Gods & Monsters (2012) – Lana Del Rey

(Warning: The content of this post contain explicit messages which could offend some readers)

I have written about the pitfalls concerning the pursuit of fame in Los Angeles in my movie articles of the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, but now we come to this darkness and glamour in ‘song’. Lana del Rey, the enigmatic siren of modern pop, has always had a knack for crafting songs that feel like they were pulled from a hazy, cinematic dream. Gods & Monsters is no exception.

Gods & Monsters brilliantly canvasses the fears, trappings, conjecture and allurement of her art in Hollywood including testament to the infernal bondage and languor of alcohol and drug addiction. It is an ode to the hedonistic lifestyle that comes with fame—a recurring theme in her work, such as her other song Arcadia presented here in June this year. Her provocative lyrics in G&M are first – rate combined with her ghostly voice, sensual rhythm and mood-setting production elevates this song to ‘top-shelf’ at least in my music realm.
Lines like “In the land of gods and monsters, I was an angel / Looking to get fucked hard” encapsulate the dichotomy of purity and corruption, innocence and sin.

[Intro]
L.A., L.A.​
L.A., L.A.​

[Verse 1]
In the land of gods and monsters
I was an angel living in the garden of evil
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed
Shining like a fiery beacon

[Pre-Chorus]
You got that medicine I need
Fame, liquor, love, give it to me slowly
Put your hands on my waist, do it softly
Me and God, we don’t get along, so now I sing

[Chorus]
No one’s gonna take my soul away
I’m living like Jim Morrison
Headed towards a fucked up holiday
Motel sprees, sprees and I’m singing
“Fuck yeah, give it to me, this is Heaven, what I truly want”
It’s innocence lost, innocence lost

[Verse 2]
In the land of gods and monsters
I was an angel looking to get fucked hard
Like a groupie incognito, posing as a real singer
Life imitates art

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
When you talk, it’s like a movie and you’re makin’ me crazy
‘Cause life imitates art
If I get a little prettier, can I be your baby?
You tell me life isn’t that hard

[Chorus]

If Madeleine at Classic Film and TV Corner hadn’t recommended to me her favourite songs by Lana in my sole Lana music post – Radio, it is unlikely I would have encountered this music by happenstance. Gods & Monsters was released 2012, with the rest of the Paradise EP. The song became a top 40 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 39 due to its usage in an advert for EastEnders’ “Who Killed Lucy?” storyline. It also peaked at number 15 on the Billboard chart. Gods & Monsters had gained popularity again in 2014 after it was covered by Jessica Lange on American Horror Story: Freak Show.

References:
1. Gods & Monsters (song) – Wikipedia