Analysis of the lyrics and imageryLorde- Royals

(Analysis found on http://genius.com/1584370)

Lorde’s has only seen diamonds on TV and in magazines. She’s never actually touched or experienced luxury, only watched it in materialistic media depictions, which tell her (and everyone else) that they should want the accouterments of wealth and fame.The idiom to “cut one’s teeth” means to acquire a new skill. Lorde cut hers on materialist ambition and fame via American movies. Without these she never would have known about diamonds and the greed they symbolize.

This unoriginal and potentially harmful subject matter worries Lorde, who is disconcerted by the way young adults live their lives like a music video, which often leads to both personal and financial problems.

Lorde enjoys the luxury these expensive items provide but hates what they represent. This makes driving a Cadillac in your dreams the best of both worlds — Lorde can enjoy the Caddy in the comfort of her own mind without worrying about the message it sends.

Lyric analysis:

You don’t just magically become a royal — monarchy is almost always hereditary. But Lorde’s lament “we’ll never be royal” is more than mere acceptance of her fate. She’s empowered in her rejection of royalty.

Lorde previously used the term “lux” in a previous song. While it could be interpreted as shorthand for luxury here, a lux is also a unit of illumination. Since bring lights are often used as a metaphor for fame, Lorde is saying she doesn’t envy anyone trapped by the bright lights of fame.

We already know from the song’s opening verse that Lorde and her friends aren’t an affluent bunch, but it’s not as if they’re impoverished. They can still socialize and have a good time—they just keep to a budget instead of blowing money needlessly like the “royals” she sees in music videos. They’ve got a clear perspective (“cracked the code”) on their place in the world, making their lack of riches a joke to them.

Another list of luxurious items and ‘goals’ of the wealthy, something that Lorde cannot relate to.

As Lorde suggested earlier when she used the line driving ‘Cadillacs in our dreams’, she isn't immune to temptation however understands that not all desires should be acted on to the excessive extents as seen in the media, she can dream and just be the leader of her friend group.

The love affair is the public’s love affair with the opulent lifestyle that the media sells them.

This list of luxury items emphasizes the image of luxury and the idea of ‘reckless wealth’ where the rich do damaging and potentially dangerous things in the name of glamour.

Imagery:In the first stanza of the song the lyrics create a juxtaposing image in the listeners head, luxury with relative poverty.

The use of the word ‘Royals’ could literally mean royalty, but could also be used in the sense of ‘celebrity royalty’- celebrities that are most famous and well liked.

This section also gives more imagery of royalty etc.

The train imagery gives the listener a feeling of adventure, where Lorde and her friends just get by without excess.

This list again gives more of a sense of wealth and ‘high class’.

This final line shows the attitudes and apathy that Lorde and her friends have in regards to stardom and the focus on celebrity life.