This one is pretty self-explanatory as Del Rey croons about getting “high by the beach” on repeat. So relatable, yet she makes it sound revolutionary. All you want to do is light one up with Del Rey near the shore.
“Brooklyn Baby”
Perhaps the hipster anthem to end all anthems, “Brooklyn Baby” covers stereotypes like having a boyfriend in a band, putting feathers in your hair and ownng a rare jazz collection. But perhaps the most curious lyric is Del Rey singing “I'm churning out novels like beat poetry on amphetamines.” Artists used to do speed to create their work -- something that seems to resonate with Del Rey herself.
“Carmen”
The haunting “Carmen” is a meditation on addiction -- something that parallels Del Rey’s own struggle with alcohol as a teen. On the track she shows the darker side of the protagonist’s partying lifestyle, singing “you don’t want to be like me, looking for fun, getting high for free.”
"Off to the Races"
On “Off to the Races,” Del Rey sings about her rich beau who loves her with “every beat of his cocaine heart.” Basically it’s her version of a “daddy.”
“Yayo”
There’s a high probability that Del Rey is singing about the same lover in “Yayo” as in “Off to the Races.” The title is pretty self-explanatory. “Yayo” is a song about coke. More specifically, a lullaby about her bad-boy ex who’s a coke dealer; they essentially become synonymous.
“Gods & Monsters”
“Gods & Monsters” chronicles Del Ray’s rise to fame in L.A., which at first is euphoric, but later just results in her losing her innocence. Yet she’ll do anything to get it, singing, “You got that medicine I need / Dope, shoot it up, straight to the heart, please.”
“Shades of Cool”
On Honeymoon, Del Rey sings about competing for the attention of her lover who has many side pieces. On “Shades Of Cool,” love and drugs are interchangeable, and her lover has his vices: “He lives for love, he loves his drugs, he loves his baby too.”
“Florida Kilos”
If the song title alone doesn’t tip you off, “Florida Kilos” is about coke once again. She sings about yayo, and making crack cocaine (“White palms, baking powder on the stove / Cooking up a dream, turning diamonds into snow.”) Del Rey uses the breezy song to show what she has to offer: the kilos (coke) or the Keys (the scenery).
“Sad Girl”
Like many of her songs, her man is getting high, but she emphasizes it with an incredibly high note when she recites the lyric to reinforce his drug habit.
“Pretty When You Cry”
On “Pretty When You Cry,” Del Rey longs for the man who she was likely singing about in “Shades Of Cool,” but he is too preoccupied with doing drugs and other women. She longs for him as she nostalgically lilts, “All those special times I spent with you, my love / They don't mean shit compared to all your drugs.”
“Cruel World”
“Cruel World” is a liberating song for Del Rey who sarcastically talks about her ex’s love for “candy” and heroin. The end result: she’s better off without him.
“Money Power Glory”
“Dope and diamonds” is probably one of the most iconic lines Del Rey has ever uttered. “Money Power Glory” is another allusion to her affinity for affluent men who do a lot of drugs.
“Religion”
“It was never about the money or the drugs,” Del Rey sings on “Religion.” It’s one of the rare occasions where we see Del Rey unveiled, where love is at the heart of the song.
“Is This Happiness”
On “Is This Happiness,” Del Rey croons about taking “violet pills” in the Hollywood Hills. It seems to be her coping mechanism for dealing with a frustrating relationship. They could be anti-depressants, but the “crushing” descriptor seems to imply it’s more hallucinogens that are her thing.
“National Anthem”
“National Anthem” reveals the dark side of having a rich lifestyle. While Del Rey may be caught up in love, she cautions herself of getting caught up in an overdose of drugs (among other things) while living with expensive taste.
“Heavy Hitter”
Del Rey crowns herself the “Queen of Alchemy” in “Heavy Hitter,” implying she’s great at mixing medications (“I know a way to make gold”).