“How to Disappear” by Lana Del Rey

In “How to Disappear”, Lana Del Rey is referring mostly to past lovers in her life.  In the first verse it is “John”, and in the second verse it is “Joe”.  Meanwhile the third verse is apparently meant to be an image of Lana’s future, as in if either of these individuals were to actually commit to her.

That is to say that in reference to the titular act of ‘disappearing’, what she seems to be referring to is the ability of individuals to vanish from the lives of others. And in this particular instance, she is speaking of men she once had intimate relationships with no longer being present in her life.

Then the third verse paints a picture of how Lana predicts her life would be, complete with “a kid and two cats in the yard”, if she actually did hookup with her soulmate. We know this is a fantasy because as of 2019 the songstress doesn’t have any children nor is known for possessing cats. She is also reflecting on her relationship from a future standpoint. And in this very case, both parties are committed for the long haul.

Conclusion

So we can say that this is how Lana idealizes her relationship with either John or Joe, to have culminated in a home, children and a lifelong commitment. But in reality, she is faced with a situation where men she perceives as potentially fulfilling such a role instead end up being transient in terms of committing to her.

Release Date of “How to Disappear”

The release of this song was made possible by the joint collaboration of multiple labels (including Universal Music Group). It came out on August 30th, 2019 as part of Norman F Rockwell (Lana’s sixth studio album).

That said, Lana first performed this song live almost a year before she eventually released it.

Writing Credits

“How to Disappear” was composed by Lana and the famed American singer and songwriter Jack Antonoff. Both writers also worked on the track’s production. “How to Disappear” was the last but not least song that Lana and Jack wrote for Norman F Rockwell album.

Did Lana Del Rey release “How to Disappear” as a single?

No. Lana’s team didn’t release this as a single.

Have Lana Del Rey and Jack Antonoff collaborated before?

Prior to working on this song and the entire Norman F Rockwell project, both artists hadn’t worked together before. Antonoff co-produced and co-wrote several songs on the above mentioned project. Some of these songs include the following:

• “The Greatest”
• “Doin’ Time”
• “Love Song”
• “Happiness Is a Butterfly”
• “Cinnamon Girl“