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.
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.