The HBO series Euphoria is all about young people doing drugs, having sex, falling in love, and figuring themselves out. These very themes surface again and again in the music of Lana Del Rey, so it’s only natural that the singer has finally recorded a song for the show’s soundtrack. “Watercolor Eyes” dropped earlier today and floated straight to the top of the Genius Top Songs chart.
Del Rey wrote “Watercolor Eyes“ with Canadian musician Nasri Atweh, who produced the track with Drew Erickson. Atweh is one half of the songwriting and production duo The Messengers, and he’s the frontman for Magic!, who topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014 with the reggae-pop confection “Rude.” Together, Lana and Nasri have cooked up a song about an on-again, off-again romance that’s destined to fail. Lana sums up the couple’s dynamic in the opening lines.
Why’re you always doing that?
Breaking up with me, then making up
Just to make me mad
In the refrain, Del Rey employs some of her beloved summertime imagery to describe the good and bad sides of this relationship. Perhaps unintentionally, she also calls to mind Rock Candy Sweet, once the presumed title for her eighth studio album. Instead, the LP arrived with the title Blue Banisters in 2021.
I think that you taste like rock candy
Sweet like beaches, leave me all sandy
She then twists a familiar idiom The Rolling Stones utilized in 1971.
Young love don’t always lasts forever
Wild horses can’t keep us together
Just before the chorus, Del Rey uses two types of fruit—one of which you don’t want anywhere near an open cut—to better describe this situation.
Hot summer and cold watermelon
Your love stings like blood and a lemon
In the second verse, we finally get a sense of why Lana’s lover is such a drag. Can’t this person wait until morning to practice their lame strumming?
Why’re you always doing that?
Playing guitar while I’m sleeping
Acting like a brat
But for whatever reason, Lana loves this brat. Until that ceases to be true, she’ll continue ruining her mascara, as described in the chorus.
Watercolor eyes
Watercolor eyes
Watercolor eyes
That don’t make it right
The Euphoria Season 2 soundtrack arrives February 25 on Interscope. You can check out all the lyrics to “Watercolor Eyes” on Genius now.
