“Video Games” is a song by Lana Del Rey in her album “Born to Die.” In this song, Lana Del Rey writes about her experience in a relationship. She talks about what the reality of her relationship was in her verses, and in the chorus, she sings of what she wishes it was. Del Rey’s relationship with this person caused her to lose her career ambitions. It was a fun and laid back relationship, but she wanted more. Lana Del Rey explained that she was desperate for this person, even if the love was not returned. The meaning of the song is to reveal how love, even if non reciprocated, is powerful enough to make someone devoted to another. In her first verse, Lana Del Rey reflects over the reality of her laidback/fun relationship:
Whistlin’ my name
Open up a beer and you say, “Get over here”
And play a video game
The word “whistlin’” creates audible imagery and strengthens the fun aspect of her summer relationship. Additionally, the dialogue “Get over here” allows the listener to imagine their setting and their flirty relationship. Finally, “play a video game,” which is the title of the song, creates another vivid setting and ties together the meaning of the song because she allows her boyfriend to just play video games selflessly. She watches him play video games, and she loves him, though he does not think of her as seriously. Even though her love is not reciprocated, she would do anything for this person.
Additionally, Lana Del Rey uses a metaphor in the chorus of her song in the line:
Heaven is a place on Earth with you
The chorus of her song is meant to set a scene for what she desires in her relationship. With this person, “Heaven is a place on Earth.” Her “heaven” means that everything is perfect with this person in her life.
The concluding lines of the chorus are:
They say that the world was built for two
Only worth living if somebody
Is loving you
And baby, now, you do”
These lines end her chorus or her “perfect reality.” She includes the metaphor, “the world was built for two,” to reveal that her world won’t be whole without this person. She finds life meaningless if she does not have this person. The last line, “And baby, now, you do,” is what she ultimately hopes for in this relationship. She wants this person to love her back in order to make her world whole, though it will never happen.