Posted by A&W is a song released by Lana Del Rey in February 2023, as anticipation of her album Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd, set for release in March. The track follows the other single anticipating the album, this time offering a much more intimate perspective on life from the singer’s point of view. The lyrics are pretty long and full of aspects that need to be explained: in this article, we will analyze the song’s meaning, and you’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can listen to the song in full streaming below.
A&W: the song lyrics and their meaning
A&W is an intense song where Lana Del Rey reflects on how she sees herself in life. In the lyrics, she thinks back about her life, from childhood until today. Many elements become part of this song: her relationship with her mother, her appearance as a sexy woman who doesn’t hide it, her relationship with sex, the role of a woman in public opinion, and her frequent toxic relationships. “A&W” stands for “American W**re,” an image representing how she sees her life experience in general.
The song’s beginning explore how she felt she grew up too quickly, from an innocent child to a sexy, attractive girl. In the A&W lyrics, Lana Del Rey feels her life evolved too fast, dragged by complicated experiences she had to deal with and a feminine side that she never tried to hide. There is also an explicit reference to the broken relationship with her mother, something well-known by Lana’s fans.
I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine
I haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time
I mean, look at me, look at the length of my hair, my face, the shape of my body
Do you really think I give a damn what I do after years of just hearing them talking?
A fast growth that ended up in being addicted to sex, another part of Lana Del Rey’s life fans know about. The lyrics in A&W explain her need to have a man and her tendency to use sex to get love. Lana Del Rey never felt really loved in life: this is the typical precondition for people to become more oriented to the sexual dimension.
Call him up, come into my bedroom
Ended up we f**k on the hotel floor
It’s not about having someone to love me anymorе
This is the experience of being an American w**re
Her feminine side has always been a reason for debate: Lana Del Rey was also an activist during the “Me too” years, supporting women who were sexually assaulted. In the central part of the A&W lyrics, she talks about how public opinion typically reacts in front of a case of rape: they tend to doubt the woman’s version, not believing her, hiddenly implying that “she asked for it.”
If I told you that I was r**ed, do you really think that anybody would think I didn’t ask for it, didn’t ask for it?
And while reflecting on all parts of her life, all the ways people see her and how she feels about herself, the second part of the song is fully dedicated to the representation of a toxic relationship with Jimmy (a nickname that comes up often in Lana Del Rey’s music, representing a bad boy who uses/abuses her). Jimmy doesn’t seem to love her: Jimmy wants her only when he wants to get high, probably a reference to smoking marijuana together. But the two are close enough because his mom calls her. And she dares to explain to her how her son has messed up everything.
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
This is, after all, the real meaning of the lyrics inside Lana Del Rey’s A&W: a long stream of consciousness about her life, the way she sees herself, and her inability to build healthy relationships and obtain positive energy to live. Nothing really matters if your life is a big mess, and that’s the attitude we often hear in her songs. Once again, Lana Del Rey hits her fans with her cruel representations of life.
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The complete lyrics
Below you can find the complete lyrics of Lana Del Rey’s A&W.
I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine
I haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time
I mean, look at me, look at the length of my hair, my face, the shape of my body
Do you really think I give a damn what I do after years of just hearing them talking?
I say I live in Rosemead, really, I’m at the Ramada
It doesn’t really matter, doesn’t really, really matter
Call him up, come into my bedroom
Ended up we f**k on the hotel floor
It’s not about having someone to love me anymorе
This is the experience of being an American w**re
Called up one friend, call up another
Forensic Files wasn’t on
Watching Teenage Diary of a Girl
Wondering what went wrong
I’m a princess, I’m divisive
Ask me why I’m like this
Maybe I’m just kinda like this
I don’t know, maybe I’m just like this
I say I live in Rosemead, really, I’m at the Ramada
It doesn’t really matter, doesn’t really, really matter
Call him up, he comes over again
Yeah, I know I’m over my head, but, oh
It’s not about having someone to love me anymore
No, this is the experience of being an American w**re
I mean, look at my hair, look at the length of it there and the shape of my body
If I told you that I was r**ed, do you really think that anybody would think I didn’t ask for it, didn’t ask for it?
Didn’t testify, already f**ed up my story
Top of this (Mm)
So many other things you can’t believe
Did you know a singer can still be lookin’ like a side piece at thirty-three?
God’s a charlatan, don’t look back, babe
Puts the shower on while he calls me
Sneaks out the back door to talk to me
I’m invisible, look how you hold me
I’m invisible, I’m invisible
I’m a ghost now, look how you hold me now
It’s not about having someone to love me anymore (Oh, okay)
No, this is the experience of being an American w**re
It’s not about having someone to love me anymore
No, this is the experience of being an American w**re
This is the experience of being an American w**re
This is the experience of being an American w**re
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, Jimmy ride
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, get me high (Oh, my God)
Love me if you live and love, you can be my light
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, Jimmy ride
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, get me high
Love me if you live and love, you can be my light (Mm)
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Your mom called, I told her you’re fucking up big time
Jimmy, you should switch it up, baby, light it up
Jimmy, if you leave the house, find me in the club (Like)
Jimmy, if you switch it up, you should light it up
Jimmy, if you leave the house, find me in the club (Hey)
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
But I don’t care, baby, I already lost my mind
Jimmy, if I lie it up, find me in the club (Mind, mind)
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, Jimmy ride
Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop, Jimmy, get me high
Love me if you live and love, you can be my light
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Your mom called, I told her you’re f**ing up big time
