Body Electric (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey; Rick Nowels
Producer(s)	Rick Nowels; Dan Heath
Length	3:53; (See official versions)
From
Single(s)	"Ride"
Promotional single(s)	"Blue Velvet"; "Burning Desire"
Paradise track listing
"Cola"	"Blue Velvet"
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"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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Body Electric is mentioned in "Hollywood".
Marilyn Monroe is also referenced in "Children of the Bad Revolution" and a 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", "Sad Girl", "Baby Blue Love" and thematically similar to a lyric found in "Lucky Ones".
"I'm On Fire" is a 1984 song by Bruce Springsteen.
A "pale moonlight" is mentioned in "Summertime Sadness" and "Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight".
Friday night also appears in "Born to Die".
Diamonds are mentioned in many of Del Rey's songs, including "National Anthem", "Cola", "Fine China", "Fucked My Way Up to the Top" and "Money Power Glory".
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.
Direct reference to Walt Whitman's poem "I Sing the Body Electric".
Jesus is also mentioned in "Tulsa Jesus Freak", "Diet Mountain Dew" and "I Talk to Jesus".
The Grand Ole Opry is a music stage concert in Nashville.
"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".

Official versions[edit | edit source]

Album version — 3:53
- Instrumental version — 3:51

Lyrics[edit | edit source]

Elvis is my daddy
Marilyn's my mother
Jesus is my bestest 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 bestest 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 moon light
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 that 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 hearts 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

Credits[edit | edit source]

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