Now We'll Know that there's a Tunnel under Ocean Blvd
A musical day, people of Hive!
This is the first time I am posting in the Music community, although I am not sharing my cover of a song. Instead, I will attempt to interpret the lyrics of a song. I hope that is acceptable here.
Have you heard of Lana Del Rey? She is one of my top favorite artists, Honeymoon being my favorite album of hers. I love her psychedelic, alternative, indie vibe, her vocal talent which is an impressive mix of speaking and singing voice, and her vintage-styled music videos. But more than all of these, I find a deeper love for her music through her cryptic lyrics filled with emotions that are too believable. I am one of those who believe Lana creates masterpieces that are underrated.
Just this month, she released the lead single from her upcoming album which will be launched in March 2023. The title of this single is Did You Know that there’s a Tunnel under Ocean Blvd which is also the name of the album. It has been raining these days in our area, and I find it a perfect time to listen to this song and contemplate her words.
Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional singer-songwriter or music critic. I am here to solely share my interpretation of the song. I also do not think that my interpretation is absolutely correct. This is just what came to mind after listening a few times.
So, here goes the song and the lyrics.
Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?
Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall
I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul
Handmade beauty, sealed up by two man-made walls
And I'm like
When's it gonna be my turn?
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
There's a girl that sings Hotel California
Not because she loves the notes or sounds that sound like Florida
It's because she's in a world preserved, only a few have found the door
It's like Camarillo, only silver mirrors running down the corridor
Oh, man
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like me
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Harry Nilsson has a song, his voice breaks at 2:05
Something about the way he says, "Don't forget me"
Makes me feel like
I just wish I had a friend like him, someone to give me fire
Lennon in my back, whispering in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can thrive"
But I can't
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When it's gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me, don't forget me
No, no, no, don't forget me
Don't you, don't you forget me
Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?
Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall
She asks about this beautiful tunnel under ocean Blvd. I did not know about it. I am not from California, but I have researched and found that it was called the Jergins Tunnel built in 1928 but closed to the public in 1967. So what is the purpose of this first line? Let us continue.
I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul
From the tunnel, she shifts to talking about herself and how she feels that her body spoils her soul. She might be talking about her body issues specifically her gaining of weight and how it prevents people from seeing the beauty of her soul. Aside from that, I think she is reminded of the temporariness of her body, and death might not just bury her physical vessel but also memories of her or her music.
Handmade beauty, sealed up by two man-made walls
Here, it becomes apparent that she is comparing herself to the beautiful tunnel. She is listened to or looked at for now, but in time she will also be "sealed up" and most people will not know she existed.
And I'm like
When's it gonna be my turn?
When's it gonna be my turn?
Since she is comparing herself to the tunnel. I like to think that in this first pair of repeating questions, she wonders when she will be forgotten like the tunnel, and this thought scares her.
Open me up, tell me you like it
She wants validation, acceptance and reassurance that she will be remembered.
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
In the literal sense, I imagine she wants somebody to love her every curve, every bulge, everything that is raw and everything that has changed. She views sex as a means to receive validation. Somehow, that is understandable. She feels validated when someone is attracted to her, and thinks that maybe someday enough touch and kisses on her skin will make her comfortable in it. She considers it the only way for her to accept her own body or her own self.
There's a girl that sings Hotel California
Not because she loves the notes or sounds that sound like Florida
It's because she's in a world preserved, only a few have found the door
Oh! A reference to The Eagles! Now, the focus shifts from validating her body to understanding her choices. I could say she longs to find someone who not only understands her taste but acknowledges that her favorite songs bring her to a living breathing world. She may even be seeking someone that is also living in that world with her, not somebody who shuns her choices. Of course, this is not just about peculiar taste for music but taste in many things like art and personal life and everything in between. Perhaps this has caused a lot of misunderstanding in her past relationships.
Oh, man
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When's it gonna be my turn?
It's the same pair of repeating questions, but I could see a different meaning. Given the lines that precede this, she now wonders when she’ll be understood or when she’ll be loved for who she really is and what she wants.
Open me up, tell me you like me
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
She cries for somebody to love her and her isolated precious world. Moreover, it could also mean she longs for people to discover the world she offers in her music, like an introduction to the verse below.
Harry Nilsson has a song, his voice breaks at 2:05
Something about the way he says, "Don't forget me"
Makes me feel like
I just wish I had a friend like him, someone to give me fire
Lennon in my back, whispering in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can thrive"
From validating her body, to validating her choices, and now to validating her talents. After The Eagles, she pays tribute to other great artists of all time, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon. Referencing these icons might mean they are the epitome of her music career's goal. She wants to reach a point where she knows she lived passionately and purposely with her music and she aims for them to live on even after she dies.
But I can't
Here shows up the self-sabotaging thoughts, the belief that she just can't no matter who says she can or how moving words are to her -she believes that she just can't. She’s down in the self-condemning alley questioning if she's talented enough. She's not worth to be remembered or loved.
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When it's gonna be my turn?
Here, she wonders if her music will be loved enough so that they will be able to outlive her. Will she ever be worthy like John Lennon or Harry Nilsson? Will her music thrive through the changes of time or be forgotten like the tunnel under Ocean Blvd?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
Maybe she wants her contributions to the music industry to be seen. Maybe in this line, she wants to say "listen to my music, until I know they are worth something". This is the legacy that she wants to leave and how she wants people to remember her.
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me, don't forget me
No, no, no, don't forget me
Don't you, don't you forget me
This last part is her cry to be remembered, to be not forgotten in a world where everything is temporary. She does not want to be left out whether in love or in music.
I commend Lana for showing this vulnerable side of her. By doing so, she has given comfort to people, including me, who feel the same fear as hers. We are not alone in our search for purpose and appreciation. We are not alone in our thirst for love, understanding, and validation from our loved ones and the people we want to connect with. Though low self-esteem haunts us in our journey, know that we will have our turn. The song may be full of pain and sadness, but it helped me gain clarity and a precious ounce of hope that one day I’ll have my turn. For that, thank you, Lana. I’ll never forget you!