[Verse 1] He used to call me DN That stood for Deadly Nightshade 'Cause I was filled with poison But blessed with beauty and rage Jim told me that, he hit me and it felt like a kiss Jim brought me back, reminded me of when we were kids
[Chorus] With his ultraviolence Ultraviolence Ultraviolence Ultraviolence I can hear sirens, sirens He hit me and it felt like a kiss I can hear violins, violins Give me all of that ultraviolence
[Verse 2] He used to call me poison Like I was Poison Ivy I could have died right there 'Cause he was right beside me Jim raised me up, he hurt me but it felt like true love Jim taught me that, loving him was never enough
[Chorus] With his ultraviolence Ultraviolence Ultraviolence Ultraviolence I can hear sirens, sirens He hit me and it felt like a kiss I can hear violins, violins Give me all of that ultraviolence
[Bridge] We could go back to New York Loving you was really hard We could go back to Woodstock Where they don't know who we are Heaven is on Earth I would do anything for you, baby Blessed is this union Crying tears of gold like lemonade
[Interlude] I love you the first time, I love you the last time Yo soy la princesa, comprende mis white lines 'Cause I'm your jazz singer and you're my cult leader I love you forever, I love you forever
[Chorus] With his ultraviolence (Lay me down tonight) Ultraviolence (In my linen and curls) Ultraviolence (Lay me down tonight) Ultraviolence (Riviera Girls) I can hear sirens, sirens He hit me and it felt like a kiss I can hear violins, violins Give me all of that ultraviolence
It is interesting that one of Lana’s most controversial songs lays reference to a controversial piece of literature. When I read (actually listened to on audible) Clockwork I was expecting a lot worse as far as violence goes. Maybe I’ve been too desensitized, but I didn’t think the mugging and rape scenes were that graphic. The only thing that might have been disturbing was Alex’s complete lack of remorse. Throughout the book, he had no apparent motive for committing his crimes other than he simply enjoyed it. I think it was intentional to not offer any sort of explanation or motive because the reader has absolutely no sympathy for Alex as he is incarcerated and then begins his radical therapy.
When you have even the slightest inclination to feel sorry for Alex after he undergoes his therapy, you are reminded by the prison Chaplain that he didn’t choose to be this way. The most memorable quote for me was, “goodness is something chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.”
After Alex’s suicide attempt, it appears that he loses the effects of his therapy and breifly returns to his old ways. However, in the last chapter, he expresses a desire to do something more with his life than just run around the city reeking havoc. He meets up with one of his old droogs who now has a wife. This plants in him the idea of him someday also having a wife and child and he wants to be better.
Even if this weren’t a novel to be read for analysis, the vernacular made it interesting and added to the dystopian feel.
The song Ultraviolence doesn’t seem to have much common with the book other than borrowing the term. When the album dropped LDR came under a lot of fire for this song, specifically the phrase “he hit me and it felt like a kiss.” People were saying she was glamorizing domestic violence, etc etc. and to make it worse, when asked about it, she offered no explanation. Personally I liked that she never explained anything, and let her listeners make up their own minds. To quote her in Brooklyn Baby, “you never liked the way I said it, if you don’t get it then forget it. Cause I don’t have to fucking explain it.” I think we have come full circle in feminist thought where now the extreme left is its own kind of censorship, leaving absolutely no room for critical thought.
In Ultraviolence, LDR describes an all-consuming love, but listening further it is clear she is describing an extremely dysfunctional relationship. The man ‘Jim’ most likely refers to Jim Jones, as she later says ‘you’re my cult leader.’ This isn’t the only time LDR refers to cult culture. In Heroin she references Marilyn Manson, and in her music video for Freak you have Father John Misty portraying a cult leader surrounded by his ‘brides.’ Later they are seen ingesting what appears to be cool aid, another reference to Jim Jones.
The interest in cult culture isn’t new, and doesn’t necessarily make one a domestic violence apologist. In fact, I would argue that in the song Ultraviolence, the allusion to a cult is one way to explain such a dysfunctional relationship, which is the subject of most of LDR’s early work. Even the sound of this song makes you think something creepy is going on. While she sings ‘I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you forever,’ you get the sense that something is off. In the music video, she is dressed as a bride and makes her way through a forest towards her groom, only to be left standing along at the end.
Was the Clockwork reference intentional or just a convenient coincidence? I think if you look hard enough, you could come up with a really great analysis. I don’t see that much connection, but for my first LDR Summertime Sadness 2020 book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will continue to listen to this song, but now with something more.
Clockwork Orange/Ultraviolence
LDR Summertime Sadness Reading 2020
[Verse 1]
He used to call me DN
That stood for Deadly Nightshade
'Cause I was filled with poison
But blessed with beauty and rage
Jim told me that, he hit me and it felt like a kiss
Jim brought me back, reminded me of when we were kids
[Chorus]
With his ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
I can hear sirens, sirens
He hit me and it felt like a kiss
I can hear violins, violins
Give me all of that ultraviolence
[Verse 2]
He used to call me poison
Like I was Poison Ivy
I could have died right there
'Cause he was right beside me
Jim raised me up, he hurt me but it felt like true love
Jim taught me that, loving him was never enough
[Chorus]
With his ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence
I can hear sirens, sirens
He hit me and it felt like a kiss
I can hear violins, violins
Give me all of that ultraviolence
[Bridge]
We could go back to New York
Loving you was really hard
We could go back to Woodstock
Where they don't know who we are
Heaven is on Earth
I would do anything for you, baby
Blessed is this union
Crying tears of gold like lemonade
[Interlude]
I love you the first time, I love you the last time
Yo soy la princesa, comprende mis white lines
'Cause I'm your jazz singer and you're my cult leader
I love you forever, I love you forever
[Chorus]
With his ultraviolence (Lay me down tonight)
Ultraviolence (In my linen and curls)
Ultraviolence (Lay me down tonight)
Ultraviolence (Riviera Girls)
I can hear sirens, sirens
He hit me and it felt like a kiss
I can hear violins, violins
Give me all of that ultraviolence
It is interesting that one of Lana’s most controversial songs lays reference to a controversial piece of literature. When I read (actually listened to on audible) Clockwork I was expecting a lot worse as far as violence goes. Maybe I’ve been too desensitized, but I didn’t think the mugging and rape scenes were that graphic. The only thing that might have been disturbing was Alex’s complete lack of remorse. Throughout the book, he had no apparent motive for committing his crimes other than he simply enjoyed it. I think it was intentional to not offer any sort of explanation or motive because the reader has absolutely no sympathy for Alex as he is incarcerated and then begins his radical therapy.
When you have even the slightest inclination to feel sorry for Alex after he undergoes his therapy, you are reminded by the prison Chaplain that he didn’t choose to be this way. The most memorable quote for me was, “goodness is something chosen. When a man cannot choose, he ceases to be a man.”
After Alex’s suicide attempt, it appears that he loses the effects of his therapy and breifly returns to his old ways. However, in the last chapter, he expresses a desire to do something more with his life than just run around the city reeking havoc. He meets up with one of his old droogs who now has a wife. This plants in him the idea of him someday also having a wife and child and he wants to be better.
Even if this weren’t a novel to be read for analysis, the vernacular made it interesting and added to the dystopian feel.
The song Ultraviolence doesn’t seem to have much common with the book other than borrowing the term. When the album dropped LDR came under a lot of fire for this song, specifically the phrase “he hit me and it felt like a kiss.” People were saying she was glamorizing domestic violence, etc etc. and to make it worse, when asked about it, she offered no explanation. Personally I liked that she never explained anything, and let her listeners make up their own minds. To quote her in Brooklyn Baby, “you never liked the way I said it, if you don’t get it then forget it. Cause I don’t have to fucking explain it.” I think we have come full circle in feminist thought where now the extreme left is its own kind of censorship, leaving absolutely no room for critical thought.
In Ultraviolence, LDR describes an all-consuming love, but listening further it is clear she is describing an extremely dysfunctional relationship. The man ‘Jim’ most likely refers to Jim Jones, as she later says ‘you’re my cult leader.’ This isn’t the only time LDR refers to cult culture. In Heroin she references Marilyn Manson, and in her music video for Freak you have Father John Misty portraying a cult leader surrounded by his ‘brides.’ Later they are seen ingesting what appears to be cool aid, another reference to Jim Jones.
The interest in cult culture isn’t new, and doesn’t necessarily make one a domestic violence apologist. In fact, I would argue that in the song Ultraviolence, the allusion to a cult is one way to explain such a dysfunctional relationship, which is the subject of most of LDR’s early work. Even the sound of this song makes you think something creepy is going on. While she sings ‘I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you forever,’ you get the sense that something is off. In the music video, she is dressed as a bride and makes her way through a forest towards her groom, only to be left standing along at the end.
Was the Clockwork reference intentional or just a convenient coincidence? I think if you look hard enough, you could come up with a really great analysis. I don’t see that much connection, but for my first LDR Summertime Sadness 2020 book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will continue to listen to this song, but now with something more.