Therapist Reacts To: The Greatest by Lana Del Rey 

Happiness is a butterflyyyy

The fact that she dropped Norman right before Covid marking the end of an era is so genius...the lyrics..just everything about it. No wonder this is her most acclaimed album. The line "culture is lit" is perhaps my favorite. She's using the slang "lit" to say that people are having fun despite all the problems going on in the world-- but at the same time is a wordplay with the verb 'to light'... relating to the L.A flames...then she uses the term burned out meaning she's tired of the culture and wants to leave. This song is so complex and beautiful. All the lines were so well thought out.

Hey, I liked your interpretation and I think it's valid. Jack Antonoff described this song as a "funeral march to the death of culture". Lana's always putting herself as metonomy of America (not the country, but the idealistic thought of freedom and liberal arts). This song was written in a time when culture was in an abominable state (Trump was president, Kanye - which once was one of the greatest artists alive - had completely lost his mind to a ego crisis, narcisism was ruining everything). In this case, there's no metonomy, she's watching how the whole culture she grew up looking to was disappearing, she experienced it, she had a ball, and got burned out. I think climate change, war problems are linked, but NFR! is deeply focused in the art world, putting it as a metonomy to the general culture. She's really clever and Jack really nailed the mood of the song with the mellotron. Oh, and about the book, do you think when it comes out in Amazon it can be shipped to Brazil? I really don't like digital reading and as I said before I am a recovering addict (almost beating the thousand day mark) but my father is an active alcoholic and my 14 year old brother feels he's responsible to "save him at any cost", even though my father doesn't want any help. So I think your book could be great so I can talk to my brother since he's actively refusing therapy.

I always tear up hearing this, this album dropped on August, 2019, and this song in particular felt like a goodbye to the 2010s, the end of an era, a decade where "the culture was lit and we had a ball" 🥲❤️ that's what I associate this song with.

"Dennis" is Dennis Wilson, drummer of The Beach Boys who drowned in Marina *del Rey* while intoxicated (He struggled with drugs and alcohol for much of his life. He also briefly hung out with Charles Manson and was instantly scared s***less. Manson even has a song on BBs album credited to Dennis) The Beach Boys also have an early song called "Lana". I'm sure Lana is well aware of these things. There is an apocalyptic air mixed with nostalgia - L.A. is in flames on the NFR album cover. Does anybody here know if Lana actually lived in Long Beach? Thank you, Mere! You're making your way through NFR!

I love how she talks facts in the outro, LA in flames, Kanye West gone, the fact That Life On Mars being more than a song is so real, and she ends it with “Oh, the live stream is almost on” like in the current world, people don’t care about the real problems and just pretend to do, but when something trends on social media, they forget the real issue

I love how lana has so many layers in her poetry. i also get the feeling its a goodbye letter to her one true love, alcohol. the greatest loss of them all.

I always tear up at "I want shit to feel just like they used to when baby I was doing nothing the most of all" because I feel like she’s reminiscing about pre fame period when she used to just enjoy herself and life without all the "bad" things that comes with life when growing and just the current world as it is. I personally associate it to me being a kid and worry free and how I miss that

Mere, you TRULY need to react to Lana's poems. Especially "L.A Who am I to Love You" and "Sportcruiser". Guys, please give this comment a thumbs up so she'll see it!

The guitar solo sends shivers down my spine (In a nice way). The melody to this song is so beautiful. Has a 50s/60s surf vibe to it.

This is one of my FAVORITE songs by Lana!! It's so happy with a tiny slice of melancholy about missing the past or sumn from the past... Lana is simply just amazing & a wonderful storyteller/songwriter. Thanks Mere!!!!! ❤

Yes! I was waiting for this one. For me the thing with Lana is that you can interpret and feel the lyrics as they relate to your own life. Everytime she sings "I'm burned out after all" and "If this is it I'm signing off" I relate to it so much!

This song means a lot to me. I did not imagine that it was going to touch me so much, without imagining that the pandemic would make us value the past time. For me, this album is one of the best, where Lana del Rey showed maturity in her songs. I love your interpretation, thanks for doing it. .

I feel a little bit guilty asking more songs but wish you could react to Violets For Roses cuz I think u specially could relate to that one with the things u had shared with us. Anyways, great reaction, I LOVE the greatest, one of my favorites songs from Lana ❤

Have goosebumps every time i listen to this song. The instrumentals here are top-notch

this song used to trigger me alot, she nailed everything in those lyrics, i cried so much guys, you cannot imagine, the only song i would skip in NFR because the emotional baggage too strong for me

"Miss doing nothing the most of all" when she was free, didnt have a care in the world, just enjoying dancing w her lover, rock n roll w friends, not the weight of fame. My take

This song is one of her saddest, in my opinion. Your face during the chorus made me tear up. Thank you so much for this reaction! I cannot wait for your book!

Your assessment of it being about climate change and the end of the world is how I've always interpreted it. If you look closely at the artwork for this album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, you can see a city in flamesas she sails away. Even though it came out in 2019, this song was especially poignant for me when I discovered it during the pandemic, as the feeling of missing music, every day things, people you love, dancing in public, was one we were all collectively experiencing. In California the sky was completely orange some days because of wildfires and it literally did feel like the end of the world, not to mention a lot of long-term relationships

Just lost a bestfriend to suicide a couple days ago. He was struggling with substance abuse. I’ve rewatched your videos talking about those subjects and I hope you know how much you’ve helped me through some of the grief. Thank you Mere🤍✨🪽

Love your interpretation and agree … I interpreted the Greatest loss of them all as the loss of youth and the idealism and optimism that goes with it … Clarissa Pinkola Estes says that nostalgia in etymology actually means ‘ pain for home’ … so yes grieving the loss of our beautiful earth as we know it

When I was in my early 20s I had a lot of trouble with my own addictions and hearing this was song was what started me on my road to recovery. Thank you for your insight Mere

Thank you so much for this, I loved your reaction! This album was released on the second half of 2019,and it seemed like a premonition to the pandemic and the lost of the world as we used to know. Lana's music has the power of make us feel nostalgic about things that we haven't experienced yet ❤

HOW TO DISAPPEAR, PLEASE 🥹♥️

This song is so amazing, its so beautiful like all her songs and it just feels like she finally came to terms with something through this song that she found comfort in avoiding, idk its just what it feels like to me.

Thank you so much for your effort, dear Mere! I love your reaction videos. I would die to see you react to 'LA Who Am I to Love You' by Lana 😍

Love this, honestly all NFR is art, there are no bad songs

Great reaction Mere! This is one of my favorites. Her performance at the Newport Folk Festival last week was incredible, I think you would love it!

The song is described as a funeral marsch for the culture. Just take a look at the cover of NFR album, the song is from that album.

THIS IS THE GREATEST (no pun) song in my opinion, thank you for the reaction❤

One of my favorites from Norman F Rockwell

This is such a good reaction, I think your interpretation is valid. How I think of it is when she says I miss doing nothing the most of all maybe like not being famous and when she lived in nyc it was mainly before her fame as she moved to La during the ultraviolence era and just being a bit more free maybe as she really loves the idea of total freedom, in ride she references her being out on the open road and being free before fame too maybe she didn’t literally do that but she’s definitely had those sorts of experiences in her past. I do agree with you totally at the end though, she almost adds to her sadness that the whole world around her feels like it’s going down with her and it’s causing her to have even less motivation and just want to do nothing the most of all

You know what I love the most about your channel... It's like every time I think I love a Lana song and then I listen to your interpretation of it + read the comments, the song just becomes more profound and holds an even greater emotional value! LIKE I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL!

Do "Heroin", pleaseee, I think it's a strong song and personally it touches me very deep and I think it's a very personal song to Lana too and she once said that it's her favorite song from "Lust for Life" album and it's coneccted to "Change" and "Get Free" creating a kind of trilogy. Sorry for the weak english, I'm from Brazil

Also personally i feel like she is reminiscing the good old days and how simple life used to be with just her, her lover and friends. In the outro she is expressing loss such as the California wildfires and i think Kanye part is about him embracing Trump. I really love the interpretation of climate change and its effects in the world aswell!

I love this song! Thank you, Sweet Mere! 🤗

requesting the other woman its such a deep song that really encapsulates lana's entire career in my opinion. love the content !

i've been binging some of your reactions to lana and taylor and i always love your interpretations

Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple plss

Your look and interpretation of Lana's songs is so precious, please react to Carmen, there's a lot of material in the lyrics for you to analyze 🥺🙏🩷

Sending love from Brazil

I have never subscribed to a channel faster in my fucking Life. This content/ concept is fascinating 👑 You’re a genius

god knows i tried or happiness is a butterfly would be great

This was part of a double single/video, with the first song being 'F... It, I Love You,' which is a banger!

i feel this represents the decadence of LA’s culture and the world in general, remark the good old times, it’s is a fact that lana is scared of dying and getting old and she spills it all over this song and you can feel it like a new young and beautiful. the fact that she released it during covid times duplicated the meaning of facing the greatest lost of them all for everyone. Climat change, celebrities losing their mind, people doing nothing like NPC’s, such a powerful song man… that’s why i love lana. 😮‍💨❤️‍🔥

Oh my god I was one of the people that requested, thankyou so much for doing it ahhhh, I watch all ur Lana videos and I love them so thankyou for taking time to do this ☺️🙏

thank you!! loved this interpretation

Thank you for this!! One of my favorites. Your interpretation skills are something else. ❤

SERIAL KILLER PLEASE, it’s so catchy

Violets for roses-lana del rey PLZZZZZZZZ IM LITERALLY BEGGING U

I always perceived this song as a loss generation that she misses

Rewatching every single one of your Lana reactions just to say that you are amazing and I love you

Omg im so happy you did the greatest!!! Maybe you could do "Let me love you like a woman" too! This one relates to Pink champagne which you covered recently!! i hope you consider it and i love your content!!!❤❤

i guess she said that after her reach the fame she could see that theres nothing amazing in it for her except the people who loves her

Can you react to Violets for Roses? It’s def got my favorite Lana line in the pre-chorus 🪻🌹

Amazing . I'm so glad you already this resquest (I was one that asked for this) my fav Lana's song. And The Greatest yes it is about nostalgia and missing the old stuff. By the way you look amazing beautiful. Once again thanks.

i never realized the lyric was “oh the live stream’s almost on”, it sounds to me like “oh the life streams almost gone.” could be a double meaning

The culture is lit: is like this is the moment to create art with a fully and deep message and for that, she said after: I had a ball, like she is please of change the culture with her music, so she is in peace with her art form and can have a ball every time and everywhere ❤ love her poetry the most of all !

My favourite song of all time.

mere, i just wanna say i absolutely love these lana reaction vids❤ the greatest is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, really recommend you listen to dark but just a game❤️❤️

this song got me through the pandemic

I really loves the Piano at the ending so chilling

I think she meant “I missed doing nothing the most of all” as how life back then came naturally without her having to do anything to feel special. Which makes sense cause she said she wants shit to feel like it used to when she was doing nothing the most of all.

if you look closely at the background of the album cover for norman f*cking rockwell (the album this song is on), youll see california burning in the background. when i first saw it my mind was blown

i hate to ask you to do another video on the same song but id love to see your reaction to the video for this song!! it's a double video with her other song Fuck It, I Love You

i really recommend born to die by ldr it’s my fav song by her tbh

This song is one of those songs that makes you miss something you never experienced or knew. Lana has that magic to put you on that feeling. Also “white dress” made me cry, reminded me of my waitress days in London. Hawaii just missed that fire ball- is a reference to the false alarm 🚨 that nuclear b o m b was going to hit it in like 3minutes. Happened 2016(?) 2017? Well and K. West used to be friends with Lana (to my understanding) but when K went with Trump and stumbled upon his own ego he was gone to Lana. Like in BPD kinda way, anyway I see it that way… thank you again! Love seeing your videos

NFR was written during the actual time of the big LA fires. That's why the cover of the album has the fire. Hawaii did just miss getting hit by a ☄ at the time too. Watch the music video for "F*c* it I love you + The Greatest" and you can get a little more of the story.

What’s interesting about this song is how it was released in 2019, before COVID, the BLM protests, the election and everything else that came forth in America. Yet this song still feels like a time capsule of the times we’re living in - the feelings are still prevalent as well, if not more real.

“Hawaii miss the fireball” and she predicted about the wildfire happened in Maui

I’VE BEEN WAITING SINCE FOREVER

"One day, I'll drive in a gold Mercedes Benz Singing opera on Bel Air Road Hair to my ass will be flying in the wind Shooting heroin and speedballs" "and if this is it i had a ball" her songs always connect. Her music is a riddle. The whole world of lana del rey is a metaphor. When you listen to one song, you need to reach to her rollodex. Its like solving a murder.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOOK

I always thought this song was her giving up her public persona, which is smt she worked hard on building to be a successful artist. We know that after NFR! She gave up on putting out albums in the traditional industry way with videos and promotion. And in all her most recent projects it’s a very different more personal Lana from all her previous projects, so the greatest loss for her is the hope she had on the music industry and her public persona being her goal.

Literally The Greatest ❤

i've been waiting for this reaction and i loved it! The day you finally react to some of the songs on Melodrama I will be sooooo happy

Yes!!!! This is my favorite song tysm

Is This Happiness pleaseeeeee!

Kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I listened to this album the literal hour it came out, and I was tripping on acid, and this song gave me “series finale” vibe, but in the darkest way possible…

Another great video, Mere! Thankyou!!

HER BEST SONG

the greatest is simply the greatest

You look so beautiful in this shirt color 🥹

THIS IS MY FAVORITE LANA SONG❤!!!!

Great Lana reactions as always 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Happinness is a butterfly

You were on point! The song is essentially the centerpiece of the album and it's about the "end of the world as we know it" as you said. Also the fall of the music industry, about it not being about the music anymore. And also the fall of American culture and politics, as the song is in context with Donald Trump's presidency. Also for more reference, this song is connected to 'Change' from Lust for Life, but adding some nihilism to it. "Miss doing nothing the most of all", she means when she was young and also when the world, according to her, was a better and easier place. There's an interview where she said for instance that she felt safer in America when Obama was President. So the song is about a lot of things really lol. Please listen to Arcadia! It's a letter to all the critics and the industry.

Thank you for this Mere. Can't wait for Violets For Roses, If You Lie Down With Me, Wild At Heart......

Lana has such an uplifting way of being depressed 😂.. such a weakness of mine. This is in my top 5 Lana songs.

OMH OMG MERE OMG TYSM

I really feel like this is a love song saying goodbye to alcohol

u really should do “beautiful” by lana, her best lyrics❤️❤️

high by the beach plis by lana

This song reminds me both of me selling my childhood home to the owner of Kokomo’s Family Fun Center. But it also reminds me of how I named Lana Del Rey after wanting to change my classmates name Marina Lynn Harding to a new name Lana Lynn Harding because of the marina that Denis from The Beach Boys drowned in Marina Del Rey. Meant to be played as the Chris Farley tribute music video on RU-vid.

TEXT BOOOOK 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

FAVORITE LDR SONG

Happiness is a butterfly

I've listened to my NFR CD so many times in my car that after the Greatest ended in the video, my mind automatically continued the tracklist and started singing Bartender lol. It's crazy that Lana released such an existential song in 2019; things weren't great then by any means but this was just before covid and the 2020 election chaos and protests and whatnot... things only got worse 🙃

I LOV THIS SONG.. ❤

yeah it’s about feeling like the world is over, the album was almost called “burnt world”.