Off to the Races

"Light of my life, fire of my loins," are the opening words to 'Lolita,' if you've read it you'll realise that the song is pretty much like a soundtrack to the book. The book is a classic and LDR has put a nice 'gangsta' spin on it. My favourite song of hers by far...

Another classic Lana love song, even more perverse than her other songs. She wants to be loved the possessive way Humbert Humbert loves Lolita, a twisted love of ownership and worship, where Lover Sugar Daddy owns her like a possession and worships her sexually. As per usual with Lana, the spending of money on her equates to love, because Lana likes the masochistic delight of being owned and bought by another person. Giving herself up to be owned by another is the declaration of the greatest possible love for Lana.

I always assumed it was about being in love with a man who really was only with her for her beauty and sex, honestly. He sounds like he's involved in some kind of illegal activity, possibly drugs.

I have the digital booklet! :D

"Up Bacardi chasers" is "of Bacardi chasers" (and the second chorus is "Now we're off to the races, cases" instead of "Now we're off to the races, races")

"Glass film" is "glass room"

"Fume" is "fumes"

"Tell me you want me" is "tell me you own me"

"Your faces, shameless" is actually "your face is shameless"

"Harlet" is spelled "harlot" (sorry I had to throw that in it was just bothering me :3 )

"The law" is "the Lord" (not literally!)

"I'll never leave you" is "I'd never leave you"

"Pay us" is actually "chaos"

"'Cause you know we'll race this" is "casino oasis"

"Spit" is "spin"

Okay all done.

This song is obviously about the classic "Lolita", by Vladimir Nabokov as the opening line to the book is "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul." Lana has described her style as "Lolita got lost in The Hood," meaning that she has probably read the book, and based "Off To The Races" on it. I believe she uses the book as an overall metaphor for her own life, or it could just possible weave between the two. I think that when she sings 'And I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers, chasin' me all over town', she is using it as a metaphor. When Lana was younger she had problems with alchohol and I think she is saying that the thought of a drink follows her around, like Humbert did Lolita.

There is such a big Lolita theme on this record, I LOVE it! :) The light of my life, fire of my lions is taken straight from the book :)

Hate to be the annoying lyric correcting guy but: *Cipriani's basement, not 'trippy on his basement'.

This whole song is about the book and film Lana Del Rey claims she loves: Lolita. If you watch the film it will all make sense and it's a pet peeve of mine people that claim they love this song without having any idea what its about and just thinking it's another love story. It's more than that as in this song Lana sings as if she is Lolita even from her voice which she makes very child like throughout, even the words are sung from the perspective of a child such as the bit where she almost breaks down about her feelings and sings

"My old man is a thief, and I'm gonna stay and pray with him till the end But I trust in the decision of the LORD, To watch over us Take him when he may, if he may I'm not afraid to say That I'd die without him Who else is gonna put up with me this way I need you, I breathe you, I'D never leave you They would rue the day, I was alone without you

You're lying with your gold chain on Cigar hanging from your lips I said hon' you never looked so beautiful As you do now my man

This bit is very childlike as if she is throwing down all her feelings like she's probbably heard about in the movies and its all very desperate like you get over your first love and you think it will never end. It also highlights how much older Lolita (Lana Del Rey) thinks she is by saying all this.

Absolutely love.

I think the speaker in this song is Carmen, from that later track on her album. The songs might just have similar themes but be completely different, but my interpretation is that both Carmen and the speaker in this song are prostitutes. I think "Carmen" is about the difficulties of a life of prostitution from an outsider's perspective, but "Off to the Races" is Carmen's defense for her lifestyle...she believes (or just tells herself) that she's really living the good life and that her pimp legitimately cares about her and takes care of her.

Just a thought :) I had been wondering about this when I heard some similarities in the two songs, ex: "slipping on my red dress, putting on my makeup" from this song and "put your red dress on, put your lipstick on" from "Carmen."

Lolita.