"Bartender" is a song by Lana Del Rey from her sixth studio album Norman Fucking Rockwell!. It was co-written with and produced by Rick Nowels and Del Rey herself.
Background[]
Del Rey first mentioned the song on January 28, 2018, while being interviewed by Pitchfork at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in New York City. When Pitchfork asked Del Rey "what's coming next?", she responded saying "I've got a couple of other tracks. I've got this weird track called 'Bartender' that doesn't belong to a record yet" and mentioned that she wishes to create a music video for the song.[1]
On July 31, 2019, Del Rey confirmed that the song would be released on her then-upcoming album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, when she revealed the album artwork and tracklist.
Live performances[]
"Bartender" is featured on the setlist of the Norman Fucking Rockwell Tour, played after "Norman Fucking Rockwell". Del Rey performed it live for the first time on September 21, 2019, at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.
Music video[]
Background and description[]
The track forms part of a 3-part music video with "Norman Fucking Rockwell" and "Happiness Is a Butterfly", as revealed by Del Rey on September 3, 2019.[2] It was shot and directed by Chuck Grant in 2018, and was originally planned for release in October 2019.[3]
Several scenes from this part of the video were first interpolated in the music video for "Venice Bitch".
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | December 20, 2019 |
| Length | 14:06 | |
| Director | Chuck Grant | |
| Producer | Chuck Grant, Lana Del Rey | |
| Filmed | Unknown, 2018 | |
| Location | Los Angeles, California | |
| Vevo views | 22 Million views | |
Cross-references[]
- A bar is also mentioned in "For K (Part 2)", "Groupie Love", "Oh Say Can You See" and "Video Games".
- A canyon is also mentioned in "Earthquakes" and "Happiness Is a Butterfly".
- A garden is also mentioned in "Burnt Norton", "Cherry", "Gods & Monsters", "Off to the Races", "Taco Truck x VB", "Venice Bitch". and in the poem "My Bedroom is a Sacred Place Now — There Are Children at the Foot of My Bed".
- Bacardi is also mentioned in "Girl That Got Away", "Noir" and "Off to the Races".
- Beaches are also mentioned in "13 Beaches", "Cherry", "Fingertips", "Mariners Apartment Complex", "Summer Bummer" and in the poems "Happy", "My Bedroom Is a Sacred Place Now - There Are Children at the Foot of my Bed", "Paradise is Very Fragile" and "Salamander".
- Cars are also mentioned in "California", "Children of the Bad Revolution", "Driving in Cars with Boys" and "Video Games", among several others.
- Cherry-flavored Coca-Cola is also mentioned in "Florida Kilos", "Last Girl on Earth" and "Serial Killer".
- Additionally, Cola is also mentioned in "Coca Cola", "Party Girl", "Us Against the World" and in the song of the same name.
- Crosby, Stills and Nash were a folk group from California.
- Del Rey's truck is also mentioned in "Happiness Is a Butterfly" and "Violets for Roses".
- Additionally, trucks are also mentioned in "If You Lie Down with Me", "Beach Boys", and "Kinda Outta Luck".
- Long Beach, California, is also mentioned in "Doin' Time", "Sweet" and "The Greatest".
- Poetry is also mentioned in "Brooklyn Baby" and "Norman Fucking Rockwell".
- The keys are also mentioned in "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have – but I Have It".
- The lyric "All the ladies of the canyon" could be a reference to Joni Mitchell's album Ladies of the Canyon.
- The lyric "Girls just want to have fun" could be a reference to the famous song "Girl Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper.
- The lyric "hold me" also appears in "Cinnamon Girl", "Disco" and "Fuck It I Love You".
- The lyric "Warm like a gun" could be a reference to the 1968 song "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" by The Beatles.
- Trying to escape from paparazzi is also a theme in "13 Beaches" and "High by the Beach".
- Vines are also mentioned in "Burning Desire", "Dark but Just a Game", "Everyman Gets His Wish", "Happiness Is a Butterfly", "Old Money" and "Peppers".
- Wine is also mentioned in "Cherry", "Dance for Money", "Drive By", "Every Man Gets His Wish", "Peppers" and "Tomorrow Never Came".
Lyrics[]
All the ladies of the canyon
Wearing black to their house parties
Crosby, Stills and Nash is playing
Wine is flowing with Bacardi
But sometimes girls just want to have fun
The poetry inside of me is warm like a gun
I bought me a truck in the middle of the night
It'll buy me a year if I play my cards right
Photo free exits from baby's bedside
'Cause they don't yet know what car I drive
I'm just try'na keep my love alive
With my bartender
Hold me all night
Bartender
Our love's alive
Baby, remember
We're not drinkin' wine
But the Cherry Coke you serve is fine
And our love's sweet enough on the vine
Bartender
Bar-t-t-tender
All the ladies of the canyon
Wearing white for their tea parties
Playing games of levitation
Meditating in the garden
And I love the little games that we play
From the valley to the beach
And when at last the day is done
I grab my keys
I bought me a truck in the middle of the night
It'll buy me a year if I play my cards right
Photo free exits from baby's bedside
'Cause they don't yet know what car I drive
I'm just try'na keep my love alive
With my bartender
Hold me all night
Bartender
Our love's alive
Baby, remember
We're not drinking wine
But the Cherry Coke you serve is fine
And our love's sweet enough on the vine
Bar-t-t-tender
Bar-t-t-tender
Bar-t-t-tender
Ha-ha-ha-ha
I bought me a truck in the middle of the night
60MPH on PCH Drive
Head to Long Beach to Newport by your side
As they don't yet know where I reside
60 miles from the last place I hide
With my bar-t-t-tender
Hold me all night
Bar-t-t-tender
Keep love alive
Bar-t-t-tender
Credits[]
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, vocals, production
- Rick Nowels — songwriting, production, piano
- Kieron Menzies — engineering, mixing
- Dean Reid — mixing
- Chris Gehringer — mastering B
- Technical
- Published by R-Rated Music (GMR) administered by Universal Music Works
- Mastered at Sterling Sound
References[]
- ↑ Lana Del Rey Teases New Song 'Bartender'". Pitchfork.
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey). “Norman fucking Rockwell Jack Antonoff. Video chuck grant”. 31 August 2019. Instagram. [Access date: 31 August 2019]
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@Lana Del Rey). “Title track”. 31 August 2019. Twitter. [Access date: 31 August 2019]
