“Summertime Sadness” is a song by the well known singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey. This song is from her “Born to Die” album. The first thing I think of when I hear the words “Summertime Sadness” is seasonal depression. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, within most cases seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, symptoms start to arise within the late fall or early winter and continue to occur throughout the winter times. While it’s safe to say most people who suffer from seasonal depression suffer during the more dreary winter months of the year, seasonal depression still happens in the summertime.
Lana del Rey sings:
“Think I’ll miss you forever
Like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky
Later’s better than never
Even if you’re gone, I’m gonna drive (drive), drive”
She explains this feeling of the end of an era and is confessing to these sad feelings during the height of her relationship – mourning it before it’s even ended. This is a common feeling during the summertime. The days can waste away so fast that you can find yourself mourning the future instead of enjoying the present.
For me, I would say that I suffer more from my seasonal depression in the summer months. This is because of the change in schedule and the sudden availability I have. All year long, I don’t really get much of a say about what I do with my time. You don’t even really need to think about what you’re doing during the school year because the routine is so set in stone. During the school year, I can practically get all ready for the day, drive to school, go to work, and come home without even really checking in with myself throughout the day and making any sort of decisions.
When summer finally arrives, I don’t even know what to do with myself, or the time I have and it tends to disappoint my expectations. When a lot of your time frees up, you have the opportunity to either fill up that time or waste it away. It becomes so easy to waste time scrolling through social media, watching television, or doing other unproductive activities when you have been overworking for so long.
I struggle to make plans. It’s not that I don’t want to hang out with people, but reaching out and finding a time that works for everyone involved is beyond difficult. During the school year, you don’t need to make any effort to hang out with your friends because you already see them every day. Because of this mindless living I am led into a spiral of guilt, worthlessness and restless emotions when I actually have to start thinking in the summertime.
Whether you listen to this song for her beautiful voice, her message, or for your own emotional connection to this song, I think we all can find an aspect of this song that we can relate to our own lives, which is why I find it so beautiful.