Fucked My Way Up to the Top (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey Dan Heath
Producer(s)	Dan Auerbach
Length	3:32 (See official versions)
From
Single(s)	"West Coast" "Ultraviolence" "Black Beauty"
Promotional single(s)	"Shades of Cool" "Ultraviolence" "Brooklyn Baby"
Ultraviolence track listing
"Money Power Glory"
"Old Money"

"Fucked My Way Up to the Top" (originally titled "Fuck My Way" and also registered as "Fucked My Way Up") is a song by Lana Del Rey written with Dan Heath. It was released on Del Rey's second major-label studio album, Ultraviolence.

Background

A snippet of an early demo featuring different vocals and instrumental leaked on June 25, 2018.

Writing and inspiration

On June 9, 2014, in an interview with Grazia magazine, Del Rey said "It's about a singer who first sneered about my allegedly not authentic style but later she stole and copied it. And now she's acting like I am the art project and she the true super artist. My God and people actually believe her, she's successful! I shouldn't continue ranting, it doesn't get anywhere."

Critical reception

Before the album was out or the track even previewed, music magazine Billboard described the song as "the best song title on Ultraviolence" along with "Guns and Roses", a sentiment shared by Internet publication Pitchfork Media.

Live performances

Del Rey has only performed this song live twice. For the first time on July 17, 2014 in Carcassonne, France, and a second time on August 24, 2014, at Rock en Seine Music Festival.

Cross-references

• Diamonds and pearls are also mentioned in "I Don't Wanna Go" and "Catch and Release". "Diamonds and Pearls" is also a song by Prince featuring Rosie Gaines.
• Curls are mentioned in "Marilyn Monroe", "The Other Woman" and "When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing".

Official versions

• Album version — 3:32
• Instrumental version — 3:29
• Demo version — 3:37

Lyrics

Life is awesome, I confess
What I do, I do best
You got nothing, I got tested
And I'm best, yes

Lay me down tonight in my linen and curls
Let me down tonight, Riviera girls

I fucked my way up to the top
This is my show
I fucked my way up to the top
Go, baby, go

(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show
(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show

I'm a dragon, you're a whore
Don't even know what you're good for
Mimickin' me's a fuckin' bore
To me, but babe

Lay me down tonight in my diamonds and pearls
Tell me something nice 'bout your favorite girl

I fucked my way up to the top
This is my show
I fucked my way up to the top
Go, baby, go

(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show
(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show

Need you, baby, like I breathe you, baby
Need you, baby, more, more, more, more
Need you, baby, like I breathe you, baby
Fuckin' need you, baby, more, more, more, more

Lay me down tonight in my linen and pearls
Lay me down tonight, I'm your favorite girl

I fucked my way up to the top
This is my show
I fucked my way up to the top
Go, baby, go

(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show
(Go, go, go, go, go)
This is my show

Need you, baby, like I breathe you, baby
I need you, baby, more, more, more, more
Need you, baby, like I breathe you, baby, ah

Credits

Personnel

• Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
• Dan Heath — songwriting
• Dan Auerbach — production, electric guitar
• Collin Dupuis — engineering
• Robert Orton — mixing
• Kenny Vaughan & Seth Kaufman — electric guitar
• Nick Movshon — electric bass
• Leon Michaels — Mellotron, synthesizers, piano
• Russ Pahl — pedal steel
• Maximilian Weissenfeldt — drums
• Collin Dupuis — drums programming
• John Davis — mastering

Technical

• Mixed at Hot Rocks Studios
• Mastered at Metropolis Studios, London