"Heroin" (originally titled "City by the Bay") is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was co-written with Rick Nowels and co-produced with Nowels, Kieron Menzies and Dean Reid, with additional production by Mighty Mike. It is featured as the fourteenth track on her fifth studio album and fourth major-label studio album, Lust for Life.
Background[]
The song was written about one of Del Rey's ex-boyfriends, Rob Dubuss, who passed away on December 30, 2011, from a heroin overdose. In one of her live performances, she explained briefly that "Yayo" was also a song about him and confirmed that he is her ex as well.
The song is rumored to have 42 mixes.[S 1]
On November 1, 2024, Lust for Life producer, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist Dean Reid shared a 2016 draft tracklist of the album which featured the song, then titled "City by the Bay", as the twelfth track on the album.[1]
Live performances[]
Del Rey performed the song live for the first time at her Lust for Life listening party and performance hosted by Spotify at No Vacancy in Los Angeles, California, on July 20, 2017. She added that it was her favorite song on the album. On January 30, 2018, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the LA to the Moon Tour Del Rey performed an a cappella version of the song by fan request.
Cross-references[]
- A mention of ribbons in one's hair is found in "This Is What Makes Us Girls" and "Tired of Singing the Blues".
- Del Rey remarks "Oh, my God" in "Paradise", "Summertime Sadness", "The Blackest Day", and "When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing".
- Heavy metal is also mentioned in "Angels Forever, Forever Angels", "Axl Rose Husband", "Guns and Roses", "Mermaid Motel" and "Smarty".
- Heroin is also mentioned in "Beach Boys", "Cruel World", "Disco", "Hollywood", "Jump", and "Nectar of the Gods".
- Hot weather is also mentioned in "Salvatore" and "Shades of Cool", although in the summer as opposed to the hot winter described in this song.
- Kids are also mentioned in "Damn You", "Love", "Old Money", "Tulsa Jesus Freak", "Ultraviolence", "Venice Bitch", and "Without You".
- Liquor is also mentioned in "California", "Carmen", and "Gods & Monsters".
- Reference to "Change".
- Shores are also mentioned in the poem "LA Who Am I to Love You".
- The lyric "Come on" is also used in "Be My Daddy", "Cola", "Wolf T-Shirt", "For K, Pt. 2", and "Put Me in a Movie".
- The lyric "I'd be lying" is also used in "13 Beaches".
- The lyric "My old man" is also used in "Off to the Races".
- The lyric "Topanga's hot tonight" is also used in "The Next Best American Record".
- The lyric "Writing in blood on my walls" is also used in "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have - but I Have It".
Official versions[]
- Album version — 5:55
- Instrumental version — 5:56
- Clean version — 5:55
Lyrics[]
Topanga's hot tonight, the city by the bay
Has movie stars and liquor stores in soft decay
The rumblin' from distant shores sends me to sleep, but
The facts of life can sometimes make it hard to dream
Life rocked me like Mötley
Grabbed me by the ribbons in my hair
Life rocked me ultra-softly
Like the heavy metal that you wear
I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about heroin
How it gave you everything and took your life away
I put you on an aeroplane destined for a foreign land
I hoped that you'd come back again and tell me everything's okay
Baby
Topanga's hot today, Manson's in the air
And all my friends have gone, 'cause they still feel him here
I wanna leave, I'll probably stay another year
It's hard to leave when absolutely nothing's clear
Life rocked me like Mötley
Bad beginning to my new year
Life rocked me ultra-softly
Like the heavy metal that you hear
I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about heroin
And how it gave you everything and took your life away
I put you on the aeroplane destined for a foreign land
I thought that you'd come back again to tell me everything's okay
Baby, yeah
It's fucking hot, hot, winter in the city
Something 'bout this weather made these kids go crazy
It's hot, even for February
Something 'bout the sun has made these kids get scary
Oh, writing in blood on my walls and shit
My God, oh my God
Dripping off from the walls into the ducts and shit
Oh, ho-ho-ho, I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't sick of it
Baby (Baby)
Come on (Come on)
Come on (Come on)
I'm flyin' to the moon again, dreamin' about marzipan
Takin' all my medicine to take my thoughts away
I'm gettin' on that aeroplane, leavin' my old man again
I hope that I come back one day to tell you that I really changed
Baby
It's hot, hot, something 'bout the city
Don't know what it is that makes my head get crazy
Oh, makes me feel like I can change
Oh, ho-ho-ho, all of my evil ways and shit
Mhm, mhm
Oh, ho-ho-ho, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sick of it
References[]
- ↑ "Unreleased Songs Pre-Leak Discussion Thread". Lanaboards. November 1, 2024. http://lanaboards.com/topic/13137-unreleased-songs-pre-leak-discussion-thread/?do=findComment&comment=1902398. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
Notes[]
