actually my first time hearing this song in full.. and i’m crying. thank you for interpreting this song the way you did, i would have not known the full meaning
this was a really great insight into the song and the meanings. I'm forwarding to my 12 year old daughter, she is going thru the utterly disgusting experience of dealing with middle school boys saying horrifying things and making incredibly inappropriate comments at school. it totally changed the way she dresses and how she expresses herself. it is heartbreaking to see.
I just watched this video and your video on Did You Know... and I'm so floored at how you actually hear the emotion behind the words and composition of her songs upon first listen, it really shows how both empathetic and knowledgable you must be as a therapist! I think everything you said about this song is so spot on and important for people to consider. Best regards from a new subscriber.
thank you for subscribing and these kind words!
When I first listened to a&w I cried I don’t know as a single woman in her 20’s who’s dealt with being SA’d, undervalued by men, and being someone with boobs just existing in the world being sexualized for existing, the lyrics spoke to me. It’s one of my most played songs of 2023, I can listen to it without crying now but wow lana truly blew my mind. I love her so much!
The way she barely enunciates the word rape too, she doesn’t feel like she’s allowed to say the word or call it assault because she’s been promiscuous. I didn’t even hear it the first time I listened to it
I love what she represents,boldness and freedom in being a woman and to hear a song like this from her...:(
it's so sad
This song is an absolute masterpiece. The correlation between the title A&W being an old Americana brand (which Lana is image as an artist is heavily influenced by) and the rebranding of the acronym in this song to American Whore and how A&W is also a drive through restaurant and Lana using that as a way to describe men walking all over her sexually. Not only this but the first half of the song is very sad and traumatized and then if almost as if during the instrumental the song starts to change as a reference to Lana’s behavior changing from sad to rebellious and then it goes onto again another famous old Americana song that is rebranded to tell a darker deeper meaning while keeping the rebellious attitude. Lana is such a genius song writer
Absolute masterpiece. Even the change in the middle is exactly like spiralling down, chaotic, messy, and looking to fix it in all the wrong places. But to someone who doesn't know - sounding like a "banger." It's brilliant and immensely sad.
Thank you so much for the analysis. This song explores some really triggering and uncomfortable topics so I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Lana’s music always has a way of making you get in your feelings which is amazing but can be really heavy at times. New sub 💖
Thank you so much for subscribing!! More Lana to come. I’ve been hesitant bc image does evoke so much!
That’s an excellent interpretation of “I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine”. Though I will say I think it’s present day Lana watching “Diary of a Teenage Girl” since that film came out in 2015 so she’s likely reflecting on her past through the film. She also talks about being 33 which leads me to believe the events of this song are happening in 2018.
Ever since I fist heard this song I felt like I could relate to it, but I had no idea why. Listing to you explain your thoughts about the song makes me realize it's because this is how I think about myself and my life, and I know others probably feel the same way.
I first heard Lana when she performed as Lizzy and I’ve never stopped listening to her, she just write down and sung everything I’ve gone through. I think that’s what makes her so captivating, the way she can accurately depict these things where if you’ve gone through them you feel understood
can we talk about how the playful youth plays a big part of the narrative and then just the “your mom called” part pops up and makes me thinks about how we were all scared as a kid like if we did something bad what our mom would do or say like… she say’s she doesn’t care and it doesn’t really matter anymore more but “your mom called” and in the beginning she said “haven’t seen my mother in a long time” maybe to avoid shame or guilt!!!??!????!? GOD I LOVE LANA SO MUCH
yesssssssss
As soon as I heard this song, I was hooked (it seems to be about me)
The second part is just a consequence of that experience of sexualized abuse at an early age that is mentioned in the first, you use sex as a cure for everything, but only hurt yourself more and more with it
“Your mom called, I told her youre f’ing up big time” I think this song is about many instances that she was taken advantage of. Like a “life flashed before my eyes” type of moment because the “American Whore” character she created as a cope mechanism… she’s killing it and confronting the reality of it all. So with that lyric, this person who was taking advantage of her was turning everyone she loved and who loved her (family) against her by telling them all the negative things she was doing during the spiral of her coming to this current point of ending the American whore persona. They wanted to make her dependent on them for love although they made her feel like a side piece until they wanted s*x
that's EXACTLY what i thought when i heard the song for the first time. the way she talks about the loss of her innocence and not feeling valued or respected because of her appearance is something that i related to for a long time in my life when i was younger, and i could feel what she was trying to transmit during every second of the song... this has to be one of my favorite lana's songs because i have the feeling that it's telling everything i couldn't tell when i had the chance.
WOW, I have listened to this song a bunch of times but you make these songs so much sadder than they already are by breaking them down like this. devastating! but she is an amazing lyricist and so relatable to Women everywhere.
I am a huge lana fan and love her so much.
This song made so much more sense and is more important for me because i have a one year old daughter.
She is an infant and people have already been telling me to cover her up, not to have her diaper free ever, trying to make her nose thinner and eyebrows better.
I got so triggered that i fought to hell with all of them and cut ties.
I am trying really hard to raise my daughter so she doesn't go through what i and my mom went through. I hope i succeed.
Thank you so much for this video. Your words mean a lot to me ❤
Holy crap this was dark , but your breakdown was amazing and Lana has always affected me the same way. As much as I love her music I have to pick when I can mentally handle it. Thanks for being soo vulnerable it will help soo many people ❤️
Yes, Fiona Apple! She writes from the crushed up bits of the soul, the temper, and the heart. She does it so, eloquently- in lyrics and delivery. Please cover Fiona Apple. I agree that this song is in the same ‘category’ (for lack of a better word 😕)
it's coming :)
Yes, you can continue pausing. Your reactions and opinions are very valid and are crucial to understanding the psychology of music. Thank you for that!
I had a therapist who, when I opened up about being assaulted in college, 1) told me it didnt count as SA because it wasnt r*pe. 2) said i shouldve expected a college boy to do that and i was being naive, and 3) told me it was too late to press charges and it would never hold up in court (i never said i wanted to press charges. Never even implied it. I literally had just told her what happened.)
I sat there sobbing, being retraumatized, as she said all these things to me. At the end of the session she said, "do you want to make another appointment or are you done?" I made the appointment because i always resort to a fawning trauma repsonse. Then i called the office later to cancel and never went back. It took me like 3 years after that to finally have the courage to see any therapist again.
My brother (who's an addiction counselor) wanted me to report her. But it was the same thing for me as reporting an SA. It would've just put me through hell and would most likely amount to nothing. I dont even remember her name now.
(In that same session i was telling her i just found out i was pregnant and was terrified because i almost died having my first. She told me i shouldve closed my legs).
This is the reality women live in the US. Mine is not an isolated incident. Literally trained therapists arent even guarenteed safe people.
Thank you Mere for the emotional labor you give to us, who arent even your patients.
This hit me hard.
I testified at 21 for what happened to me when I was 20. I wasn’t the “perfect victim” and he was found not guilty. My world shattered more than it already had by then. I didn’t sound like the innocent, childlike, sweet, young woman that people expect to see after being assaulted. I was angry, I was bitter, I was a hurricane. And it wasn’t the “right” way to testify in front of a jury.
Wow I am so sorry that happened to you
As a Lana fan and a first time watcher of your video, it was magical how you got what she wanted to say in the first line. You're a fan, I can tell. Thank you so much for this insightful video. I hope those who are doubters of Lana - or at the very least, those who don't get her - get to see your videos. Thank you!
4:44 so true. Nobody loses their innocence. It’s always taken away in one form or another. For the lucky folks time, but really rules tradition organized religion based on dark ages. It scares of indentured, servants and slavery. We are also hell told to eventually be ashamed whether we made anything by it or not. at least people into a very awkward position sometimes… How can I not smile if I did see any child doing a cart wheel successfully but if I was seen looking that way, what do you think any other onlooker would think of me? That’s a loss of innocence is it just from one perspective? It is viral in a sense innocence can’t be a state of mind that the most prude folks sexualize the silliest things. It is extremely confusing as a child to grow up around those double triple quadruple standards never being told why sometimes being told BS but never really understanding why there Hass to be a better way, but it leaves very deep scars, regardless of trauma it affects everyone’s behavior negatively I think that’s probably why white people can’t dance for us a damn, lol we have so much trouble letting go scolded from an early age movie our bodies. Even the word is always bastardized, and it is not inherently sexual, but Karens made it that way and now that’s just how it is. Which sucks. Everybody Hass to worry about hurting someone else’s feelings or looking like something is not nefarious when it truly is it is it and I think this leads to folks being so self-conscious, they are ignorant of real problems, including actual predators
This song broke me. I relate so much
i think the zipper sound in the second half of the song is very interesting, especially considering the whole theme of the song and how the zipper can be associated with that whole theme
The zipper sound? I didn't pick up on that, intersting.
This song legit had me sobbing when I was reading the lyrics while listening to it
I've been binge watching your videos and I got to say I love your commentary so much. Also I hope you know that are absolutely gorgeous and intelligent.
Love the reaction! Hope to see more Lana soon. FYI, cocoa puff is a slang term for a cocaine laced cigarette.
Oh really? Thanks for letting me know and watching!
I used to love those coco puffs
you're really on point interpreting this song
So relieved that I am
Isn't this all of us?? I made my husband listen to this song as a way to describe the experience of growing up as a girl.
Hey! Didn't expect to see your comment here too, fellow INFJ ^_^ I was thinking the same thing, I wanted to send this video to my ISTP boyfriend because this song can also describe the experiences of most teenage girls growing up. Sigh. I feel bad for Lana and hope she gets the help and healing she deserves.
@@blancheb3533 Oh my gosh!! I've been thinking about you! Haha! We hang around the same parts of the internet, I bet! If you do send it to him, let me know what he thinks (if that's not too invasive). I'm so glad to "see" you again!
I think it is all of us. Lana is telling our story, the young girls we were, how these things shaped us growing up. I love her for ir❤
This is why I love Lana, like Tori she writes and cuts so deep that her fans can relate ❤
I am watching Daisy Jones, and the six, and one of the bandmembers is complaining about Daisy’s legs and how they’re distracting and daisy looks at him and says” you know it’s not my job not turn you on right” and I’ve never felt a line more!
Hell yes!!!
hello i just discovered your channel and i am blown away!! the amount of meaning you could gleam from the first line alone that i could never is astounding; you are so incredibly astute! im only 5 minutes in but im super excited to see the full extent of this video, your other lana videos, and perhaps even more of your other videos!
after i finally finished this video there are some points of analysis i think that paint a bigger picture
- "gods a charlatan" could be alluding to the idea that she feels she has been betrayed by god or that god is not looking kindly on her. this could be highlighting the idea that people who get raped often feel dirty, sinful, and as if they were at fault. this could be another line showing how disgusted she feels at her perceived "sinful" body as god no longer loves her. this concept is super big in religious communities (something lana often rights about) as they are very particular about the concept of female virginity.
- in "jimmy jimmy cocoa puff", the name "jim" or "jimmy" also frequently appears in lana songs. jim was the name of the character of the cult leader who courses lana in the ultraviolence album and title track. jim is a recurring character in her songs that represents control, power imbalance, drug abuse, and religious authority. This is just an extra layer over jimmy jimmy cocoa puff.
- finally, the upbeat track at the end could be a representation of lana becoming the "american whore." she is falling into this character she is cast as because she has no other choices to cope or regain control. It could also suggest a cycle of madness. perhaps her mind has been broken by the trauma to the point where it has consumed her whole life. this is the point you were articulating i believe but this is just how i would have phrased it.
thank you for this insightful video.
Thank you for talking about important things like these
You are welcome. I could have gone deeper in how much I relate to the song but I’m easing into sharing. Thank you for the love 🤍
My cousins as young kids had to testify in court against their father over things that were done to them and I feel terrible every time I think about it. It was put with names in their city newspaper and they had to move because of everyone knowing what happened and talking about it and making fun of it. People are so mean and they don't understand how bad words hurt other people.
that is absolutely awful. I hope they have gotten some healing.
My god, I hope they have all the support they need and that whoever did that get their asses sued.
She has this haunting mysteriousness that lingers around her.. don’t want to say darkness but we all have a shadow within us..
she seems to be able to drawn IN those of us w/ a deep empathy
Its so interesting that so many people can relate a song to their experience even having such different experiences. For me, I've always been overweight and have never had a desirable body shape, my interpretation is growing up and thinking your going to fall in love and settle down and that not happening so you seek out affection from men anyway you can get it. For a minute you feel loved.
this is the first video of yours i found and i’m sold, please PLEASE do more lana reactions, especially from the new album 😭🖤 this is such a beautiful album and quite possibly her most personal to date so i’d love to hear more insight from you.
thank you so much and yes, i'lll be doing more :)
I have goosebumps!!! Because of the song and because of your unraveling of the lyrics.
I love your reactions! You give such amazing perspectives❤
Wow, I actually wanted you to analyze this song because it is so dark lyrically! thanks!!
Welcome !! 🤍
It is not the case, but Lana has lines that hit me like a train: "If he's as bad as they then I'm cursed, looking into his eyes I think he's already hurt. He's already hurt". I am a man and theses lines make me cry a river. I understand the deepths of Lana Del Rey's lyrics and it seems she is talking about me in "Happiness is a butterfly", "Blackest Day", "Norman F****** Rockwell", "Ultraviolence".
I found your video because I was looking up an A&W mukbang😅. A&W’s is pretty popular in Canada. The burgers are delicious and I think its way better than a lot of other fast food chains. Anyways, I had no idea Lana Del Rey had a song called A&W’s, and was not expecting to watch the entirety of this video, but I was really impressed by your analysis of the lyrics and I enjoyed Lana’s song.
For me, the second half of the song where it’s sped up is kind of Lana’s way of taking back the way she’s been treated and using it to empower herself. I think it’s her way of trying to take back that power of guys who are treating her like an object. Idk could be wrong
I love Lana.. her songs are so poetic and beautiful. I relate to them on a level that not many people understand.
I’ve had people tell me this for years, when I was assaulted I was told by my loved ones that it was my fault and my ex told me I was asking for it because of how I looked. I thought that was normal until I heard about victim shaming. My therapist was shocked when I said “I know it was my fault if I hadn’t had been there” she said NO nothing that happened to you was your fault.
I had a boyfriend say similar to me. He's now my Ex for obvious reasons.
I am so glad I came across this… the first time I listened to the song it actually triggered me a little I cried (I’m a csa warrior) and immediately related to the first couple lines. I also feel like jimmy maybe uses lana to get high (using her physically and emotionally it seems) but I also feel like she encapsulated the entire culture of girlhood and womanhood in the American culture and society. To me the end of the song sounds like she realized what he was doing, hence she told his mom he’s fucking up big time 😂 love that lyric lolll It’s like a giant cultural critique on rape culture while also being such a personal story. I think there’s so much to relate to and I’m so glad to see someone talking about the deeper meanings behind her poetry like this 🤌✨ she will forever make art of her life
she's amazing. thank you so much for sharing and I'm sending you love
i think seeing this reaction affects me more than the the frankness of the lyrics.
Lana sings it as someone whos done a lot of c'est la vie-ing. This is the sad, sad story but it happens. Its so interesting how a light can do SO much before it goes out. The light is still flickering in this song but its a STRONG light that's gone through a lot.
But yeah, the therapist's reaction is like a reality check.
The 2nd part of the song to me feels like a representation of mania and love addiction. I don’t think she’s just talking about him using her. Love me if you love or not, you can be my light is a metaphor for him being a drug to her.