off to the races - lana del rey // slowed {with lyrics}

Song meaning:

Lana professes her love for her rich, gangster boyfriend.“Off to the Races” is inspired by the book Lolita, written by Vladimir Nabokov. Lana portrays a character (which is a hybrid of her own image and Lolita) that has a criminal past of alcohol, stripping and overspending. She falls in love with a wealthy gangster who has a profound love for women, cocaine, and money. This persona is not entirely fictional—Lana really did have an alcohol problem as a young girl.Lana runs rampant through the city, crashing parties and drinking to excess. Although they are both bad people with dark pasts, they adore each other, despite their many flaws. This is a divergence from Nabokov’s classic; however, as Humbert’s devotion to Lolita is unreciprocated.

'Doesn't mind I have a L.A. crass way about me' - L.A. changed Lana from being an innocent young girl into being just as corrupt as Hollywood is. Her lover doesn’t really care that she’s become like the other girls in L.A., who have a reputation of being spoiled and materialistic.

'Light of my life, fire of my loins' - It's a reference to the first line of “Lolita”. Ironically, it was Humbert, the old man, who said this line, not Lolita.

'Gimme them gold coins' - Their relationship is based on the exchange of sex for money/power. This echoes Lolita, as Lolita was paid to perform sexual favours.

'Off to the races' - It’s an upper-class event, but with gambling, alcohol & drugs involved. For something to be “off to the races” it’s just beginning or starting. They're in the early stages of their relationship, before any heartache has set in.

'Facing time again at Rikers Island and I won't get out' - Rikers Island is a well-known American prison. She’s saying that because of whatever she’s done she has to stay there for life. It might be a metaphor for her relationship with her man. She feels imprisoned and that she can never escape.

'I'm crazy..save me I'm your little scarlet, starlet singing in the garden' - She's too wild & needs an older, more mature man to save her. “Little'"and "singing in the garden” reflects how young she is, but scarlet shows she's still a woman. This is a direct reference to Lolita. She tries to manipulate her old man into getting her off the hook. “scarlet, starlet” is a Lolita reference to a poem Humbert wrote after he had lost Lolita: "Lips: scarlet..Profession: none, or “starlet". Lolita’s mother refers to Lolita as seeing herself as a starlet as well: “She sees herself as a starlet". “Singing in the garden” – There’s a scene from the ‘62 version of Lolita, where Humbert checks Lolita out while she’s playing with the hula-hoop.

'My tar black soul' - Lana’s man loves her, regardless of her dark soul. “Tar black” could be a reference to black tar heroin, with Lana implying that she’s hooked on the drug.

'Doesn't mind I have a flat, broke-down life..it's what he might like about me admires me, the way I roll like a rollin' stone' - The Million Dollar Man isn't prejudiced to Lana because she is poorer than him , he finds it fascinating how Lana lives life on the wild side. This is a reference to Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone”, which describes a person who's always moving around as they can’t settle anywhere. It may also reference how she can roll (a cigarette or marijuana joint) or roll (live wildly) in a manner typified by the rock band The Rolling Stones. Given how she relies on her lover for alcohol and possibly drugs, this is a very likely possibility.

'Cipriani's basement..I'm going down' - Cipriani’s Basement refers to the Rainbow Room, an expensive restaurant. Her going down is humorous as she's already in a basement. “Going down” may refer to the self-destructive lifestyle & relationship finally catching up with her. She’s making a complete mess of herself & getting into trouble; her extravagant lifestyle is crashing down & she can’t do anything about it.

'Queen of Coney Island...sorry 'bout it' - Coney Island is in Lana's home city. Coney Island is known to have some Sin City tendencies, so she is the queen of sin, the queen of prostitution. Her apology demonstrates her “L.A. crass” personality. After talking about the trouble and chaos she’s in & the trouble she may be causing her lover, she dismisses it with a simple, dismissive apology. She doesn’t care about her actions, nor stopping her behaviour.

'I'd die without him' - Without him (and his money), she’d probably end up on the streets or dead out of stubbornness and vanity.

'Gold chain on, cigar hanging from your lips..so beautiful' - Gold chains and hanging cigars are associated with the image of a fat cat sugar daddy. It’s clear that this man is her type.

'Las Vegas..casino..time to spin' - Las Vegas is a wild place filled with nefarious deeds. Spinning refers to Roulette gambling game. It evokes a romantic image of dancing, and an image of the room spinning out of control as a result of drugs.

Source: Genius

Disclaimer: I do not own this music