High By The Beach

"High By The Beach" operates on a dual-layered meaning, addressing both a failed romantic relationship and Lana Del Rey's contentious relationship with the media and fame. On the surface, it's a breakup anthem about a woman who is fed up with her partner's disingenuous behavior (“The truth is I never bought into your bullshit”). She feels worn down by the relationship (“Lovin’ you is hard, bein’ here’s harder”) and desires to escape into a state of personal peace and apathy, symbolized by the act of getting high by the beach.

On a deeper, more allegorical level, the song is a powerful statement about the intrusive nature of fame. The 'lover' can be interpreted as the public eye or the media, which pays her insincere 'tribute' while simultaneously creating a surreal and unbearable reality for her. Her desire to 'get high by the beach' becomes a metaphor for finding a private sanctuary away from the relentless scrutiny of paparazzi and critics. The iconic music video for the song makes this interpretation explicit, showing Del Rey in a secluded beach house being stalked by a photographer in a helicopter, which she ultimately shoots down with a large firearm. This act of violent defiance symbolizes her reclaiming her privacy and power, and her refusal to be a passive victim of celebrity culture.

The narrative unfolds from the perspective of a woman caught in a wearying and difficult relationship. She directly addresses her partner, acknowledging the mutual awareness of her feelings. The act of loving him is draining, and simply existing in the current situation is even more challenging. She relinquishes control, admitting she can no longer steer the course of their connection, expressing a profound sense of exhaustion and a desire to abandon the charade. The reality they share feels surreal and unsustainable, a fragile construct she cannot survive in if it represents the entirety of her existence.

Her ultimate desire is distilled into a simple, repetitive mantra: to get high by the beach. This isn't just a pursuit of intoxication but a profound yearning for mental and emotional escape, a way to detach from the overwhelming pressures. It’s a declaration of wanting to simply get by, to survive, and to bid farewell to the toxicity. She then launches into a powerful disavowal of her partner's insincerity. She asserts that she never believed his hollow praises or superficial tributes, recognizing them as empty gestures. Underneath it all, her core desire remained this singular, personal form of peace and release—getting high by the beach, a final, definitive goodbye.

The second verse shifts to a more confrontational and dismissive tone. She observes him, knowing he doesn't truly understand her or the situation. She concedes that he might project an image of a tough, formidable man, but she astutely declares that this facade doesn't equate to genuine manhood or integrity. His behavior has escalated, transforming him from a lover into just another problem she has to manage. She delivers a grim prognosis for their future, stating plainly that they won't survive this. Their relationship is collapsing, sinking like two people into quicksand, an inevitable and suffocating end. This realization only reinforces her central plea. The chorus returns with even greater urgency, a hypnotic chant solidifying her resolve to seek solace in her own private world, far from his influence and the wreckage of their connection. The repetition of 'bye bye' becomes a final, liberating incantation.

"High by the Beach" was written by Lana Del Rey alongside her frequent collaborators Rick Nowels and Kieron Menzies. It was one of the last tracks recorded for her fourth studio album, Honeymoon (2015), at The Green Building in Santa Monica, California. The song's development began with the chorus, which was inspired by a period when Del Rey found herself frequently driving by the beach. She described the initial harmony as having an "Andrews Sisters vibe" that sounded almost monotone, but when combined with a trap beat, it took on a new dimension.

The song was officially announced on August 4, 2015, via Del Rey's Instagram account, with a planned release date of August 10. The cover art, a pastel-colored image of Del Rey on a dock, was shot by her sister, Chuck Grant. However, the track leaked online on August 8, two days ahead of schedule. In response, the official audio was released as planned on August 10, premiering on Apple Music's Beats 1 and BBC Radio 1. Producer Kieron Menzies explained that he aimed to translate Del Rey's vision into a hazy, lo-fi aesthetic that fused hip-hop and psychedelic elements, using techniques like programming beats and bass lines and employing creative mixing to achieve the song's distinctive sound.

The rhyme and rhythm of "High By The Beach" are integral to its hypnotic and defiant mood. The song is set to a slow, deliberate tempo with a distinct trap beat that gives it a modern, hazy sway. This rhythmic foundation creates a sense of languidness that perfectly matches the lyrical theme of wanting to escape and relax. The lyrical rhythm often follows the laid-back feel of the music, with Del Rey's phrasing gliding over the beat.

The rhyme scheme is relatively straightforward, primarily using couplets and simple end rhymes within its verses (e.g., "me"/"feel", "harder"/"harder", "man"/"hand"/"sand"), which contributes to its direct, conversational feel. The chorus, however, relies more on repetition than complex rhyme. The hypnotic repetition of the key phrases "get high by the beach" and "get by, baby, baby, bye bye" functions as a memorable hook and a powerful mantra, embedding the song's central message in the listener's mind. This interplay between the simple verse structure and the chant-like chorus creates a powerful dynamic that is both accessible and emotionally resonant.

"High By The Beach" marks a stylistic fusion that blends elements from Del Rey's previous works while forging a new sound. Musically, it combines the hip-hop and trip-hop influences of her Born to Die era with a more contemporary trap-pop sensibility. The song's production is characterized by a synth-led, hazy, and somewhat lo-fi aesthetic. Key musical techniques include:

• Trap-Influenced Beat: A prominent, skittering trap rhythm drives the song, giving it a modern and radio-friendly edge compared to the more orchestral or rock-driven tracks from her previous albums.
• Dreamy Instrumentation: The arrangement features a hypnotic, orchestral organ synth line that creates a woozy, almost psychedelic atmosphere, reinforcing the theme of escapism.
• Vocal Delivery: Del Rey employs her signature languid and ethereal vocal style, but infuses it with a sense of weary defiance. The chorus features layered, repetitive vocals that are both catchy and hypnotic, enhancing the song's mantra-like quality.
• Lyrical Directness: Lyrically, the song is notable for its blunt and assertive tone, a departure from the more submissive personas in some of her earlier work. Lines like "The truth is I never bought into your bullshit" and "that don't make you a man" showcase a confrontational and empowered narrative voice.

"High by the Beach" was released as the lead single from Lana Del Rey's fourth album, Honeymoon, and was met with widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised its trap-pop production and catchy chorus, noting it was more radio-friendly and upbeat than much of her previous work, drawing favorable comparisons to her breakout album Born to Die. The song debuted at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. While initial reports from Billboard mistakenly placed its debut at number 7 with much higher sales figures, this was later corrected. It also charted internationally, peaking at number 60 in the UK.

Its most significant cultural impact came from its music video, directed by Jake Nava. The video's powerful imagery, particularly the final scene where Del Rey calmly shoots down a paparazzi helicopter with a large gun, became an iconic moment in her videography. This act was widely interpreted as a potent statement against media intrusion and a symbol of female empowerment, cementing the song as a defiant anthem about reclaiming one's privacy and power. The song remains a fan favorite and a key track in Del Rey's discography, representing a pivotal moment where she directly confronted the themes of fame and scrutiny that have long been intertwined with her artistic persona.

The song and its accompanying music video are rich with symbolism and metaphors that articulate themes of escapism and defiance.

• Getting High by the Beach: This central phrase is a potent metaphor for achieving a state of mental and emotional escape. It represents a desire to retreat from a toxic reality—be it a bad relationship or the pressures of fame—into a personal sanctuary of peace, apathy, and solitude.
• The Beach House: In the music video, the house serves as a symbol of privacy and a personal haven. However, its large windows and open views also represent vulnerability to outside intrusion. It is her castle, but one that is under siege.
• The Helicopter: The helicopter prominently featured in the music video is the most direct and powerful symbol. It represents the invasive media, the paparazzi, and the relentless public scrutiny that Del Rey has faced throughout her career. It is a mechanical, menacing presence that violates her private space.
• The Gun: The large firearm that Del Rey retrieves from a guitar case to shoot down the helicopter is a symbol of empowerment, rebellion, and the reclaiming of her own narrative. By destroying the helicopter, she symbolically destroys the oppressive gaze of the media and asserts her own agency in a dramatic, definitive act of defiance.

The most significant recurring element in "High By The Beach" is its title phrase, which functions as the song's central thesis and primary lyrical motif. The line "All I wanna do is get high by the beach" is repeated extensively throughout the chorus, acting as a hypnotic mantra. This repetition drills home the core theme of escapism and the deep yearning for a peaceful retreat from emotional and external pressures. The slight variation in the chorus, "All I wanna do is get by by the beach / Get by, baby, baby, bye bye," adds another layer. It shifts the meaning from purely seeking a state of being 'high' to the more pragmatic goal of simple survival ('get by'), while the dismissive 'bye bye' directly addresses the source of her frustration, whether it be a lover or the media. The image of the beach itself is a recurring motif in Del Rey's work, often symbolizing a place of freedom, reflection, and the melancholic beauty of the California coast. This phrase encapsulates the song's entire emotional landscape of defiance, weariness, and the desire for sanctuary.