"Brite Lites" is a song written by Lana Del Rey and produced by David Kahne. A demo of the song first appeared on Del Rey's unreleased 2007 EP, No Kung Fu. It was reworked by Kahne and released as the tenth track on Del Rey's debut studio album, Lana Del Ray, on January 4, 2010.
Background[]
The first demo of the song leaked from the rare No Kung Fu CD on February 10, 2012. Two snippets of a second demo, produced by Steven Mertens in 2008, respectively leaked on July 25 and August 15, 2016. A third leaked on August 31, 2017, before it leaked in full on December 25. An original file of the song leaked on January 7, 2024.
The song was also recorded in a rehearsal session with The Rich Whores, a band that featured her boyfriend at the time, Arthur Lynn. Other songs recorded in the 2007 session include "Trees", "Yayo", "Disco", and "Me & My Boyfriend". On June 13, 2016, a snippet of this version leaked on Instagram. The full session with The Rich Whores surfaced on March 5, 2020.
Composition[]
"Brite Lites" is in the key of G minor with an approximate tempo of 120 beats per minute. The song has a Bollywood influence with its use of vocal samples. Its instrumentation features repetitive bass drum hits, guitar string sound effects, synth sax bass line, a plucky guitar accent and various synth pads and keys.
Live performances[]
There are two known performances of "Brite Lites". The first known performance of the song was on June 14, 2007, at Union Pool in New York, and the second at The Cutting Room on July 9, 2007.
On May 12, 2024, a video cassette tape was listed for sale on eBay, described as being the full footage from Del Rey's July 9, 2007, performance at The Cutting Room in New York City with The Rich Whores. The listing was taken down before being sold. On July 24, the seller uploaded a clip of Del Rey's performance of "Me & My Boyfriend" to YouTube, while simultaneously announcing a digital streaming event of Del Rey's full set. The ticketed event was later canceled, but the seller has sporadically uploaded their copyrighted clips of the performance to YouTube. They shared clips of "Trees" and "For K, Pt. 2" on July 31, clips of "Disco" and "Brite Lites" on August 6, and a clip of "Yayo" on August 26. On December 13, the seller uploaded a clip of the band joining Del Rey on stage as she introduces "Trees". A low quality video of Del Rey performing "Yayo" in full has previously surfaced, though is not publicly available online due to the seller's copyright.
Music video[]
| Music video | Information | |
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Released | N/A |
| Length | 3:08 | |
| Director | Lana Del Rey | |
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| Vevo views | N/A | |
Background and description[]
Del Rey created her own homemade music video for the song. Like most of her early videos, it features clips of Del Rey herself as well as clips she gathered from miscellaneous films and videos. It shows Del Rey in front of a window, most likely in her own or a friend's house, dancing and singing along to the lyrics of the song.
Cross-references[]
- Beauty queens are also mentioned in "Queen of Disaster", "Summertime Sadness", and "You're Gonna Love Me", among others.
- A silver screen is also mentioned in "Dum Dum".
Official versions[]
- Album version – 2:57
- No Kung Fu demo 1 – 3:05
- Demo 2 (produced by Steven Mertens) – 3:00
- The Rich Whores rehearsal – 3:30
Lyrics[]
Album version[]
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I'm taking off my wedding ring
I gave you everything
I gave you everything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
I'm going back to Aberdeen
I'm going back to Aberdeen
I'm going back to Aberdeen
Where when I was a beauty queen
I wasn't anything
It wasn't anything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah, yeah
(Hey-hey, hey-hey)
Hey-hey
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the trampoline
I'm waving on the silver screen
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, look at me, ah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
(Yeah, yeah)
No Kung Fu demo version 1[]
(1, 2... 1, 2, 3, 4)
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I'm taking off my wedding ring
I gave you everything
I gave you everything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah, yeah
I'm going back to Aberdeen
I'm going back to Aberdeen
I'm going back to Aberdeen
Where when I was a beauty queen
It wasn't anything
It wasn't anything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, ay, ay, yeah, ooh
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
The film is fading, look at me
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
Film is fading, look at me, yeah
Film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, look at me, ah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
(Well, I don't know)
Demo version 2[]
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I'm taking off my wedding ring
I gave you everything
I gave you everything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
They name me Lana Ray Loreen
They name me Lana Ray Loreen
They name me Lana Ray Loreen
From when I was a beauty queen
I wasn't anything
I wasn't anything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights (Yeah)
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights (Yeah)
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
The film is fading, look at me
The film is fading, look at me, ay
The film is fading, look at me, ay
The film is fading, look at me, ay
The film is fading, look at me, look at me, ah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
The Rich Whores rehearsal[]
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I look for you in magazines
I'm taking off my wedding ring
I gave you everything
I gave you-
-bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah-ooh, ooh-ooh
I'm going back to Aberdeen
Going back to Aberdeen
I'm going back to Aberdeen
Where when I was a beauty queen
It wasn't anything
It wasn't anything
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah, ahh, yeah
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
I'm waving on the silver screen
The film is fading, look at me
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, yeah
The film is fading, look at me, look at me, ah
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights
Gimme the bright lights, yeah, ooh, ooh
Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh
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