The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I don't belong in the world
But that's what it is
Something separates me from other people
Everywhere I turn
There's something blocking my escape
It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally it's mine
With dripping peaches
I'm camera ready
Almost all the time
But I still get lonely
And baby only then
Do I let myself recline?
Can I let go?
And let your memory dance
In the ballroom of my mind
Across the county line
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
And that I've been dying
For something real
But I've been dying for something real
It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally I'm fine
Past Ventura
And lenses plenty
In the white sunshine
But you can still find me
If you ask nicely
Underneath the pines
With the daisies
Feeling hazy
In the ballroom of my mind
Across the county line
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
And that I've been dying
For something real
But I've been dying for something real
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
The fact that I can't deal
But that's what it is
Something separates me from other people
Everywhere I turn
There's something blocking my escape
It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally it's mine
With dripping peaches
I'm camera ready
Almost all the time
But I still get lonely
And baby only then
Do I let myself recline?
Can I let go?
And let your memory dance
In the ballroom of my mind
Across the county line
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
And that I've been dying
For something real
But I've been dying for something real
It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally I'm fine
Past Ventura
And lenses plenty
In the white sunshine
But you can still find me
If you ask nicely
Underneath the pines
With the daisies
Feeling hazy
In the ballroom of my mind
Across the county line
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
And that I've been dying
For something real
But I've been dying for something real
It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
The fact that I can't deal
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
13 Beaches Lyrics as written by Rick Nowels Elizabeth Grant
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think in this song Lana is singing about her fame gets her too hard for her because everywhere she goes, she becomes noticed or someone goes up to her and sometimes she just want to be left alone and in a empty beach. In the line, "It hurts to love you , but I still love you," I think she is talking about her fame and fans because she feels like everyone knows everything about her and that makes her feel empty inside.
This is when poetry is put into music. We say that a lot. But most artists don't really do this. This song can be read as a poem. My feeling to what Lana is referring to is either the break up and trying to find inner peace " somewhere" as it took her 13 times metaphorically to get this person out of her mind. She wants to " feel something real" as to how we feel when we depart from something/ someone we love, and just let the memories be in the back if her mind. If not, its definitely a song that echoes feeling alone, trying to come to terms with loss and regaining hope or redemption or if not she would be lying to herself.
It's a song about going to the beach & getting melanoma from not using 50+SPF sunblock lotion. Such a sad song.
J MARK D T H Spar
This song is similar to "High by the Beach" in that they both talk about her love/hate relationship with fame. She likes it, but at the same time she wants privacy and all the attention maybe even makes her feel lonely sometimes?
To me this is about someone who has always had a problem connecting to people because something haunts her and she blames a very obvious breakup on this fact. The relationship wasn't good for her though and she didn't want it to end but she knew it had to. With this relationship out of the way she was able to find peace and solace in the fact that she can't connect... that's what the beach is... but still what else can she do but sit in this paradise and wonder how the other person is? She has some serious cognitive dissonance when she realises that her peace comes at the price of what she needs most to feel alive in this world... a connection, and in particular, to that other person.
i feel like you could interpret 13 beaches in many ways, but my take on it is that should is trying to find an escape, a safe haven away from the famous paparazzi life she lives in. she longs to be in a peaceful and calm area which she doesn’t have to deal with the invasive life of a famous celebrity, always being looked at. her fame becomes a strain to not only her personal life, but with the close relationships she has with others. she finds the 13th beach a home like area where she can be herself without the lights and people.