"light of my life, fire of my loins" is the first sentence of Lana's favourite book Lolita by Vladamir Novokov in the 1950's, she pulls alot of her lyrics from the book...

My old man is a bad man
But I can't deny the way he holds my hand
And he grabs me, he has me by my heart
He doesn't mind I have a Las Vegas past
He doesn't mind I have a L.A crass way about me
He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart

Swimming pool
Glimmering darling
White bikini off with my red nail polish
Watch me in the swimming pool
Bright blue ripples, you
Sitting sipping on your black crystal, oh yeah

Light of my life, fire in my loins
Be a good baby, do what I want
Light of my life, fire in my loins
Gimme them gold coins
Gimme them coins

And I'm off to the races, races
Up Bacardi chases
Chasing me all over town
'Cause he knows I'm wasted,
Facing time again at Riker's Island
And I won't get out

Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet, starlet
Singing in the garden
Kiss me on my open mouth
Ready for you

My old man is, a tough man
But he got a soul as sweet as blood red jam
And he shows me, he knows me every inch of my tar black soul
He doesn't mind I have a flat broke down life
In fact he says he thinks it's what he might like about me, admires me
The way I roll like a rolling stone

Likes to watch me in the glass room, bathroom
Chateau Marmont
Slipping on my red dress, putting on my make up
Glass film, perfume, cognac, lilac,
Fume, says it feels like heaven to him

Light of his life, fire of his loins
Keep me forever, tell me you want me
Light of your life, fire of your loins
Tell me you want me, gimme them coins

And I'm off to the races, races
Up Bacardi chases
Chasing me all over town

'Cause he knows i'm wasted, facing
Time again at Riker's,
Island and I won't get out

Because I'm crazy, baby
I need you to come here and save me
I'm your little scarlet, starlet
Singing in the garden,
Kiss me on my open mouth

Now I'm off to the races, laces
Leather on my waist is,
Tight and I am falling down
I can see your faces, shameless
Cipriani's basement
Love you, but I'm going down

God I'm so crazy, baby
I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving
I'm your little harlet, starlet
Queen of Coney Island
Raising hell all over town
Sorry 'bout it

My old man is a thief, and
I'm gonna stay and pray with him till the end
But I trust in the decision of the law,
To watch over us
Take him when he may, if he may
I'm not afraid to say
That I'd die without him
Who else is gonna put up with me this way
I need you, I breathe you, I'll never leave you
They would rue the day, I was alone without you

You're lying with your gold chain on
Cigar of hanging from your lips
I said hon' you never looked so beautiful
As you do now my man

And we're off to the races, places
Ready set the gate is, down
And then we're going in
To Las Vegas, pay us
'Cause you know we'll race this
Honey it is time to spit
Boy you're so crazy, baby
I love you forever
Not maybe
You are my one true love
You are my one true love

You are my one true love



Lyrics submitted by dustybreeze, edited by rainbowcrayon, LanaDRey, NicoIe, CatJones, irisme

Track duration: 05:00

"Off to the Races" as written by Tim Elliott Larcombe, Elizabeth Grant

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Off to the Races song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:The phrase "glimmering darling" is also from Lolita.
    Flag Julzyon May 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Question:
    What do you think she means by
    "In fact he says he thinks it's what he might like about me, admires me
    The way I roll like a rolling stone"
    I don't understand the allusion to a rolling stone. A Rock? Or The band?
    Like odes she mean that he loves her 'cause she's going down? or because she keeps on rolling even through the punches of life?
    Flag cutetip1on May 24, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song to me reminds me of an abusive relationship and she can't leave." My old man is a bad man but I can't deny the way he holds my hand". She knows he is bad but for some reason she just can't leave. Maybe a dysfunctional relationship like that between Dolores and Humbert in Lolita.
    Flag lanadelreyon May 08, 2013   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:As many people have said, this song refers to the novel, Lolita, by Nabokov. The line "light of my life, fire of my loins" comes directly from the book, and is actually the first line. In the novel, Lolita originally has a chidlish crush on the narrator, Humbert, and he describes her teasing him. The segment about the swimming pool is in the novel, as Humbert watches Lolita many times as she is swimming. He also calls her is starlet at times. Humbert is arrested in the end of the novel, and is referenced in this song. Lana obviously weaves in some of her own twists, and sings it from the point of view of Lolita. But it all stems from that book, and the movie.
    Flagged Anniecondaon January 14, 2013   Link
  • -3
    My Interpretation:I'm sorry, All. But Lana Del Rey is not a human being- but a mind controlled robot who has suffered IMMENSE MK -Ultra style programming. And she was born into it. Her father was a very wealthy man with ties to the global elite, who preffered young "Lolita" types and even little boys.MK-ULTRA is a CIA mind programming practice done for almost 100 years. They would do sick, deranged things to these children. In Lana's case, she was Elizabeth Grant, and her father used her as well as his wealthy partners. In MKUltra mindprogramming, they cause so much trauma to the person that their complete self shatters into a million pieces, then usint hypnotizing movie flicks, sound clips, quotes, and others, they re-program the victim. They can program you to be a sexualized doll who will do whatever they want without protest (Marilyn Monroe was the first and the most famous MK slaves... MK slaves of today often pay homage to Marilyn by posing as her or referencing her.) They can program you to be violent, and carry out assassinations with precision.
    In my opinion, this song is about what her father did to her and how in her eyes, it's love. "Handlers" often say they LOVE their slave, and she feels like he is her one true love because she is so messed up now that no one could ever understand or or love the programmed robot that she was forced to become.
    Flagged diamond814on January 02, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:This whole song is about the book and film Lana Del Rey claims she loves: Lolita.
    If you watch the film it will all make sense and it's a pet peeve of mine people that claim they love this song without having any idea what its about and just thinking it's another love story. It's more than that as in this song Lana sings as if she is Lolita even from her voice which she makes very child like throughout, even the words are sung from the perspective of a child such as the bit where she almost breaks down about her feelings and sings

    "My old man is a thief, and
    I'm gonna stay and pray with him till the end
    But I trust in the decision of the LORD,
    To watch over us
    Take him when he may, if he may
    I'm not afraid to say
    That I'd die without him
    Who else is gonna put up with me this way
    I need you, I breathe you, I'D never leave you
    They would rue the day, I was alone without you

    You're lying with your gold chain on
    Cigar hanging from your lips
    I said hon' you never looked so beautiful
    As you do now my man

    This bit is very childlike as if she is throwing down all her feelings like she's probbably heard about in the movies and its all very desperate like you get over your first love and you think it will never end. It also highlights how much older Lolita (Lana Del Rey) thinks she is by saying all this.

    Absolutely love.
    Flagged Catriiiionaon December 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Lana's style is described as "Lolita lost in the hood," so she's obviously familiar with the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov... "My old man is a bad man, but I can't deny the way he holds my hand.." Lolita is all about a man who has a sexual relationship with his stepdaughter...
    In the chorus: "And I'm off to the races, cases, of Bacardi chasers, chasing me all over town-" Lana has admitted to having an alcohol problem in school, she's written about it in songs like Carmen or This is What Makes Us Girls.. But it could also be metaphorical for the way Dolores (Lolita)'s stepfather follows her around.
    "'Cuz he knows I'm wasted--" in the book, Lolita's stepfather makes her fall asleep with a medicine, so he can get sexual favors...
    This song is very much about Lolita, but the way she wrote it is so amazing, it is a metaphor for her life, basically.
    Flag potato13on October 22, 2012   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:white girl rap !! Yes Please ~ No need for deep thought on this one .. Just flows good
    Flagged Kirkpt11on October 15, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:My old man is a bad man
    But I can't deny the way he holds my hand
    And he grabs me, he has me by my heart
    He doesn't mind I have a Las Vegas past
    He doesn't mind I have a L.A crass way about me
    He loves me with every beat of his cocaine heart

    Swimming pool
    Glimmering, darling
    White bikini off with my red nail polish
    Watch me in the swimming pool
    Bright blue ripples, you
    Sitting sipping on your black crystal, oh yeah

    Light of my life, fire OF my loins
    Be a good baby, do what I want
    Light of my life, fire OF my loins
    Gimme them gold coins
    Gimme them coins

    And I'm off to the races, CASES
    OF Bacardi CHASERS
    Chasing me all over town
    'Cause he knows I'm wasted,
    Facing time again ON Reiker's Island
    And I won't get out

    Because I'm crazy, baby
    I need you to come here and save me
    I'm your little scarlet, starlet
    Singing in the garden
    Kiss me on my open mouth
    Ready for you

    My old man is, a tough man
    But he got a soul as sweet as blood red jam
    And he shows me, he knows me every inch of my tar black soul
    He doesn't mind I have a flat broke down life
    In fact he says he thinks it's what he might like about me, admires me
    The way I roll like a rolling stone

    Likes to watch me in the glass room, bathroom
    Chateau Marmont
    Slipping on my red dress, putting on my make up
    Glass film, perfume, cognac, lilac,
    FUMES, says it feels like heaven to him

    Light of his life, fire of his loins
    Keep me forever, tell me you want me
    Light of your life, fire of your loins
    Tell me you want me, gimme them coins

    And I'm off to the races, CASES
    OF Bacardi CHASERS
    Chasing me all over town

    'Cause he knows i'm wasted, facing
    Time again ON Reiker's,
    Island and I won't get out

    Because I'm crazy, baby
    I need you to come here and save me
    I'm your little scarlet, starlet
    Singing in the garden,
    Kiss me on my open mouth

    Now I'm off to the races, laces
    Leather on my waist is,
    Tight and I am falling down
    I can see your faces shameless
    Cipriani's basement
    Love you, but I'm going down

    God I'm so crazy, baby
    I'm sorry that I'm misbehaving
    I'm your little harlot, starlet
    Queen of Coney Island
    Raising hell all over town
    Sorry 'bout it

    My old man is a thief, and
    I'm gonna stay and pray with him till the end
    But I trust in the decision of the LORD,
    To watch over us
    Take him when he may, if he may
    I'm not afraid to say
    That I'd die without him
    Who else is gonna put up with me this way
    I need you, I breathe you, I'D never leave you
    They would rue the day, I was alone without you

    You're lying with your gold chain on
    Cigar hanging from your lips
    I said hon' you never looked so beautiful
    As you do now my man

    And we're off to the races, places
    Ready set the gate is, down
    And I'M going in
    To Las Vegas, CHAOS
    CASINO OASIS
    Honey it is time to SPIN
    Boy you're so crazy, baby
    I love you forever
    Not maybe
    You are my one true love
    You are my one true love

    You are my one true love
    Flag summer89on September 22, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I always assumed it was about being in love with a man who really was only with her for her beauty and sex, honestly. He sounds like he's involved in some kind of illegal activity, possibly drugs.
    Flag Machineyon September 09, 2012   Link

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