If you’ve never listened to Lana Del Rey’s music, you should know that she references the wonderful and warm — or horrible and sweaty, depending on where you are — season of summer. Lana’s sultry, playful lyrics suitably describe various aspects in our lives and make those aspects sound a lot cooler than they actually are. In fact, when we listen to her, we feel a lot cooler than we actually are. Anyway, we’ve got a couple of appropriate Lana Del Rey lyrics that most of us can relate our summer experiences to.
“I got that summertime, summertime sadness” (“Summertime Sadness”). Duh, we were going to use this one. How could we pass this one up? Come on, you wouldn’t be able to either. Well, whether we like it or not, summertime is coming to a close. It seems like just yesterday that we were released from that prison called dead week, and here we are again, entering another prison — also known as Phase II. The sun is still hot outside, whether you’re in Berkeley or elsewhere, but those anticipating thoughts of getting back into the swing of things loom over us despite the ever-lingering heat.
“I fall asleep in an American flag” (“Cola”). WE C U getting #turntup. If your summer has been filled with eventful nights, wild get-togethers or perhaps a crazy Independence Day, falling asleep in an American flag may or may not have been one of your noteworthy moments this summer. We mean, who hasn’t done this — are we right? Totally joking. We’re not even sure if this is necessarily a “thing,” but if you have done it, then good for you! There’s no better time to celebrate good ol’ ‘Merica than during the summer.
“Every time I close my eyes, it’s like a dark paradise” (“Dark Paradise”). If you go to Cal and survived dead week, the first thought you had after that last final exam was, “I CAN’T WAIT TO PTFO.” Sleep is a precious gift, and after you’ve survived your first two semesters at Cal, you appreciate it even more. “Paradise” is an understatement when it comes to sleep, especially after having to endure late night study sessions at Main Stacks, having to wait up until the floor study room is empty so that you can use the chalkboard or drinking so much Peet’s throughout the day that you and your study buddies end up staying up and staring at pictures of Dave Franco on Google until 5 a.m. (you get the point). Thankfully, summer is there to save the day and allow you to sleep until two in the afternoon on some days. That is, until you productive guys start work and summer school, of course.
“Teachers said we’d never make it out alive” (“This Is What Makes Us Girls”). As you’re taking your last final, this is what you expect your professors are thinking — are we right, or are we right? Well, you showed them, didn’t you?! (We’re totally joking. The professors at Cal are helpful, encouraging and way hipper than we are). Either way, summer is the time to celebrate our getting out of there alive. Even Lana knows that.
“I know your wife, and she wouldn’t mind…” (“Cola”). JOKING. WE’RE JOKING. Calm down.
“Summertime is nice and hot … and my life is sweet like vanilla is” (“Without You”). This one is pretty literal. Summertime is nice and hot. Thank you, Lana, for reminding us. Just remember that summer will be over before you know it, so you need to take advantage of that sweet, sweet summertime and … vanilla … life(?). Make sure to take advantage of your time with your friends and family back at home, if that’s where you are. If you’re in Berkeley, make sure to enjoy that magnificent Berkeley sun and those chill Berkeley summer days on Memorial Glade before you go from taking three units a week to 19. Cherish those beautiful summer romances that young people are supposed to have and look back on when they’re 40 and realize, “Wait, whoa, did I really do all of those drugs back then?” Lana would approve.
Which Lana Del Rey lyrics accurately describe your summer? Let us know in the comments!
Image source: blur95 under Creative Commons.
