"13 Beaches" is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was co-written with Rick Nowels and co-produced with Nowels, Kieron Menzies, Dean Reid and Mighty Mike. It is featured on her fifth studio album and fourth major-label studio album, Lust for Life.[1]
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
And what will I do?
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
References
