"13 Beaches" (originally titled "Something Real") is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was co-written with Rick Nowels ans Kieron Menzies and co-produced with Nowels, 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.[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. The song was recorded in May 2016.
On July 13, 2017 after the album sampler surfaced, an instrumental stem snippet leaked. The leaker confirmed that the instrumental belonged to a demo of the song. On July 19, it was revealed that the song was originally titled "Something Real". On August 31, a new snippet of the demo was leaked during an Instagram livestream.
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 composed in the key of E minor with approximately 144 beats per minute.
Live performances
Del Rey performed the song live for the first time on July 20, 2017 at her Lust for Life listening party and performance hosted by Spotify at No Vacancy in Los Angeles, California. Other live performances of this song were at Terminal 5 in New York City, New York on October 23 and 24, and at the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles, California on October 28 where she performed it as the first song in her set, replacing "Cruel World", which she had began her performances with at every show since October 2014. In 2018, Del Rey included the song as the first song in the setlist of the LA to the Moon Tour.
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", while trying to escape from them is also a topic in "Bartender".
- Beaches are also a recurrent theme, being mentioned in "Cherry", "Summer Bummer", "Mariners Apartment Complex" and "Bartender" and in the poems "Salamander", "Happy", "My Bedroom Is A Sacred Place Now — There Are Children at the Foot of My Bed" and "Paradise Is Very Fragile".
- Peaches are referenced in "Cherry", "Put the Radio On", "Girl That Got Away", and the demo version of "Trash Magic".
- White sunshine is also mentioned in "Old Money".
- The phrase "I'd be lying" also appears in "Heroin".
- 'The county line' is also mentioned in the poem "LA Who Am I to Love You" and in the song "Don't Call Me Angel".
- Ventura is a county city of Ventura County, California.
Official versions
- Album version — 4:55
- Instrumental version — 4:56
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
But 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 Digital Singles (ČNS IFPI)[2] | 94 |
| France (SNEP)[3] | 195 |
| Slovakia Digital Singles (ČNS IFPI)[4] | 81 |
| US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[5] | 27 |
References
- ↑ https://www.directlyrics.com/lana-del-reys-lust-for-life-album-out-july-21-new-song-13-beaches-confirmed-news.html
- ↑ "CZ - Singles Digital - Top 100". ČNS IFPI. (Archive to 201730)
- ↑ http://www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2017&we=30
- ↑ "SK - Singles Digital - Top 100". ČNS IFPI. (Archive to 201730)
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/306420/Lana%20Del%20Rey/chart?f=902
