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National Anthem Lyrics

Money is the anthem, of success, so before we go out
What's your address?

I'm your National Anthem
God, you're so handsome
Take me to the Hamptons
Bugatti Veyron

He loves to romance 'em
Reckless abandon
Holdin' me for ransom
Upper echelon

He says to be cool, but I don't know how yet
Wind in my hair
Hand on the back of my neck
I said, "Can we party later on?" He said, "Yes."

Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Booyah baby bow down making me sat wow now
Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Sugar sugar how now take your body downtown
Red, white, blue is in the sky
Summer's in the air and baby, heaven's in your eyes
I'm your National Anthem

Money is the reason we exist
Everybody knows it, it's a fact
Kiss, kiss

I sing the National Anthem
While I'm standin' over your body, hold you like a python
And you can't keep your hands off me, or your pants on
See what you've done to me
King of chevron

You said to be cool, but I'm already coolest
I said to get real, don't you know who you're dealing with?
Umm, do you think you'll buy me lots of diamonds?

Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Booyah baby bow down making me sat wow now
Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Sugar sugar how now take your body downtown
Red, white, blue is in the sky
Summer's in the air and baby, heaven's in your eyes
I'm your National Anthem

It's a love story for the new age
For the sixth page
We're on a quick, sick rampage
Winin' and dinin', drinkin' and drivin'
Excessive buyin' overdose and dyin'
On our drugs and our love and our dreams and our rage
Blurring the lines between real and the fake
Dark and lonely, I need somebody to hold me
He will do very well, I can tell, I can tell
Keep me safe in his belltower hotel

Money is the anthem of success
So put on mascara and your party dress

I'm your National Anthem
Boy put your hands up
Give me a standing ovation

Boy, you have landed
Babe in the land of
weetness and danger, queen of Saigon

Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Booyah baby bow down making me sat wow now
Tell me I'm your National Anthem
Sugar sugar how now take your body downtown
Red, white, blue is in the sky
Summer's in the air and baby, heaven's in your eyes
I'm your National Anthem

Money is the anthem
God, you're so handsome
Money is the anthem, of success
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37 Meanings

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Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

This song is so powerful. And to me, it has a huge message that the video definitely embodied.

This is my take on the story the song tells:

She starts off having stars in her eyes for this rich and famous big shot guy who is taking here to parties and introducing her to this crazy luxurious lifestyle. He tells her to "be cool" and she's nervous because she's never been in this niche.

In the next verse, she gives an amazing metaphor for having sex. But this time, she says "i'm already the coolest" when he tells her to "be cool". she has figured out the lifestyle now and she has become a part of that world. now she isn't just asking to go to parties, she wants him to buy diamonds.

In the end of the song she has blended completely into this crazy lifestyle of guys, money, drugs, alcohol, fame, etc. She is no longer that naive girl that was first introduced at the beginning of the song. She has lost to herself to the fake world of "fame". She is the "queen of Saigon" or.. the queen of the fallen.


Lana tells this story and then towards the end talks about it being a "love story of the new age". Like, this is what the world has come to... People are obsessed with pop culture and these "celebrities" and "socialites". This crazed world of the famous is glamorized and the people in the spotlight often forget what's real and in the end all they have done is ruined their own lives, just as the girl in the story did.

Money HAS become the anthem of success. They are considered one in the same in modern times.

Song Meaning

wonderful interpretation

Damn I think I just teard, cause I can relate watching the video now...

Love this, spot on

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

It's Bugatti Veyron NOT Bacardi [?]. Omigod!

Lyric Correction
Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

This is about equating money and love. He is loaded and worships money, she presents herself to him like his property, a money equivalent. She wants to be worshipped by this money worshipping clown just as much as he worships money. If money is the anthem of success, then she wants to be his National anthem, his most important possession. She wants him to owned and worshipped at the same time, like money is.

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

For all the questions out there:

-Bugatti Veyron: Sick car http://www.alfonsofigares.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/bugatti.jpg

-Upper echelon: Echelon meaning a "A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society" She's talking about money, being cool and all. Like the upper class.

-King of Chevron: I think she's talking about the American multinational energy corporation, "one of the world's six "supermajor" oil companies" it makes sense since she's singing about money and power through the whole song.

-Queen of Saigon: "Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named Saigon; is the largest city in Vietnam." "South Vietnam, as an anti-communist republic, fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War" "Saigon fell when it was captured by the communists on 30 April 1975, bringing an end to the War with its enemy's victory. Vietnam was then turned into a communist state with the South overtaken"

Source: WIKIPEDIA

My Interpretation

Seems like not everyone grows up learning these terms... I guess I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth. This song really strikes a chord with me because of my background and how people "blur the line between real and fake" ... how money is an anthem for many people... "I just need somebody to hold me." is probably my favorite... you can get so caught up in that kind of life, and sometimes you just really want the simplicities in life back... enough of the decadence.

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

What the fucking fuck? Bacardi pharaoh?

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

CORRECTIONS:

it's "Bugatti Veyron" instead of "Bacardi pharaoh"

it's "or your pants ON" instead of "or your pants OFF"

it's "UMM.. do you think you'll buy me lots of diamonds?" instead of "LOVE.. do you think..."

it's "HE will do very well" instead of "WE will do very well"

it's "in his BELL TOWER HOTEL" instead of "in his spell tower, hotel"

that's just the ones i noticed.

Lyric Correction
Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

I think that since the music video is about John Kennedy, that the first verse she is singing as Jackie Kennedy and the second verse she is singing as Marilyn Monroe. Maybe? Kinda?

My Interpretation

I've never really noticed that, but it really makes tons more sense now! Thanks!

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

I actually don't think this song is about gold-digging as much as selling out to money, as a way to justify staying with her cheating lover/Kennedy because "money is the reason we exist." Obviously this is a twisted version of "love is the reason we exist", which I think would be the general consensus. But because she is somewhat starved of it, she's resigned herself to staying in an extremely unhealthy relationship because of the money. I don't think she ever intended to be a gold-digger at all initially, which is emphasised in her monologue in the extended video for the song. That isn't included here, but at the end of it she repeatedly states "I loved him. I love him." This is more evidence to suggest she was never in it for the money. I think this song has a very similar tone to Video Games actually, she's trying to convince herself he loves her like he should but isn't fooling anyone. There are very brief glimpses of her insecurity and desperation to be loved more than anything else, for example this is hinted at in the line "I need somebody to hold me." But on the exterior, and for most of the song, she tries to stay "cool" and pretend that she only cares about the money. I definitely think there's more to it than her simply staying in a relationship for the riches.

My Interpretation
Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

This song should be a single right before Summer starts. It would be HUUGE! I LOOOVE this song!

Cover art for National Anthem lyrics by Lana Del Rey

I think it's "dark and lonely" not "god can only".

Lyric Correction