Lana Del Rey is not a shy songwriter by any means. She showcases all the shades of herself with an unflinching honesty. In her Grammy-nominated track “A&W” she sings about a sex addiction—a topic not just anyone would feel comfortable airing out. That’s what makes Del Rey so enticing as an artist. She’s fully herself, scars and all.
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Dive deep into the meaning behind “A&W,” below.
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Behind the Meaning
The song starts with a meditation on losing childhood innocence. I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine / I haven’t seen my mother in a long, long time, the opening lyrics read. She asks the listener to take a close look at her body, her hair, and her face—all of which are evocative of a womanly state, which she puts to good use. Do you really think I give a damn, she says.
In the chorus, she gets a little more crass. Call him up, “Come into my bedroom” / Ended up, we fuck on the hotel floor, she sings in her trademark sultry vocals. In the next breath, we learn what the abbreviation “A&W” means: It’s not about havin’ someone to love me anymore / This is the experience of bein’ an American whore.
Jimmy, Jimmy, cocoa puff, Jimmy, Jimmy, ride
Jimmy, Jimmy, cocoa puff, Jimmy, get me high
Love me if you love or not, you can be my light
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high
The most famous part of this song is undoubtedly the bridge. The percussive refrain of Jimmy, Jimmy, cocoa puff has made the rounds on TikTok. It’s insatiably catchy and off-kilter enough to stand out.
Drug culture is a common theme in Del Rey’s music. In this refrain, she sings about “cocoa puff,” which is slang for a cigarette that has cocaine in it. She conflates the feeling of getting high in the traditional sense to the high one gets from an intimate relationship. Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high, she sings. It’s another residual effect of living the life of an “American whore,” according to Del Rey.
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
