Lana Del Rey’s Long Path to Independence

Lana Del Rey became famous—or perhaps infamous—early in her career for her recurring references to relationships where she relies on men for money, power, and glory. As her new album Norman Fucking Rockwell! nears its release, however, her journey reflects an evolving narrative. From her debut as Lizzy Grant nearly a decade ago, Del Rey has created a character arc that reflects her inner growth.

To understand the significance of her evolution, one must first understand her past. Her first album, 2010’s Lana Del Ray, introduced several of her thematic hallmarks: driving, Americana, and a dependence on older men. “Put Me in a Movie” talks about the difficulty of breaking into the entertainment industry, and how she uses a relationship with an industry exec to help her achieve success:

Lights, camera, acción
You know I can’t make it on my own
Put me in a movie

2012’s Born to Die continued to highlight Lana’s reliance on her partners, focusing more on materialistic success than the blue-collar fare of Lana Del Ray.

Consider “Off to the Races,” an extended reference to Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. The book is about a young girl trapped in a relationship with her stepfather, but Del Rey alters the characterisation by painting Lolita as a young seductress. As always, it maintains the power imbalance between Lana and her lover and therefore strengthens her dependence on him:

Keep me forever, tell me you own me
Light of your life, fire of your loins
Tell me you own me
Gimme them coins

Later in the song she admits that she is so reliant on her lover, she would likely “die without him”—not out of heartbreak, but because she has no other means to find money or success.

She continues to reference literary ingénues by paraphrasing Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire. In the play, young Blanche DuBois believes she can rely on others to help and provide for her by saying, “Whoever you are […] I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” In reality, men have only been kind to her in exchange for sex—or at least, the promise of it. On “Carmen,” Del Rey explains a similar transaction:

That’s the little story of the girl you know
Relying on the kindness of strangers

Del Rey followed up with the Paradise EP and “Cola.” In the song’s most contentious lyric, she sings:

Ah, he’s in the sky with diamonds and he’s making me crazy
(I come alive, alive)
All he wants to do is party with his pretty baby

The “ah, he’s in the sky” was rumored to originally be “Harvey’s in the sky,” a reference to disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Shortly after Weinstein was accused by multiple women of sexual abuse (often in exchange for a leg up in Hollywood) in 2017, Del Rey addressed the issue in an interview with MTV:

When I wrote that song, I suppose I had a Harvey Weinstein/Harry Winston-type of character in mind. I envisioned, like, a benevolent, diamond-bestowing-upon-starlets visual, like a Citizen Kane or something. I’m not really sure. I thought it was funny at the time, and I obviously find it really sad now. I support the women who have come forward. I think they’re really brave for doing that.

After the allegations against Weinstein, Del Rey said she no longer feels comfortable performing “Cola” live. The Weinstein case also mimics the aforementioned “Put Me In a Movie,” both involving morally dubious exchanges of sex for industry success.

Her next album, Ultraviolence, contained more rock-oriented instrumentations, and a continually sombre, dark outlook on life. In “Money Power Glory,” she sings:

I want money, power, and glory
I want money, and all your power, all your glory
Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you got

In a 2014 interview with Complex, Del Rey clarified that the reliance on sex and influence she sings about is not how she actually gets things done.

“It’s commentary, like, ‘I know what you think of me’ and I’m alluding to that,” she said, of her song “Fucked My Way Up to the Top.” “You know, I have slept with a lot of guys in the industry, but none of them helped me get my record deals. Which is annoying.”

Her self-awareness continued on 2015’s Honeymoon, where she subverted one of her Lana Del Ray-era lines in “High By The Beach” by singing:

Lights, camera, acción
I’ll do it on my own
Don’t need your money, money
To get me what I want

Lust for Life, released in 2017, marked a shift in tone for Del Rey. It was the first album cover where she was smiling, and her positive, hopeful outlook on life is reflected in her lyrics. She meditates on signature topics (cars on “White Mustang,” patriotism on “God Bless America – And All The Beautiful Women In It”) and new subject matter (war and politics on “When the World Was At War We Kept Dancing” and “Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind”). So far, it’s the only album without any mention of an unhealthy reliance on others.

On Lust for Life’s “Change,” she sings:

Change is a powerful thing, people are powerful beings
Tryin' to find the power in me to be faithful
Change is a powerful thing, I feel it comin' in me

The evolution that began on Lust For Life continues on her upcoming release. “Mariners Apartment Complex,” the first single from Norman Fucking Rockwell!, exhibits Del Rey’s newfound strength of character:

I ain’t no candle in the wind
I’m the board, the lightning, the thunder
Kind of girl who’s gonna make you wonder
Who you are and who you’ve been

During the song’s chorus, she describes herself as the man in the relationship, a role stereotypically associated with strength and control. While Del Rey seems to be consoling the audience, she’s also assuring herself that she is her own soulmate. Through the bad and the good, she is the only one in charge of her success and her destiny.

You lose your way, just take my hand
You’re lost at sea, then I’ll command your boat to me again
Don’t look too far, right where you are, that’s where I am
I’m your man

Norman Fucking Rockwell! closes with “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it,” a contemplative, open, and honest piano ballad. The instrumentation is simple and sparse, leaving her nothing to hide behind but raw emotion:

Don’t ask if I’m happy, you know that I’m not
But at best, I can say I’m not sad
‘Cause hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have

In an interview with Billboard, Del Rey explained how the song relates to her personal experience as a woman in the entertainment industry:

It was staggered with references from living in Hollywood and seeing so many things that didn’t look right to me, things that I never thought I’d have permission to talk about, because everyone knew and no one ever said anything. The culture only changed in the last two years as to whether people would believe you. And I’ve been in this business now for 15 years! […] So I was writing a song to myself. Hope truly is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have, because I know so much. But I have it.”

The relationship between truth and trust has been explored and redefined since the inception of the #MeToo movement in October 2017. Power dynamics in the workplace, particularly in show business, are a major topic of discussion. Del Rey has seen it, experienced it, and written about it. Those ideas have been an ever-present issue and continual theme since the beginning of her career. “Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but i have it” is a love song to Lana from Lana, an ode to believing yourself and believing in yourself.

The evolution is clear. While earlier Lana songs like “Off to the Races” and “Fucked My Way to the Top” pinned her hopes of success on a man with means, her newer work not only empowers herself but envisions a world where women aren’t forced to rely on the male power brokers.

So what does “a woman like me” look like? She’s dark, but honest. She’s sad, but working on getting happy. She’s seen a lot, but she’s still holding out for a better future. Del Rey has changed characters often, ranging from Lolita-esque ingénue to femme fatale, biker bad girl to American sweetheart. Her latest evolution is an independent woman driven by nothing but her own beliefs. Lights, camera, acción: Lana Del Rey is ready to step out on her own.