‘Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?’ The beautiful, dreamy sound of ‘Born to Die’ could only have come from ‘Born to Die’ singer Lana Del Rey.
The song begins with a quiet piano, later joined by a stunning violin, but the production is not the highlight of the song.
The poetic lyrics describe the abandoned Jurgens tunnel, ‘a man-made beauty sealed by two man-made walls’, that had been forgotten. Lana wonders if she will one day be forgotten and abandoned by the public as well. The shockingly honest and unfiltered words reference ‘God Knows I Tried’ from her third album ‘Honeymoon’. But even those aren’t the standout elements of the song.
The best part of the track is to bring your own. Her angelic voice envelops the reader in a wave of quiet sadness amid baroque, orchestral music.
The soulful performance proves that Lana Del Rey needn’t be afraid to be forgotten. His voice and catalog will stand the test of time.