"Body Electric" (referred to as "I Sing the Body Electric") is a song by Lana Del Rey from her third EP, and second major-label release, Paradise. It was co-written with Rick Nowels and produced by Nowels and Dan Heath.
Background[]
Del Rey first mentioned the song as "I Sing the Body Electric" on June 15, 2012, during an interview with Catalunya Radio. She also mentioned "Gods & Monsters" as "In the Land of Gods and Monsters" and "Young and Beautiful" as "Will You Still Love Me When I'm No Longer Young and Beautiful".[1]
The song's official instrumental leaked on October 3, 2018.
Tropico music video[]
- Main article: Tropico (film)
Del Rey's short film, Tropico (released December 6, 2013), contains a visual for "Body Electric", as part of Tropico's first chapter titled Body Electric. It shows Del Rey as Eve and actor Shaun Ross as Adam in the Garden of Eden.
Live performances[]
Del Rey first performed the song live for the very first time during her performance at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, California, on June 3, 2012.
Cross-references[]
- Diamonds are also mentioned in "Cola", "Fine China", "Florida Kilos", "Fucked My Way Up to the Top", "Last Girl on Earth", "Money Power Glory", "National Anthem" and "Young and Beautiful", among several others.
- "Diamonds are my bestest friends" is a reference to the Marilyn Monroe song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the 1953 movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes".
- Direct reference to Walt Whitman's poem "I Sing the Body Electric".
- Referenced in "Hollywood".
- Marilyn Monroe is also mentioned in "Children of the Bad Revolution", "Hollywood's Dead" and the song of the same name.
- Elvis is referenced in many of Del Rey's songs, including a song of the same name.
- "I'm on fire" is also a phrase in "Summertime Sadness", "Ben", "Sad Girl", "Baby Blue Love" and thematically similar to a lyric found in "Lucky Ones". It is a reference to 1984 song "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen.
- A "pale moonlight" is also mentioned in "Summertime Sadness" and "Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight".
- Friday night also appears in "Born to Die".
- The phrase "drop it like it's hot" also appears in "Ghetto Baby", "Go Go Dancer" and "Midnight Dancer Girlfriend". This is most likely a reference to the 2004 song "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg.
- Jesus is also mentioned in "Cherry Blossom", "Diet Mountain Dew", "I Talk to Jesus", "Jesus Is My Boyfriend", "Mariners Apartment Complex" and "Tulsa Jesus Freak", among several others.
- The Grand Ole Opry is a music stage concert in Nashville.
Official versions[]
- Album version — 3:53
- Instrumental version — 3:51
- Paradise Tour version — 4:37
Lyrics[]
Elvis is my daddy
Marilyn's my mother
Jesus is my best-est friend
We don't need nobody
'Cause we got each other
Or at least I pretend
We get down every Friday night
Dancing and grinding in the pale moonlight
Grand Ole Opry, we're feeling alright
Mary prays the rosary for my broken mind
(I said don't worry 'bout it)
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric, baby
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric
Sing that body electric
Sing that body electric
I'm on fire
Sing that body electric
Whitman is my daddy
Monaco's my mother
Diamonds are my best-est friend
Heaven is my baby
Suicide's her father
Opulence is the end
We get down every Friday night
Dancing and grinding in the pale moonlight
Grand Ole Opry, we're feeling alright
Mary prays the rosary for my broken mind
(I said don't worry 'bout it)
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric, baby
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric
Sing that body electric
Sing that body electric
I'm on fire
Sing that body electric
My clothes still smell like you
And all the photographs say you're still young
I pretend I'm not hurt and go about the world like I'm having fun
We get crazy every Friday night
Drop it like it's hot in the pale moonlight
Grand Ole Opry, feeling alright
Mary swaying softly to her heart's delight
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric, baby
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric
Sing that body electric
Sing that body electric
I'm on fire
Sing that body electric
I sing the body electric, baby
I sing the body electric, baby
I sing the body electric, baby
Credits[]
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
- Rick Nowels — songwriting, production, piano, mellotron, strings
- Dan Heath — production, recording, orchestra, percussion
- Kieron Menzies — recording, mixing
- Chris Garcia — recording
- Patrick Warren — guitar, organ, dulcitone, Moog synthesizer, piano, bells, Optigon, mellotron
- Tim Pierce — electric slide guitar
- John Davis — mastering
- Technical
- Published by EMI / R-Rated Music
- Administered by EMI April Music Inc. (ASCAP)
- Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom
- Recorded at The Green Building, Santa Monica, United States
References[]
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