The song tells the story of a young woman named Carmen, who despite her captivating allure, is struggling with addiction, loneliness, and eventually meets her demise. The lyrics describe her as charming, disarming, and a confidant of sorts, but also as a liar who is deceiving everyone around her about her struggles.
In the first verse, Carmen is depicted as someone who has access to top-shelf liquor, which may be an indication of her dangerous indulgences. The pre-chorus and chorus describe her as being popular amongst boys and girls alike, with her charismatic and seductive persona, but she warns them not to be like her. She acknowledges her own addiction and the toll it's taking on her life.
The second verse portrays Carmen as a young girl who is already walking the streets at night, portraying a dangerous and risky lifestyle. The lyrics hint at the fact that Carmen is using drugs to cope with her struggles, leaving her disarming and alarming to those around her who care for her well-being.
The bridge suggests that Carmen is relying on the kindness of strangers and is engaging in risky behavior such as using drugs and participating in party favors. The interlude adds a layer of tragic love to the story, with Carmen's lover confessing to being unable to live without her, and Carmen willing to do anything for him.
The song's haunting outro returns to the lyrical theme of Carmen's addiction - that she has a problem but continues to drink from her top-shelf liquor.
Carmen
Lana Del Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lyin' to herself 'cause the liquor's top shelf
It's alarming, honestly, how charming she can be
Fooling everyone, telling them she's having fun
She says, "You don't want to be like me
Don't want to see all the things I've seen"
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
Famous and dumb at an early age"
Lyin', I'm lyin'
The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, oh, white lightning
Carmen, Carmen, stayin' up till morning
Only seventeen, but she walks these streets so mean
It's alarming, truly, how disarming you can be
Eating soft ice cream, Coney Island queen
She says, "You don't want to be like me
Lookin' for fun, gettin' high for free"
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
She says, "You don't want to get this way
Street walk at night, and a star by day"
It's tirin', tirin'
The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, oh, white lightning
Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go
That's the little story of the girl you know
Relying on the kindness of strangers
Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favours
Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on
Sing your song, song, now the camera's on
And you're alive again
Mon amour
Je sais que tu m'aimes aussi
Tu as besoin de moi
Tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie
Tu ne peux vivre sans moi
Et je mourrais sans toi
Je tuerais pour toi
The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shining
Like lightnin', oh, white lightning
Like lightnin', oh, white lightning
Like lightnin', oh, white lightning
Darlin', darlin', doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself, 'cause the liquor's top shelf
In "Carmen," Lana Del Rey narrates the story of a young woman who is living a wild and reckless life on the streets. Carmen is only seventeen and walks the streets at night but she is so captivating that both boys and girls are drawn to her. She is charming and carefree, but she is also troubled, as she struggles with addiction and the harsh realities of her lifestyle. In the chorus, Del Rey sings about how Carmen's audacious personality gives people around her a thrill, but in reality, Carmen is a lost and lonely girl who warns people not to follow in her footsteps.
The lyrics of "Carmen" paint a vivid picture of a girl who has been failed by society, who has resorted to dangerous behavior in order to survive. The song touches upon dark themes such as addiction, drugs, and prostitution, and delves deep into human emotions, unveiling the flawed and complex nature of human beings. Lana Del Ray uses her resonant voice to express the range of emotions that Carmen experiences, from her haunting whispers to her powerful highs.
Line by Line Meaning
Darlin', darlin', doesn't have a problem
The person being addressed appears to have it all together, but in reality, they are hiding their struggles.
Lyin' to herself 'cause the liquor's top shelf
She drinks expensive alcohol and lies to herself to cover up her internal issues.
It's alarming, honestly, how charming she can be
She is so persuasive that people fall for her lies, which is concerning.
Fooling everyone, telling them she's having fun
She lies to people, making them believe that everything's great, but she's only pretending to have fun.
She says, "You don't want to be like me
She warns people not to be like her.
Don't want to see all the things I've seen"
She's had negative experiences, that if experienced by others, will be too difficult to handle.
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'
She is thriving about her unhealthy lifestyle and is aware of its consequences.
She says, "You don't want to get this way
She doesn't want people to end up like her.
Famous and dumb at an early age"
She warns against becoming famous and losing oneself in the process.
Lyin', I'm lyin'
She admits that she is not telling the truth.
The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
Everyone is attracted to her, regardless of gender.
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
Her flirtatiousness affects everyone she encounters, they get attracted to her like a cartoon character.
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Her laughter and mental sharpness is high, and is powerful to the people around her.
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Even though she's living a lie, she's still bright and radiant. (Audiotune here refers to music technology that corrects pitch and alters vocals)
Like lightning, oh, white lightning
She's like a strike of white lightning; beautiful, but dangerous.
Carmen, Carmen, stayin' up till morning
Carmen is awake until the early hours of the day.
Only seventeen, but she walks these streets so mean
She's young and already knows the way of the world, and it shows in the way she behaves like she owns it.
It's alarming, truly, how disarming you can be
It's frightening how she can make everyone feel safe even when they shouldn't trust her.
Eating soft ice cream, Coney Island queen
She indulges in sweet things like ice cream, and is the queen of her world.
Lookin' for fun, gettin' high for free
She is searching for entertainment and getting high at no cost.
It's tirin', tirin'
The way she lives her life is exhausting and draining.
Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go
She's wearing her best clothes for a night out, but there's nowhere to go.
That's the little story of the girl you know
She's been living this way for a while and is well-known for it.
Relying on the kindness of strangers
She depends on strangers for survival and basic needs.
Tying cherry knots, smiling, doing party favours
She is cheerful and doing anything to have fun.
Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on
Get dressed, look good and present yourself the best way possible.
Sing your song, song, now the camera's on
Be true to yourself, and express yourself adequately, people will be watching.
And you're alive again
When she is herself, and expressing herself to the world, she feels alive.
Mon amour
Je sais que tu m'aimes aussi
Tu as besoin de moi
Tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie
Tu ne peux vivre sans moi
Et je mourrais sans toi
Je tuerais pour toi
The song has a French part, in which Carmen admits that she needs her lover as much as they need her; they can never survive without the other.
Like lightnin', oh, white lightning
She's like a strike of white lightning; beautiful, but dangerous.
Like lightnin', oh, white lightning
She's like a strike of white lightning; beautiful, but dangerous.
Darlin', darlin', doesn't have a problem
The person being addressed appears to have it all together, but in reality, they are hiding their struggles.
Lyin' to herself, 'cause the liquor's top shelf
She drinks expensive alcohol and lies to herself to cover up her internal issues.
Contributed by Noah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@itaro5789
Lyrics :
Darlin’, darlin’
Doesn’t have a problem
Lyin’ to herself
Cause her liquor’s top shelf
It’s alarming honestly
How charming she can be
Fooling everyone
Telling them she’s having fun
She says, “You don’t want to be like me, don’t want to see all the things I’ve seen”
I’m dyin’, I’m dyin’
She says, “You don’t want to get this way, famous and dumb at an early age”
Lyin’, I’m lyin’
The boys, the girls
They all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies
Bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God
Her mind’s like a diamond
Audiotune lies
She’s still shinin’
Like lightning
White lightning
Carmen, Carmen
Staying up till morning
Only 17, but she walks the streets so mean
It’s alarming truly
How disarming you can be
Eatin’ soft ice cream
Coney Island queen
She says, “ You don’t want to be like me, lookin’ for fun, gettin’ high for free”
I’m dyin’, I’m dyin’
She says, “You don’t want to get this way, street walk at night and a star by day”
It’s tirin’, tirin’
The boys, the girls
They all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies
Bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God
Her mind’s like a diamond
Audiotune lies
She’s still shinin’
Like lightning
White lightning
Baby’s all dressed up with nowhere to go
That’s the little story of the girl you know
Relying on the kindness of strangers
Tying cherry knots
Smiling, doing party favours
Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on
Sing your song, song, now the camera’s on
And you’re alive again
Mon amour, je sais que tu m’aimes aussi
(My love, I know you love me too)
Tu as besoin de moi
(You need me)
Tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie
(You need me on your life)
Tu ne peux pas vivre sans moi
(You can’t life without me)
Et je mourrais sans toi
(And I would die without you)
Je tuerais pour toi
(I would kill for you)
The boys, the girls
They all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies
Bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God
Her mind’s like a diamond
Audiotune lies
She’s still shinin’
Like lightning
White lightning x2
Darlin’, darlin’
Doesn’t have a problem
Lyin’ to herself
Cause her liquor’s top shelf
@whytho6683
lana del rey is fucking art
@joeryanatkinson8878
omg so true, wow, Bae , art art art , art, sloppy fart
@M3Lucky
+Joe ryanatkinson lmao wtf bro
@eneso2650
no Lana is just fuck you
@julianna6486
NotPoppy lol
@jamescollins6341
Listen to 'Peacock Affect - Wallflower'
@laurenendaya4169
"Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go" felt that
@visionary9385
RIGGHHTT 😂
@cibeleoliveiras
The moment I read your comment I heard this part of the song I mean 😭😭
@poemsbypoetry
Quarantine mood