☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the melancholic memory of a past love that resurfaces particularly strong in the summer.
- With the line 'Kiss me hard before you go', she hints at an impending separation and symbolizes the fleeting nature of summer romances.
- Despite her sadness, the singer tries to overcome the pain by wearing her red dress and dancing in the moonlight, living in the moment.
- The recurring line 'I've got that summertime, summertime sadness' illustrates the seasonally-induced melancholy and the nostalgic memory of happy times with her former lover.
- The line 'I think I'll miss you forever... Even if you're gone I'm gonna drive' shows her determination to move on and celebrate life despite the sadness and longing for her ex-lover.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Summertime Sadness' by
Lana Del Rey are a melancholic ode to a past love. She expresses her sadness and melancholy that particularly come to the surface in the summer.
At the beginning of the song, she asks her lover to kiss her hard before he leaves, suggesting that she expects an impending separation. This could symbolize the fleeting nature of summer romances.
The lines 'I got my red dress on tonight... High heels off, I'm feeling alive' show how she tries to overcome her sadness by wearing her red dress and dancing in the moonlight. She takes off her high heels, indicating that she is trying to truly live in the moment.
The recurring 'I've got that summertime, summertime sadness' illustrates her seasonally-induced melancholy. She feels sad in the summer, perhaps because it reminds her of the happy times she spent with her lover.
In the line 'I'm feelin' electric tonight... I know if I go, I'll die happy tonight', she expresses that she feels alive and electric tonight and that if she dies, she'll die happy. This could indicate that she is willing to confront the pain and sadness to honor the love she once had.
In the chorus 'I think I'll miss you forever... Even if you're gone I'm gonna drive', she expresses her eternal longing for her lover and that she will carry on even if he's gone. This shows her determination to move forward despite her sadness.
Overall, the lyrics of 'Summertime Sadness' by Lana Del Rey are about the sadness that accompanies the end of a love and the attempt to carry on and celebrate life despite that pain.