13 Beaches (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey Rick Nowels
Producer(s)	Lana Del Rey Rick Nowels Kieron Menzies Dean Reid
Alternate producer(s)	Mighty Mike
Recorded	2016
Length	4:55
From
Single(s)	"Love" "Lust for Life" "Summer Bummer" "Groupie Love"
Promotional single(s)	"Coachella - Woodstock in My Mind"
Lust for Life track listing
"Lust for Life"
"Cherry"

"13 Beaches" is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was co-written with Rick Nowels and co-produced with Nowels, Kieron Menzies and Dean Reid with additional production by Mighty Mike. It is featured on her fifth studio album and fourth major-label studio album, Lust for Life.

Background and writing

During an interview with Paris Match magazine, Del Rey revealed that she wrote the song during the summer of 2016 about her experience visiting 13 different beaches in an attempt to escape paparazzi and read a book alone.

On July 13, after the album sampler surfaced, an instrumental stem snippet leaked. The leaker confirmed that the instrumental belonged to a different song that did not make the final cut, but it was used for this song instead. On July 19, it was revealed that the original song was called "Something Real" and the instrumental from beginning and many lyrics were kept the same.

Composition

The song opens with an audio clip of actress Candace Hilligoss talking, taken from the 1962 horror film, Carnival of Souls, over an orchestral instrumental and simple piano chord. The song transitions into a cinematic ballad with approximately 144 beats per minute.

Live performances

Del Rey performed the song live for the first time at her Lust for Life listening party and performance hosted by Spotify at No Vacancy in Los Angeles, California, on July 20, 2017.

Cross-references

• The opening vocals is an audio snippet referenced from the 1962 motion picture Carnival of Souls.
• Del Rey visiting the beach and needing privacy from paparazzi is also a significant theme in "High By the Beach".
• Peaches are referenced in "Cherry", "Put the Radio On", "Girl That Got Away", and the demo version of "Trash Magic".

Lyrics

I don't belong in the world, that's what it is
Something separates me from other people
Everywhere I turn
There's something blocking my escape

It took thirteen beaches
To find one empty
And finally it's mine
With dripping peaches
I'm camera ready
Almost all the time

But I still get lonely
And, baby, only then
Do I let myself recline
Can I let go
And your let your memory dance
In the ballroom of my mind?
Across that county line

It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal

And that I've been dying
For something real
That I've been dying
For something real

It took thirteen beaches
To find one empty
But finally I'm fine
Past Ventura
And lenses plenty
In the white sunshine

But you still can find me
If you ask nicely
Underneath the pines
With the daisies
Feeling hazy
In the ballroom of mind
Across that county line

It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal

And that I've been dying
For something real
That I've been dying
For something real

It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It's just the way I feel
And I'd be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can't deal
The fact that I can't deal

Credits

Personnel

• Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting, production
• Rick Nowels — songwriting, production, piano, strings, synth pad
• Kieron Menzies — production, engineering, mixing, drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, synthesizer, modem
• Dean Reid — production, engineering, mixing
• Mighty Mike — additional production, drums, percussion, keyboards
• Trevor Yasuda & Jordan Stilwell — engineering
• Adam Ayan — mastering
• Patrick Warren — harmonium, synthesizer, waterphone
• Dan Heath — orchestral overture
• Zac Rae — synthesizer

Technical

• Published by R-Rated Music administered by EMI April Music Inc. (Global Music Rights) / Sony / ATV Music Publishing
• Audio snippet taken from film Carnival of Souls courtesy of Peter Soby and Matthew Irvine
• Recorded at The Green Building, Los Angeles and Hampstead Studios, London
• Mastered at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)	94
France (SNEP)	195
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)	27