To me UV has so many levels. I was wandering what your personal interpretation of the album is? Lana has said the standard edition is a story and I see it. I also see double meanings for songs as apart of the story and then on their own. Here is my interpretation:
Cruel World: Setting the tone for the rest of the album. Establishes the main character as self destructive and one half of a tumultuous on and off relationship.
Ultraviolence: Elaborates on this relationship further. Alluding to some domestic abuse. Also sets the time in the 70's when she says "we could go back to Woodstock"
Shades of Cool: Discusses the depression and flaws of her boyfriend (likely inspired by Barrie)
Brooklyn Baby: Sets the setting of the first half of the story in Brooklyn and the 70's. It also establishes that this first lover is young. Standing on it's own it's a humorous satire of current hipsters and some people's preconceived notions of her.
West Coast: Her telling her current boyfriend that she's leaving him to go to the West Coast and pursue her dreams. The "sweet boy" in the chorus is perhaps the man she is leaving him for. When thought of what comes next in the album and thinking back to the video it makes sense that this man is older.
Sad Girl: This song sets the stage for what's actually happening to her on the West Coast. She's a mistress to the older man from West Coast and even as she tries to say that she's enjoying herself, her sadness comes through in the bridge and chorus.
Pretty When You Cry: Another song about her sadness with her current relationship. She's always waiting to get attention from this man who can't give her all his attention and love.
Money Power Glory: As apart of the story it's her growing angry with her current position as his mistress and discussing what she really wants out of life and threatening to perhaps go public and ruin his marriage to get what she wants. As a stand alone track it is another satirical piece about people's perception of her.
****ed My Way Up to the Top: In the story I think it serves to conclude the arc as a mistress. I think the "lay me down tonight" is her saying that their relationship is ending. Then I think the "I ****ed my way up to the top" is her literally saying what her character has done and the "this is my show" is sort of her facing what her life has truly become. On it's own the track is the Lorde/Gaga diss and also satire on people's idea of who she is.
Old Money: I think this was inspired by Gatsby. In the context of the story I think it is her calling back to her first lover( he called her the "queen of New York City") and her wishing she had stayed but perhaps accepting that it could never be at this point. This echos Daisy's struggle.
The Other Woman: This song is the main character reflecting on what her life was and eventually became of it. She was left all alone as the years went by.
All and all I think the album is an American tragedy discussing the broken american dreams of one character that universally relates to many
I'll post what I think of them all later, but overall I like the feel of the album. I think that there's a lot of emotion in it, while also building on the tragedy that comes with feeling so many ups and downs. It showcases, in a way, what many people think but never really feel like or choose to say,
