Old Money

To me, she's talking about a relationship she had many years ago, possibly before she became famous when she was young and still living in her hometown of Lake Placid, a small town in upstate New York. He went away and even though she loves him, she must move on with her life, but is still letting him know that she'd always be willing to run back to him if he ever resurfaced and wanted to reconnect with her again. She's basically thinking back on her youth and the summers they used to spend together and even though she had all this nice stuff in her life, she still felt alone. This is a beautiful song, by the way, brings a tear to my eye.

So far my favorite song on the ablum

From Ultraviolence audio commentary, Lana's comment on the song:

"Old Money is probably one of the tracks on the record that’s the most idyllic of them all. It’s more based in kind of, fantastical snapshots I have of being on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, like I was channeling something. It’s really my oldest track on the record because it’s, it’s a song that’s been in the works for about 5 years. It was called 'Methamphetamines' at first. And what’s funny is, I had to talk to my publishing company, because, I didn’t know that I was referencing a melody from the original score of Romeo and Juliet from I think, the sixties. It was so similar that, you know half of the publishing belongs to them as well now. But obviously I was channeling something really nostalgic. For me it’s also one of my favorite tracks."

In the beginning, she is just listing things that remind her of a past life/love, maybe, which are all images that paint a nostalgic, sad picture of happier times in our heads. The kids who were young and pretty, I believe, are Lana and her lover, as we later find out. She asks where he's been, since the happy times feel so long ago. I love this line: "So is the girl you used to call the Queen of New York City." It's a bittersweet song, and a great counterpart to Young & Beautiful. Y&B is told from the present looking at the future, and OM is told from the present (or, the future of Y&B) looking at the past. I love the connection there. Even though they are broken up and in the past, she obviously still loves him, because at any call in the blink of an eye, she would come running back to him. That's extreme devotion. The second verse is even stronger. "The power of youth is on my mind. Sunset, small town--I'm out of time." This is either a song about made up people who are older and have lived their lives, looking back at the past, or a song about her currently, growing older and feeling old, missing her youthful past. The next line alludes to Y&B. She wants to be known for her career and artistry, not her looks. That is more important to her. She references her love for her parents, and how even though she should feel loved and such, she still feels alone. She's always been unique and had this longing for something, as she has said many times. She's never known why, but I think she is happy, since it has shaped her music and who she is in general. The song is so sad. I think Old Money is a metaphor with double meaning: her music often talks about the life of the rich and famous, but on another more personal level, maybe OM refers to a past love--the one from many of the other songs. A while ago she said "I will always love the same man. He will always inspire me." I don't think she was lying.

This song makes me think of times long ago.

It feels like to me like this was about : you are in love but you are so sure that the passion will pass away and your love will leave you alone but no matter what if she/he calls for you, you'll still run to him/her.

I don't think this song is about a past relationship but her parents given the song's title is Old Money, it's well known that Lana comes from a wealthy background and can be classed as old money.

I really love the violins. So touching. Reminds me of Lanas Paradise Tour and would have fit perfectly in the Born To Die Album. Anyway, the song gives Ultraviolence a perfect touch of nostalgia and melancholia.

I don't like to think of this as describing specifically a past relationship. This song always puts me in this humble,sad mood where I feel disconnected from everything and everyone around me,and what I feel from it is a longing for the past in general. It makes me think she's not just missing people or places but feelings and a state of mind she used to have. The world doesn't seem right to her anymore,and she only feels truly connected to her memories. Ever since listening to 'Swan Song',I look back on some of her songs as if she's talking to her older self,and when she says she'll run to them if they call,she conveys this willingness to forget everything she is right now to salvage who she used to be,maybe before what feels like depression overcame her. "Yet still inside,I felt alone for reasons unknown to me," is a line that personally hurts because I do feel alone on a deeper level than most people can really understand. I resonate a lot with the isolation that pervades this song. It makes me feel truer to myself. I hope writing it has helped her too.

This song stood out to me on the album. I kind of took the title from being a Great Gatsby reference. It seems to be the only song on the album that really still sounds like Born to Die in a way. It's very sullen. Definitely about an old love she still has desperate love for and will always answer his call.