Lana Del Rey: Dark Romanticism and Witchy Vibes in Her Music
May 25, 2024 |
Lana Del Rey, born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, is a pivotal figure in contemporary music. She is known for her smooth voice. Plus, her captivating melodies transport the listener to a world imbued with dark romanticism and mysticism. Over the years, Lana Del Rey has woven a complex web. Indeed, she shows themes from tragic love to melancholy. She also includes subtle references to witchcraft and esotericism.
Thus, my article will show how these elements manifest, creating a magical atmosphere that defines her unique style.
Lana Del Rey and Dark Romanticism
Lana Del Rey is often described as an artist of dark romanticism (oh!). To explain, this term evokes desire, loss, and fatalism. Her lyrics delve into the complexity of human emotions. They often depict stories of lost love, despair, and the search for beauty in pain. It is through this dark lens that Lana addresses her subjects. She uses imagery reminiscent of the works of romantic poets. Among them, Lord Byron and Edgar Allan Poe. No worries, I will explain.
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The Influence of Lord Byron
On the first hand, Lord Byron, with his flamboyant style and tumultuous personal life, embodies the ideal of the romantic poet. His works express a deep disillusionment and a rebellion against social norms. Similarly, Lana Del Rey shows in her lyrics a passionate and often unconventional love, tinged with despair and resignation. Her song “Summertime Sadness” evokes a Byronic fatalism. Indeed, in this song, love and death are intimately linked, suggesting that decadence can be both seductive and destructive. I do not know what you think, but for me, it is so true! Listen to this beautiful music!
Kiss me hard before you go
Summertime sadness
I just wanted you to know
That baby, you’re the best.
Echoes of Edgar Allan Poe
On the other hand, Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his gothic tales and poems, which delve into the abysses of psychological terror and the supernatural. Similarly, Lana Del Rey creates in her songs an atmosphere shrouded in mystery and melancholy. In “Blue Jeans,” (I love this song!) she expresses a sense of nostalgia and loss, reminiscent of Poe’s works. The lyrics, “I will love you till the end of time / I would wait a million years,” highlight a hyperbole that underscores a commitment defying mortality, a theme dear to Poe who explores the boundaries between life and death.
Plus, Lana Del Rey uses gothic imagery, as in “Dark Paradise,” where she evokes visions and dreams of her deceased lover, a theme inspired by Poe. The lyrics “Your face is like a melody / It won’t leave my head / Your soul is haunting me / And telling me that everything is fine / But I wish I was dead (Dead like you)” reflect this connection.
Her music, often accompanied by heavy and melancholic orchestrations, reinforces these lyrics. It creates a dense and enveloping atmosphere that transports the listener to a world both beautiful and tragic. The instrumentals are so powerful that you feel directly transported into her universe.
Lana Del Rey: Dark Romanticism and Witchcraft in Her Music
Lana Del Rey frequently incorporates esoteric and magical symbols that enhance the themes of her songs.
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Natural Elements
In “Ride,” Lana Del Rey extensively uses the symbolism of natural elements to evoke freedom, travel, and personal transformation. (I also LOVE this song!) Here are some lines from the song referencing natural elements:
I’ve been out on that open road
You can be my full time, daddy
White and gold.
The opening of the song immediately evokes the idea of travel with “that open road,” symbolizing uninterrupted journey and exploration. The road is often seen as an element of passage and transformation in literature and esoteric symbolism, representing the path of life and spiritual journeys.
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone in the night
In these lines, she specifically mentions birds and the summer breeze. Birds symbolize freedom and spiritual aspiration, while the breeze can evoke lightness and change, recurring themes in esotericism that associate air with communication and intellect.
Been trying hard not to get into trouble, but I
I’ve got a war in my mind
So, I just ride
The “war in my mind” and the choice to “just ride” can be understood through the prism of inner alchemy, where the car ride becomes a metaphor for the quest for inner peace and psychological balance.
To sum up, in “Ride,” Lana Del Rey enriches the theme of personal quest. She uses the road and nature as metaphors for discovery and inner exploration. These images add a poetic and symbolic dimension to the song. They highlight the connection between the external environment and inner states. No choice, you have to discover this song!
Deities
In “Gods and Monsters,” Lana poetically as well as darkly explores Los Angeles. She sees the city as a modern Garden of Eden, where vice and virtue coexist. The title evokes a world of deities and creatures, reflecting the duality of life under the spotlight. Lana describes herself as an angel in a garden of evil. This image underscores her lost purity amidst the temptations of fame. This perverted paradise becomes a place of struggle between celestial aspirations and personal demons. Lana fights to preserve her soul against the destructive allure of celebrity. Finally, the song meditates on the loss of innocence and the quest for redemption in a world where life imitates art.
Symbolic Rebirth
Lana Del Rey also uses the symbol of inner rebirth through numerous metaphors. Firstly, in “13 Beaches,” Lana Del Rey talks about her quest for solitude with the lyrics. These lines show her journey across thirteen beaches to finally find one that is empty. This symbolizes her search for a space away from public attention and distractions. What a journey to find the perfect place!
It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally, it’s mine.
Also, in “Born to Die,” Lana uses imagery that evokes alchemy. She sings, “Come and take a walk on the wild side / Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain.” This story can be seen as emotional alchemy. Indeed, it transforms trials (symbol of the rain) into moments of passion and intense connection, a process of transmuting negative emotions into something powerful and invigorating.
Lana Del Rey has confirmed using a spell targeting Donald Trump. Thus this illustrates her interest in witchcraft. She invited her fans to join in rituals aligned with the moon phases. These actions aimed to prevent Trump from causing harm. This gesture shows how she integrates her esoteric beliefs into public actions. It showed various reactions among her admirers and critics.
The ‘Lana Prophecy’
Lana Del Rey also tweeted jokingly about a prediction concerning other artists like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Kehlani. She named them in a sort of prophecy. If you want to know more about this prophecy, check this Buzz Feed article! Some saw this as another manifestation of her mystical interests. Although presented playfully, it reinforced her public image as a mysterious character, perhaps linked to supernatural elements.
Conclusion
Lana Del Rey fascinates and captivates her audience (me!!), not only through her music but also through her deep and often dark themes. In short, her interest in dark romanticism, witchcraft, and esotericism creates a rich tapestry that defines her work. She stands out as a truly unique artist. In an increasingly rationalist world, she reminds us of the power of mystery and beauty in darkness.
By integrating these influences into her music, Lana Del Rey does not merely reproduce the themes and styles of Byron and Poe. Nor does she only reuse elements of magic and esotericism. She reinvents them, giving them new life and a modern resonance that touches a 21st-century audience. Through this dark lens, Lana explores universal themes—love, death, solitude—while remaining rooted in a personal aesthetic that honors her influences while forging her own artistic path.
To conclude: I hope you liked reading this article as much as I liked working on it!
