Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent references to contemporary pop culture and 1950s–1960s Americana.

Raised in upstate New York, Del Rey moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue a music career. After numerous projects, including her self-titled debut studio album, Del Rey's breakthrough came in 2011 with the viral success of her single "Video Games"; she subsequently signed a recording contract with Polydor and Interscope. She achieved critical and commercial success with her second album, Born to Die (2012), which contained the sleeper hit "Summertime Sadness". Del Rey's third album, Ultraviolence (2014), featured greater use of guitar-driven instrumentation and debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200. Her fourth and fifth albums, Honeymoon (2015) and Lust for Life (2017), saw a return to the stylistic traditions of her earlier releases, while her critically acclaimed sixth album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019), explored soft rock. Her next studio albums, Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Banisters, followed in 2021. Her ninth studio album, “Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” was released on all platforms March 24th 2023. It includes singles like the title track - "Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd", "A&W", and "The Grants".

Del Rey has collaborated on soundtracks for visual media; in 2013, she wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed musical short Tropico and released "Young and Beautiful" for the romantic drama The Great Gatsby. In 2014, she recorded "Once Upon a Dream" for the dark fantasy adventure film Maleficent and the self-titled theme song for the biopic Big Eyes. Del Rey collaborated with Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus on "Don't Call Me Angel" for the action comedy Charlie's Angels (2019), which peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, Del Rey published the poetry and photography collection Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (2020).

She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Brit Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for Eleven Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century".

Happy
Lana Del Rey Lyrics

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You thought I was rich
And I am but not how you think
I live in a Tudor house
Under the freeway in Mar Vista by the beach
When you call I take my phone to the picnic table
That I bought from the Rose Bowl
And I listen to the rushing cars above
And I think about the last time you visited me

The last time we made love
How the noise got louder and louder during rush hour
Until it sounded like the sea
And it felt like the ocean was the sky
And that I was flying because you were two feet taller than me
Until you took me in your arms
And I could touch the stars
And they all fell down around my head
And I became an angel
And you put me to bed
Happy

People think that I'm rich and I am but not how they think
I have a truck with a gold key chain in the ignition
And on the back it says: happy, joyous, and free
Happy
And when I drive
I think about the last time my friends were driving with me
How the radio was so loud that I couldn't hear the words
So we became the music
Happy
They write that I'm rich and I am but not how they think
I have a safe I call the boyfriend box
And in it every saved receipt
Every movie theater ticket just to remind me
Of all the things I've loved and lost and loved again

Unconditionally
Happy

You joke that I'm rich and I am but not how you think
I live in a Tudor house under the freeway
Off of Rose Avenue, 12 blocks from the beach
And when you call I put your sweater on
And put you on speaker
And chat for hours underneath the trees
And think about the last time you were here lying next to me
How the noise from the cars got louder and louder
During rush hour
Until it sounded like a river or a stream
And it felt like we were swimming
But it wasn't just a dream
We were just

Happy

Overall Meaning

In "Happy," Lana Del Rey explores the notion of wealth and happiness, challenging the perception that material wealth equates to true happiness. She reveals that while she may appear rich to others, her wealth lies in the simple pleasures and cherished memories that money cannot buy.

In the first verse, Lana describes her unconventional living situation in a Tudor house under the freeway in Mar Vista, near the beach. She highlights how, despite this humble setting, she finds joy in moments like taking phone calls at a picnic table she bought from the Rose Bowl. She reflects on the last time she and her lover were together, noting how the noise of rushing cars during rush hour evoked the sound of the sea. In that moment, their love made her feel as though she was flying and touching the stars. The falling stars symbolize the feeling of being uplifted and transformed, becoming an angel before being gently put to bed.

The second verse shifts the focus to Lana's truck, which has a keychain that reads "happy, joyous, and free." She recalls a ride with her friends, where the music was so loud that the lyrics couldn't be heard. In that moment, they became one with the music and experienced a sense of joy and freedom. Lana further emphasizes that her happiness is not defined by material possessions but rather by sentimental items stored in a safe she playfully calls the "boyfriend box." These items, such as saved receipts and movie tickets, serve as reminders of the things she has loved, lost, and loved again unconditionally.

Line by Line Meaning

You thought I was rich
You assumed I had financial wealth

And I am but not how you think
I do possess wealth, but not in the way you imagine

I live in a Tudor house
I reside in a Tudor-style house

Under the freeway in Mar Vista by the beach
My house is located beneath the freeway in Mar Vista, close to the beach

When you call I take my phone to the picnic table
When you call, I bring my phone to the picnic table

That I bought from the Rose Bowl
I purchased the picnic table from the Rose Bowl

And I listen to the rushing cars above
I listen to the sound of cars speeding by overhead

And I think about the last time you visited me
I reflect on the most recent occasion when you came to see me

The last time we made love
The most recent time we engaged in intimate activities

How the noise got louder and louder during rush hour
As rush hour progressed, the noise from the cars intensified

Until it sounded like the sea
Eventually, the noise resembled the roaring of the sea

And it felt like the ocean was the sky
It created the sensation that the ocean had become the sky

And that I was flying because you were two feet taller than me
I felt as though I were soaring because you, being taller, made me feel elevated

Until you took me in your arms
Until you embraced me

And I could touch the stars
I felt as though I could reach the stars

And they all fell down around my head
And the stars descended around me

And I became an angel
I transformed into an angelic being

And you put me to bed
And you gently laid me down to sleep

Happy
Content and filled with joy

People think that I'm rich and I am but not how they think
Many people assume I have wealth, and while I do, it is not as they imagine

I have a truck with a gold key chain in the ignition
I own a truck with a gold key chain hanging in the ignition

And on the back it says: happy, joyous, and free
The back of the truck bears the words: happy, joyous, and free

Happy
Filled with contentment and happiness

And when I drive
During my drives

I think about the last time my friends were driving with me
I reminisce about the recent occasion when my friends were accompanying me on a drive

How the radio was so loud that I couldn't hear the words
The radio volume was so high that I couldn't distinguish the lyrics

So we became the music
Consequently, we transformed into the music itself

Happy
Overflowing with joy and contentment

They write that I'm rich and I am but not how they think
People often write that I possess wealth, and while it's true, it is not in the manner they assume

I have a safe I call the boyfriend box
I possess a safe that I refer to as the boyfriend box

And in it every saved receipt
Inside it, I keep every receipt that I've saved

Every movie theater ticket just to remind me
Every ticket from the movie theater serves as a reminder

Of all the things I've loved and lost and loved again
Of all the things that I have cherished, lost, and grown to love once more

Unconditionally
Without conditions or limitations

Happy
Feeling immense joy and contentment

You joke that I'm rich and I am but not how you think
You playfully mock me about my wealth, and indeed, I possess wealth, but not in the way you believe

I live in a Tudor house under the freeway
I dwell in a Tudor-style house situated beneath the freeway

Off of Rose Avenue, 12 blocks from the beach
Specifically, on Rose Avenue, approximately 12 blocks away from the beach

And when you call I put your sweater on
When you call, I wear your sweater

And put you on speaker
And activate the artist so that we can talk hands-free

And chat for hours underneath the trees
And engage in lengthy conversations while being surrounded by trees

And think about the last time you were here lying next to me
I reflect on the recent occasion when you were lying beside me

How the noise from the cars got louder and louder
As the noise produced by cars intensified more and more

During rush hour
Distinguishing the period of heavy traffic

Until it sounded like a river or a stream
Eventually, it resembled the sound of a flowing river or a gentle stream

And it felt like we were swimming
It created the sensation that we were swimming amid the sound

But it wasn't just a dream
However, it was not merely an illusion or fantasy

We were just
We simply were