Off to the Races

Annotaties

He doesn't mind I have a L.A. crass way about...: In Gods & Monsters, Lana discusses how being in L.A. changed her from being an innocent young girl into being just as corrupt as Hollywood is. Her loss of innocence ties into the Lolita allusions.

Her lover doesn’t really care that she’s become like the other girls in L.A., who have a reputation of being spoiled and materialistic.

Cristal: Cristal is an expensive vintage champagne produced by Louis Roederer.

Light of my life, fire of my loins: “Light of my life, fire of my loins”, is a reference to the first line of “Lolita”. Ironically, it was Humbert, the old man, who said this line, not Lolita. It’s an interesting reversal.

off to the races: “Off to the races” means going to watch the racehorses, where people usually dress up and bet. It’s classically seen as a high upper-class event, but with gambling, alcohol and even drugs involved. This supports the extended Lolita metaphor with a lyrical drive.

For something to be “off to the races” it’s just beginning or starting. Lana and her man may be in the early stages of their relationship, before any heartache has set in.

Bacardi: Bacardi is a popular brand of rum, tying into the previous references to Black Cristal), another type of alcohol.

Cause he knows I'm wasted: Being wasted is another way of saying being drunk, which is interesting because Lana had an alcohol problem and was sent to boarding school in her younger years. However, she also stated in 2012 that she had been sober for seven years at the time.

Facing time again at Rikers Island: Rikers Island is a well-known American prison. She’s saying that because of whatever she’s done she has to stay there for life. It might also be a metaphor for her relationship with her man. She feels imprisoned and that she can never escape.

Cipriani's basement: Cipriani’s Basement refers to the Rainbow Room in New York which is an extremely expensive restaurant.

but I'm going down: “Going down” may refer to the self-destructive lifestyle and relationship finally catching up with her. She’s making a complete mess of herself, and getting into all sorts of trouble; her extravagant lifestyle is crashing down and she can’t do anything about it.

Queen of Coney Island: Coney Island is a peninsula off Southern Brooklyn, known for its amusement parks. Like before, it’s in Lana Del Rey’s home city. She also mentions Coney Island in “Carmen” a few tracks later.

Also, Coney Island is known to have some Sin City tendencies, so she is the queen of sin, the queen of prostitution and doing it right.