Introduction:
Lust For Life by Lana Del Rey is by far one of my favorite albums to date. There is something so timeless about every track. Track five is “White Mustang.” From the beautiful whistles to the gentle piano, “White Mustang” is a breathtaking song.
In your feelings because of the song? We’re all in the same boat. Every line in the song tells her heart-breaking experience of being naive, ignored, and hurt. No one can stop the way they’re feeling when this chorus drops.
Analysis:
Speculations are that this song was written after her relationship with Gerald Gillum, also known as G-Eazy. A big hint was Rey’s line “Everybody said you’re a killer, but I couldn’t stop the way I was feeling the day your record dropped.” In 2012, Gillum released Lady Killers. The definition of a “Lady Killer” is “A charming man who is very attractive to women.” The attractive aspect of Gillum’s music takes hold of Rey, and that is explained in the line above.
In the music video, the opening scene is Rey standing above a man who is playing her lover. He knows he wronged her with his past behavior and the hand inching up her leg is his ask for forgiveness. We watch Rey interlace her fingers with his and fall into her feelings, giving into his manipulation. Throughout the rest of the video, Rey’s character is constantly ignored and pushed away. The lover is too caught up in his fame to accept the love she wants to give him. At the end of the video, a snippet of “Get Free” by Lana Del Rey plays. “We never got to fly at night, cause they were caught up in the dance.” This is the viewpoint of the man. Too distracted by a trance to give into love.
Despite having multiple warnings, Gallium’s Mustang was the biggest one. Ford Mustangs are known to have a bad reputation, but maybe that’s what makes them so desirable. They’re fast, pretty, and cool, but if the driver can’t handle such a famously designed car, they will be the reason it crashes. A “White Mustang” is a metaphor for the reckless relationship Lana Del Rey was in.
Rey’s broken heart was the writer of this song. She was told that he’d change his ways, and unfortunately, she believed him.