Black Beauty (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey Rick Nowels
Producer(s)	Paul Epworth
Alternate producer(s)	Rick Nowels (vocals) Barrie James O'Neill (?)
Recorded	2013
Length	5:14 (See official versions)
From
Single(s)	"West Coast" "Ultraviolence" "Black Beauty"
Promotional single(s)	"Shades of Cool" "Ultraviolence" "Brooklyn Baby"
Ultraviolence track listing
"The Other Woman"
"Guns and Roses"

"Black Beauty" is a song by Lana Del Rey from her second major-label album Ultraviolence. It was written with Rick Nowels and produced by Paul Epworth while Nowels produced the vocals. A separate registration exists listing her ex-boyfriend Barrie James O'Neill as a co-creator, however his contributions are unknown. The demo was finished sometime in June 2013 and leaked on July 20, 2013. It serves as the first bonus track from the album.

It was released as the album's 3rd single on November 21, 2014 exclusively in Germany. A remix EP was released on the same day through Universal Music Deutschland's main site.

Background and writing

Del Rey stated that the song was for her second major label album, which would be more spiritual, but after it leaked the status of the song on the album became unknown. The song is about Del Rey loving a man who doesn't appreciate the beauty of life, and lamenting the sadness of this. This theme connects the song to others such as "Next to Me" and "Peace". It was confirmed on May 8, 2014 that it would feature as a bonus track on Ultraviolence. A radio mix version of the song with a length of 4 minutes and 5 seconds is registered on PPL Repertoire, but remains unreleased.

Composition

"Black Beauty" is a pop ballad with a running time of 5 minutes and 14 seconds. It is in 4/4, written in the key of F major and has a BPM of approximately 120. The original demo of the track featured Del Rey singing over a synthesized organ, bass and strings with minimalistic drum beats and guitar usage. The album version's opening is largely the same as the demo, using the same vocal take and instruments. It starts to differ with the inclusion of a choir and electric guitar, with the chorus having more intense, rock influenced, drums and bass as well as a choir. The rest of the song continues to use heavier drums and electric guitar.

Critical reception

MuuMuse's Bradley Stern compared the song to Del Rey's 2012 single "Ride", calling it "an unbelievably gorgeous track" and "one of Lana's greatest epics".

Cross-references

• The chorus contains a direct reference to "Life Is Beautiful", also found in "Without You".
• Black leather is referenced in "I Don't Wanna Go".
• Black skies are mentioned in "Damn You".

Official versions

• Album version – 5:14
• Demo version – 5:19
• Instrumental version – 5:11
• Radio mix – 4:05

Lyrics

I paint my nails black
I dye my hair a darker shade of brown
'Cause you like your women
Spanish, dark, strong and proud

I paint the sky black
You said if you could have your way
You'd make it nighttime all today
So it'd suit the mood of your soul

Oh, what can I do?
Nothing, my sparrow blue
Oh, what can I do?
Life is beautiful but you don't have a clue
Sun and ocean blue
Their magnificence, it don't make sense to you

Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh

I paint the house black
My wedding dress black leather too
You have no room for light
Love is lost on you

I keep my lips red
To seem like cherries in the spring
Darling, you can't let everything
Seem so dark blue

Oh, what can I do
To turn you on or get through you?
Oh, what can I do?
Life is beautiful but you don't have a clue
Sun and ocean blue
Their magnificence, it don't make sense to you

Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, baby, black beauty, baby

Oh, what can I do?
Life is beautiful but you don't have a clue
Sun and ocean blue
That magnificence, it don't make sense to you

Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty, oh-oh-oh-oh

Commercial release

Black Beauty (The Remix EP) was released on November 21, 2014 through Universal Music Deutschland's main site, and the extended play consists of three remixes. The EP was released under the Vertigo/Capital label. On December 15, 2014 the EP was released on iTunes Germany .

Digital release

Black Beauty (The Remix EP)

	Label: Vertigo/Capital Format: Digital Released: December 15, 2014 Barcode: None Photography: None Design: Uncredited

#	Name	Time
1.	"Black Beauty" (LEEX Tropical Remix)	5:57
2.	"Black Beauty" (Dinnerdate Remix)	3:08
3.	"Black Beauty" (Lakechild Remix)	3:59

Promotional release

Black Beauty (Remix EP) CD by Vertigo and Universal Music in UK, US & Germany

Front cover

Back cover

CD

Credits

Personnel

• Lana Del Rey – vocals, songwriting
• Rick Nowels – songwriting, vocal production, piano
• Paul Epworth – production
• Matt Wiggins – engineering
• Kieron Menzies – vocal engineering
• Robert Orton – mixing
• Ed Harcourt – piano
• Pablo Tato – piano
• Tom Herbert – guitar
• Leo Taylor – drums
• Nikolaj Torp Larsen – Philicorda, mellotron
• John Davis – mastering

Charts

Chart (2014)	Peak position
UK (Official Charts Company)	179

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label
Austria	December 15, 2014	Digital download (The Remix EP)	Vertigo Berlin
Germany
Switzerland