Visual/Digital Essay - Semiotic Analysis on Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Drew Sullivan

Album Overview - DYKTATUOB

dsul4444 — 2025-03-25 18:50:08 UTC

This album forms herself as a body. It is extremely personal to Lana as it covers her legacy, personal explorations, and personal discoveries. The way she creates her music allows anyone to relate to it, find personal meaning and purpose for issues in life. This album commodifies the importance of self-growth as it is a journey through her life expressed through her poetic writing and artistic symbolism, that also has the room for the listener to connect to it. All of the tracks' connection to self reflectance, purpose, and other references build it into a strong body of work. The tracks illustrate how she is the tunnel, how the album is the tunnel, and how we are transported through this tunnel with the help of the songs. This album talks about overlooked topics in music, topics that people might avoid or blow over. But these are very relevant topics to her and to the listener.

Track 1 - The Grants

dsul4444 — 2025-03-27 18:39:19 UTC

Opening the album, "The Grants" sets the tone with its themes of family, memories, and her legacy. Lana Del Rey sings about carrying the memories of loved ones with her. It ties back to the albums theme of searching for meaning and purpose in the past but also preserving what has been lost.

Track 2 - Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?

dsul4444 — 2025-03-27 18:40:49 UTC

The title track to this album uses the metaphor of a real abandoned tunnel in LA to reflect Lana's fear of being forgotten. While this song also has sexual undertones she expresses how she wants someone to "open" her up and not let her fade into nothing. She refers to how the tunnel has been covered up and how there's hidden beauty inside it, reflecting her body and self image.

Track 3 - Sweet

dsul4444 — 2025-03-27 18:51:39 UTC

The 3rd song "Sweet" explores the complexity of love and identity. She compares materialistic desires with emotional fulfillment. She questions whether she will ever find someone that truly loves her and understands her.

Track 4 - A&W

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:45:52 UTC

This is one of the album's most divided songs, "A&W" which is a reference to the American soda of the same name, but also an acronym for "American whore." It moves from an intimate storytelling about innocence lost to a very rebellious second half. It reflects Lana's struggle between vulnerability and femininity while also showing her duality of her private and public self. Lana's vulnerability and self awareness of this song not only add to the albums theme of self reflectance but can reflect the tension between authentic alienation and its commodification in Halnon's "Alienation Incorporated: ‘F** the Mainstream Music’ in the Mainstream". Halon talks about how, "The writers discuss subjects such as the commercialization of beatnik, grunge and punk styles and the corporate cultivation of the ‘rebel consumer’. They explain how rebellion, revolution and/or counter-culture have become standard catchphrases of the new standard marketing strategy" (448). In "A&W" this idea can be linked to Lana's exploration of the duality of her public image. She balances the pressures as being seen as both an icon of rebellion and a product of mainstream music culture.

Track 5 - Judah Smith Interlude

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:46:35 UTC

This interlude features a sermon by pastor Judah Smith, which critiques modern love and sin. It talks about religious themes that appear throughout the album, mainly in the conflict of self-indulgence and spiritual yearning.

Track 6 - Candy Necklace (feat. Jon Batiste)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:47:59 UTC

Lana uses the metaphor of candy necklaces for not long lasting pleasure and tendencies that are self destructive. The song displays the toxic cycles that she falls into. Also in the official music video for the song Lana is seen without her necklace and standing next to her star in Hollywood, reflecting how leaving these tendencies gave her what she deserved.

Alt. Cover - 1

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:49:22 UTC

There is several different variations of covers used for Lana Del Rey's 9th album, prominently they all share one thing in common that is different from her other albums. This album is about her and it shows through the cover art being mainly her focused on her face or her body. Further strengthening the connection of her with this album.

Track 8 - Kintsugi

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:53:27 UTC

Named after the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold, this track is an embracement of her past wounds and shows how she doesn't hide them anymore. She learns how her loss and pain shaped who she is total, which reinforces the album's theme of self growth.

Track 7 - Jon Batiste Interlude

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:56:40 UTC

One of her more jazzy free flowing interludes that emphasizes the importance of joy and spontaneity in life. It contrasts the weight of surrounding songs and feels like a dream.

Alt. Cover - 2

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:57:26 UTC

The importance of these covers shows the album's themes of self-reflection, personal history, and identify. While many of the songs talk about her fear of abandonment, she's making a statement of self perception by making herself the center of attention.

Track 9 - Fingertips

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:58:26 UTC

Possibly her most autobiographical song, Fingertips is a stream of consciousness reflection on family trauma, fear of the future, and her own mental health. It's deeply personal to Lana and further strengthens the albums exploration of self-growth and learning from the past.

Track 10 - Paris, Texas (feat. SYML)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 04:59:44 UTC

This track shows a quiet and almost surreal reflection on detachment and escape. It also underscores her need for solitude and self preservation, which ties back to the theme of purpose sprinkled throughout the album.

Track 11 - Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he's deep-sea fishing

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:01:24 UTC

While this song is a mouthful, it brings together her family connections and her artistic insecurities. She questions fate, destiny and the presence of her ancestors, which continues to uplift the reoccurring themes.

Track 12 - Let The Light In (feat. Father John Misty)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:06:15 UTC

This duet talks about a doomed, reckless romance that she can't seem to resist from. It shows her tendency to chase love even when Lana knows it will hurt her. This songs topic can also be seen mirroring the self destructive themes of "Candy Necklace"

Alt. Cover - 3

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:07:22 UTC

While we progress through the different album covers, it can be noted how intimate the visuals become. It mirrors the confessional theme of this album almost feeling diary like.

Track 13 - Margaret (feat. Bleachers)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:08:28 UTC

This song is dedicated to the producer, Jack Antonoff’s fiancée, Margaret Qualley. This song provides a rare moment of optimism, suggesting that love, though complicated, is worth it when it’s real.

Track 14 - Fishtail

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:09:36 UTC

Just like the album, "Fishtail" has a doubling meaning with its song lyrics. This track is another great example of the albums theme of self and self reflection. It focuses on using braids as a metaphor for trust or care. On a darker note, there are throwbacks and references to Lana's real debut album. Which further strengthens this albums theme of self growth by referencing her past. It ties to the song "Jump" from "Lana Del Ray A.K.A Lizzy Grant," a song about suicide.

Track 15 - Peppers (feat. Tommy Genesis)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:13:04 UTC

This song is unlike the others, it's playful representation of Lana's careless side. As it nears the end of this tunnel, this song shows self growth. While taking in everything from the tracks before, it is a moment of lighthearted escapism before the albums finale. "Peppers" embraces the confidence and growth she has gained from her past by comparing herself to the actress Angelina Jolie. It can be seen as a beginning of the end before the last track, by fueling her inner power from the tracks before.

Track 16 - Taco Truck x VB

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:14:07 UTC

This closing track revisits "Venice B*tch" from the past album "Norman F*cking Rockwell!" creating a full circle. This finale shows how Lana is constantly looking back and re-examining her past while still trying to move forward. A perfect album to reference as "Norman F*cking Rockwell!" is a reflection of our world, talking about dreams and criticism on world situations. She finalizes this album by showing she's changed from her problem's and now the world should too.

Alt. Cover - 4

dsul4444 — 2025-03-30 05:16:34 UTC

Finally, the repeated emphasis on Lana's face and body perfectly align with the albums theme of self reflection and identity. While also showing acceptance of her body and personal history.

Unreleased Track - Zodiac (Purify)

dsul4444 — 2025-03-31 03:01:25 UTC

The 17th song of DYKTTATUOB was cut but soon after leaked and there was no note about why this song is an outtake. It does explore very heavy topics about exploitation and references real life incidences like Elizabeth Short and the Gilgo Beach victims. While it also addressing Lana's own personal struggles. This song fits the album very well and it should have been released. This single highlights the lives of the victims while talking about how they lived and not how they died, unlike the press. It's a great tie up of the albums exploration of self growth and looking back at the past.

Will you remember me when I'm gone?

dsul4444 — 2025-04-01 21:35:56 UTC

Throughout Ocean Blvd, Lana wrestles with identity, mortality, love, and the fear of being forgotten. She searches for meaning in memories, family, and spirituality, planting a narrative of self exploration through the songs lyrics and visuals. The recurring themes of loss, nostalgia, and personal destruction make this one of her most intimate and vulnerable albums, ultimately asking the listener: "Will you remember me when I’m gone?"