Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Lana Del Rey is right

03/02/2024. [MUSIC-VIDEO] by Lana del Rey
metalocus, ANTONIO CORREDERA

A few hours before the 2024 Grammy Awards, one of the nominees for Album of the Year has an unexpected lyric about architecture.

Lana Del Rey's "Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," nominated in three categories, features a song of the same name that inhabits an abandoned infrastructure in Long Beach, California.

In the song "Did You Know There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?", Del Rey uses lyrics that draw parallels between Long Beach's Jergins Tunnel under Ocean Boulevard, which was open to the public until 1967 and has since been forgotten.

A view of Jergins Subway, a pedestrian walkway that ran under the busy intersection of Ocean Blvd. & Pine Ave. from 1927-1967. The tunnel ran under Ocean Boulevard and connected with the Jergins Arcade which was also a walk-through with a series of shops along the way and opened at the far end onto the Pike Amusement Park. The floor is paved with mosaic tiles and the walls with ceramic ones. The columns are capped with decorative friezes. The ceiling is slightly arched and a staircase is on the right. Los A

A view of Jergins Subway, a pedestrian walkway that ran under the busy intersection of Ocean Blvd. & Pine Ave. from 1927-1967. The tunnel ran under Ocean Boulevard and connected with the Jergins Arcade which was also a walk-through with a series of shops along the way and opened at the far end onto the Pike Amusement Park. The floor is paved with mosaic tiles and the walls with ceramic ones. The columns are capped with decorative friezes. The ceiling is slightly arched and a staircase is on the right. Los Angeles Public Library Legacy Collection.

Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? by Lana del Rey

The Jergins Trust Building’s south-facing facade originally hit the sand. Photo estimated to be taken circa 1940s.

Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? by Lana del Rey

The Jergins Tunnel as it was during its prime. Courtesy of the Los Angeles County Public Library.

Plans presented in 2018 for access into the tunnel show an entry point on the southern side of Ocean Blvd., followed by two levels of entry via escalators. Courtesy of GBD Architects.

Built in 1927, the underground tunnel is decorated with ornate tiles and has a series of skylights that illuminate its interior in which different shops and services were opened. This pedestrian infrastructure is named after the Jergins Trust building and serves to connect with the Ocean Boulevard sidewalk, facilitating pedestrian access to the beach and the Pike attractions area. An innovative proposal was made to improve pedestrian access in a rapidly growing city.

Del Rey highlights the beauty of the tunnel in the song's first verse: "Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard? Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall... "Handmade beauty sealed by two man-made walls."

There is a project to launch for a Hard Rock Hotel on the site of the old Jergins Trust building, which could see its recovery. The project, which will open in the second half of 2027, will turn the Jergins Tunnel into a new "clandestine" bar with music.

Lana del Rey. Our Saturday music video. (Official Music Video). METALOCUS MUSIC PROJECT.

Credits.-
Lyrics.-

Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard?
Mosaic ceilings, painted tiles on the wall
I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul
Handmade beauty sealed up by two man-made walls
And I'm like
When's it gonna be my turn?
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
There's a girl who sings "Hotel California"
Not because she loves the notes or sounds that sound like Florida
It's because she's in a world preserved, only a few have found the door
It's like Camarillo, only silver mirrors running down the corridor
Oh, man
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like me
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Harry Nilsson has a song, his voice breaks at 2:05
Something about the way he says, "Don't forget me"
Makes me feel like
I just wish I had a friend like him, someone to get me by
Leaning in my back, whispering in my ear, "Come on, baby, you can drive"
But I can't
When's it gonna be my turn?
Don't forget me
When's it gonna be my turn?
Open me up, tell me you like it
Fuck me to death, love me until I love myself
There's a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me
Like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard
Don't forget me, don't forget me
No, no, no, don't forget me
Don't you, don't you forget me (no, oh)