Today (December 7) brought some major Lana Del Rey news: She has a new album coming out on March 10, 2023, and it has a very Lana Del Rey title: Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Naturally, that begs the question: Is there really a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard like Del Rey claims?
It seems the answer is yes, assuming Del Rey is talking about the Ocean Boulevard street in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to a 2019 story from The Sun News, there’s an underground tunnel that was built in the ’80s, which has openings on either side of Ocean Boulevard and 13th Avenue South.
The tunnel is maintained by Sea Mist Oceanfront Resort and amenities director Jody Ammons said it was created as an alternative for pedestrians to use instead of crossing the street. She also noted of how people react to the tunnel, “It’s a nice little surprise. A lot of people appreciate it if the traffic is really bad.”
Update: It’s also possible (and more likely, it seems) that the song and album title are actually a reference to Jergins Tunnel in Long Beach, California. On the song, Del Rey sings, “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.” That description lines up with photos and a bit of history shared by the Long Beach Public Library today (December 7) on Twitter: “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Yup! It’s called the Jergins Tunnel and it opened in 1928 and closed to the public in 1967. The tunnel ran under Ocean Blvd. and provided access to the Pike and beach, via the Jergins Trust building at 100 E. Ocean Boulevard.”
Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? Yup! It's called the Jergins Tunnel and it opened in 1928 and closed to the public in 1967. The tunnel ran under Ocean Blvd. and provided access to the Pike and beach, via the Jergins Trust building at 100 E. Ocean Boulevard. pic.twitter.com/m4z7ZqZB2A
— Long Beach Public Library (@LBCityLibrary) December 7, 2022
Update: In a 2023 interview, Del Rey explained, “Mike Hermosa and I, the first song we wrote was ‘Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.’ I was spending a lot of time in Long Beach and I had read that there was a tunnel sealed up under the Jergins [Trust] Building. All of the mosaic ceilings were still perfectly preserved, but no one could get in.”
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is out 3/10/2023 via Polydor. Pre-order it here.
