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, βDid you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvdβ 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".
My Momma
Lana Del Rey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you're under forty and you have a job
My momma wouldn't say you was a good boy
But you're making money and you're working hard so
I'm going to take you out, I don't feel like it's wrong
Me and my momma, we don't get along
My momma, she would say your hair was too long
But your hair exactly is what I like the best
And my momma she would say you was a hoodlum
But I don't know no hoodlum and you don't pass the test
I'm going to take you out, I don't feel like it's wrong
Me and my momma, we don't get along
Oh, baby, I'm standing so close, I can't back down
You're smiling and I know, I'm over and done now
I am done now
My momma say that it was wrong to see you
I lie just to meet you, I lie to get in
And my momma she would say that I deceived you
But that's the only way I knew how to begin
So maybe you got your own problems, who doesn't?
I'm crazy, you're addicted, we are all of a sudden
My momma, she would love you like I love you
If she ever met you, if she ever knew
My momma, she would fall right on top of you
If she'd ever saw you, she'd be smitten, too
I'll never take you home, I want you all for my own
I'm going to take you out, I don't feel like it's wrong
Me and my momma, we don't get along
The song "My Momma" by Lana Del Rey talks about the complexities that come with romantic relationships, especially when they conflict with a person's family's beliefs and values. The lyrics suggest that the persona's mother is not a big fan of the guy she is seeing, and she wouldn't consider him to be a good person. However, the persona disregards her mother's opinion and decides to take the man out regardless of what she thinks.
The lines, "My momma wouldn't say you were a nice guy, but you're under forty and you have a job" and "My momma wouldn't say you was a good boy, but you're making money and you're working hard," indicate that the persona's mother is more concerned with societal and traditional ideals for a person's worth rather than their character. Additionally, the persona likes the man's "long hair," which her mother dislikes, and she highlights how her mother's thinking is flawed, "And my momma she would say you was a hoodlum, but I don't know no hoodlum, and you don't pass the test."
The chorus of the song, "I'm going to take you out, I don't feel like it's wrong, me and my momma, we don't get along," shows how the persona is willing to separate herself from her mother's beliefs to follow her heart. At the same time, she acknowledges that she and her mother have differences and that those differences might influence her relationship with the man. In summary, "My Momma" suggests that people should trust their instincts and make decisions based on their inner values rather than societal and family expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
My momma wouldn't say you were a nice guy
My mother doesn't believe you are a good person.
But you're under forty and you have a job
However, you are still valuable because you are gainfully employed and young.
My momma wouldn't say you was a good boy
My mother wouldn't consider you as an upstanding individual.
But you're making money and you're working hard so
Nevertheless, you are still admirable due to your strong work ethic and financial stability.
I'm going to take you out, I don't feel like it's wrong
I'm going to pursue you despite my mother's disapproval since I don't believe I'm doing anything bad.
Me and my momma, we don't get along
My relationship with my mother is not ideal.
My momma, she would say your hair was too long
My mother would criticize your hairstyle as being too unkempt.
But your hair exactly is what I like the best
On the other hand, I find your hairstyle very attractive.
And my momma she would say you was a hoodlum
My mother would label you as a ruffian or delinquent.
But I don't know no hoodlum and you don't pass the test
However, I don't think you're a hoodlum, and you don't fit the traditional profile of one either.
Oh, baby, I'm standing so close, I can't back down
I'm too close to you now, and I can't bring myself to back away.
You're smiling and I know, I'm over and done now
Your charm and smile have won me over, and I'm finished resisting your advances.
My momma say that it was wrong to see you
My mother disapproves of us spending time together.
I lie just to meet you, I lie to get in
I deceive my mother to make it possible for me to be with you.
And my momma she would say that I deceived you
My mother would think I was tricking or manipulating you if she found out.
But that's the only way I knew how to begin
That was the only way that I could imagine kickstarting our relationship.
So maybe you got your own problems, who doesn't?
Perhaps you have your own issues to deal with, but who doesn't have something to overcome?
I'm crazy, you're addicted, we are all of a sudden
We are both obsessively drawn to each other, even though our attraction has come on suddenly.
My momma, she would love you like I love you
If my mother met you, she might find herself feeling the same way about you as I do.
If she ever met you, if she ever knew
If she got a chance to know you, that is.
My momma, she would fall right on top of you
She would be just as smitten with you as I am.
If she'd ever saw you, she'd be smitten, too
If my mom ever lays eyes on you, she'll be as taken with you as I am.
I'll never take you home, I want you all for my own
I won't introduce you to my mother because I want you all to myself.
Don't let my momma hear your pretty song
Please don't try to charm my mother, as that might complicate things.
Contributed by Caroline W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Cochran
on West Coast
Amazing how the film maker lifted the filming of this video directly from the Chet Baker documentary Let's Get Lost - black & white hanging at the beach and cruising in the backs of convertables
ciggywater
on National Anthem
such a goddess
Abygail Fernandez Smith
on West Coast
ganda
Inside Bilderberg
on Cruel World
Love this song.
Romatizzalid Bozin Veda Loca
on West Coast
barcelona akhawa
Dawit Dawit
on Ultraviolence
nice
Dawit Dawit
on West Coast
best