John Milton the English Poet and intellectual once said, “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven.“ Think of that statement and then think of song lyrics where Milton’s quote rings true. That is Jim at A Unique Name For Me has challenged us with Sunday Song Lyric Sunday. We are to explore the mind for this week’s theme. The songs should be about mind, thoughts and/or the brain.

Think song of bliss, euphoria, depression, suicide and addiction. Examples range from Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Crazy Train“ to George Strait‘s “Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her“, from girl in red‘s “Serotonin“ to Joy Division‘s “She’s Lost Control“, from Tears for Fears‘ “Mad World“ to Patsy Cline‘s “Crazy“. There is no shortage of material to choose from that references the brain and the working of the mind.

This week I have chosen to highlight Lana Del Rey‘s haunting track “Summertime Sadness“. A song that skillfully weaves a tale of mental illness born from a deep loss. The track explores depression, while intertwining happy memories with thoughts of death and suicide. The accompanying music is eerily layered to evoke the sense of extreme melancholy the protagonist is experiencing.

The effect is a lush soundscape that allows the listener to slip inside the mind of the narrator, providing a glimpse into her mental state and for a moment, sense the depression and desperation that grips her.

Let’s look at Milton’s quote again and examine how it relates to the song’s lyrics. Del Rey sings of shared memories, dancing in the moonlight, the red dress, the electricity in the air. They represent the heaven that was the past. Unfortunately, they are now wrapped up in despair which turns them into agony. As she drives a road she can’t escape they play as pure hell in her mind.

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Summertime Sadness first appeared on Del Rey’s 2012 sophomore work “Born to Die“. The original single release garnered limited success climbing to #32 in the United Kingdom and failing to chart in the United States. The song was remixed by Cedric Gervais and reissued in the summer of 2013 when it became a sleeper hit. The reworked track was sped up and laid over a heavy electropop beat. The track peaked at #4 in the United Kingdom, #6 in the United States. and won Gervais the Grammy for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. Personally, I prefer the original version and the emotion it evokes. You be the judge, I have embedded the video for both versions below.

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Album Art: discogs.com
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