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, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for six 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".
Sad Girl
Lana Del Rey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It might not appeal to fools like you (ah)
Creeping around on the side
Might not be something you would do
But you haven't seen my man (man)
You haven't seen my man (man, man)
You haven't seen my man (man)
He's got the fire and he walks with it
He's got the fire and he talks with it
His Bonnie on the side, Bonnie on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
His money on the side, money on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a bad girl
I'm a bad girl
Being a bad bitch on the side (ah, ah)
Might not appeal to fools like you (ah, ah)
We've been around while he gets high
It might not be something you would do (ah)
But you haven't seen my man (man)
You haven't seen my man (man, man)
You haven't seen my man (man)
You haven't seen him (whoa-ah)
He's got the fire and he walks with it
He's got the fire and he talks with it
His Bonnie on the side, Bonnie on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
His money on the side, money on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a bad girl
I'm a bad girl
Watch what you say to me
Careful who you're talking to
Watch what you say to me
Careful who you're talking to
I'm on fire, baby
I'm on fire
He's got the fire and he walks with it
He's got the fire and he talks with it
His Bonnie on the side, Bonnie on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
His money on the side, money on the side
Makes me a sad, sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a bad girl
I'm a bad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a sad girl
I'm a bad girl
I'm a bad girl
In "Sad Girl," Lana Del Rey recognizes the painful consequences of being with a taken man. She addresses the shame and indignities that come with being the other woman, exposing the double standard that revolves around this topic. She declares that being a mistress might not appeal to fools, but she knows the real worth of her man, which makes her situation more complicated. She then goes on to mention the "Bonnie on the side" (referring to the man's girlfriend) and the "money on the side" (referring to the financial involvement of the man). These are the factors that make her feel like a sad girl, as she thinks she deserves more than being constantly in a state of emotional upheaval.
Lana Del Rey portrays herself as a bad girl in this song, associating her actions with inappropriate behavior. Still, she blames her lover for the predicament, claiming that he's the one with the fire and that she's merely playing with it. Her defiance, however, is expressed in the repeated line "I'm a sad girl/I'm a bad girl" where she showcases her desire for the forbidden; it is the situation that makes her sad, but it is also what gives her power, as she controls the man's desires, bringing him to her whenever she wants.
Overall, "Sad Girl" is a powerful song that explores the complexities of being involved with a taken man. It highlights the shame and emotional turmoil derived from such a situation while pushing back against the idea of slut-shaming and feminist issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Being a mistress on the side (ah, yeah-ah)
Having a secret relationship with a man who is already committed to someone else
It might not appeal to fools like you (ah)
This kind of situation may not be desirable for everyone, especially those who don't understand it
Creeping around on the side
Sneaking around behind someone's back in a covert way
Might not be something you would do
This isn't a lifestyle that everyone would choose for themselves
But you haven't seen my man (man)
You don't know my lover and what he's like
He's got the fire and he walks with it
He has a passionate energy and confidence in everything he does
He's got the fire and he talks with it
He speaks with the same intensity and passion that he brings to everything else
His Bonnie on the side, Bonnie on the side
He has someone else in his life, a mistress or a side piece
Makes me a sad, sad girl
Knowing that he's not fully committed to her makes her unhappy and discontented
His money on the side, money on the side
He may also have financial arrangements or give money to his mistress
I'm a sad girl
This situation has left her feeling lonely, dejected, and unhappy
I'm a bad girl
She feels like society may judge her or see her negatively for what she's doing
Watch what you say to me
Be careful with how you speak to her and what you say because she's sensitive to criticism
Careful who you're talking to
Don't speak negatively about her situation, especially if you don't understand it
I'm on fire, baby
She feels confident, strong, and passionate about the situation, despite its negative aspects
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elizabeth Grant, Rick Nowels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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