"Hundred Dollar Bill" (also known as "C-Note", "Nothing More Gorgeous Than a Hundred Dollar Bill" and "Ruby Tuesday") is an unreleased song by Lana Del Rey. It was recorded in 2009 and leaked on December 20, 2011. The song is an outtake from the Born to Die sessions.
Background
Del Rey uploaded the song to her defunct SoundCloud profile on March 22, 2010, alongside other songs "On Our Way", "Velvet Crowbar", "Us Against the World", "Kinda Outta Luck" and "You Can Be the Boss".[1]
The final version of the song was produced by Jayson Michael. A demo version, also known as "C-Note", leaked on April 8, 2012 and was produced by David Kahne, who also produced Del Rey's album Lana Del Ray. A 3rd version has been confirmed to exist by its producer, David Kahne. It's been described as "progressive and aggressive". An alternate version of the song under the name "Ruby Tuesday" exists and remains unleaked.
Along with "Heavy Hitter" and "Hawaiian Tropic", "Hundred Dollar Bill" belongs to an album called "2009 Pod Audio".
Live performances
Del Rey has performed the song live two known times. The first known performance was on June 8, 2009, at The Slipper Room in New York, and the second known performance was on January 22, 2010, at the Highline Ballroom. Video footage of the first performance exists online.[2]
Music video
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | December 21, 2009 |
| Length | 4:01 | |
| Director | Lana Del Rey | |
| Producer | ||
| Filmed | 2009 | |
| Location | Unknown | |
| Vevo views | N/A | |
Background and description
Del Rey created her own homemade music video for the song in 2009 and posted it to YouTube on December 21, 2009. Like most of her earlier music videos, it features clips of Del Rey singing along to the song and clips she gathered from miscellaneous films and videos. It also features footage of Del Rey's interview with Brea Tremblay for Index magazine that was taken November, 2008.
Cross-references
- Mentions of a Chevy can be found in "On Our Way", "Every Man Gets His Wish" and "Shades of Cool".
- Themes of prostitution can be found in songs such as "Kinda Outta Luck", "Last Girl on Earth", "Go Go Dancer" and various other songs.
- A party dress is also mentioned in "Cruel World" and "National Anthem"
- Reference to Ultraviolence.
- The song is assumed to be about love-interest J.
- Del Rey calls herself the "New Jersey queen" in "All Smiles".
- "You turn my mood from black to blue" is a similar lyric to "out of the black, into the blue" from "Get Free".
- Certain lyrical similarities to "My Song 57".
- Lyrics "I’m in my party dress, he say, "you such a mess"" are similar to "In my party dress, I'm a fucking mess" from "Love Song".
Official versions
- Final version — 4:00
- "C-Note" demo version — 3:13
Lyrics
Final version
(Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Jimmy pulls up in his blue Chevy Nova
I have been dyin' for him to come over
I’m in my party dress
He say, "you such a mess"
I am the New Jersey dance queen
He is the gangster action king
He knows that I be sellin' my body
My man the best 'cause he knows what’s up
He knows it’s a big bad world
Knows that I’m a good girl
He understands the sale of self
'Cause cash comes quick when looks can kill
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Hey, yeah)
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
J is a romantic roller coaster
He don’t do anything he supposed to
I like 'em tough and mean
Jim is the worst that I've ever seen
I am the trailer park darling
He is the one-time comeback king
He knows that I be looking to die
He says, "baby, pay respect to the high"
He knows it’s a big bad world
Knows that I’m a good girl
He understands the sale of self
'Cause cash comes quick when looks can kill
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
(Hey, yeah, oh-ah, oh-ah, hey-ah)
I like your ultra-violent swing
I like it when you treat me mean
You turn my mood from black to blue
I like your ultra-violent swing
I like it when you treat me mean
You turn my mood from black to blue
(Hey, yeah, twenty of 'em
Wrapped up tight in)
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Hey, yeah)
Hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
Hundred dollar bill
(I need your love)
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(I need your love)
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bill
(I need your love)
Hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(I need your love)
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
(Yeah, twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk)
"C-Note" demo version
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
But twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Hey-ah
Jimmy pulls up in his blue Chevy Nova
I have been dyin' for him to come over
I’m in my party dress
He say, "you’re such a mess"
I am the New Jersey dance queen
He is the gangster action king
He knows that I be sellin' my body
My man the best 'cause he knows what’s up
He knows it’s a big bad world
Knows that I’m a good girl
He understands the sale of self
'Cause cash comes quick when looks can kill
And there's nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
But twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Hey-ah
J is a romantic roller coaster
He don’t do anything he supposed to
I like 'em tough and mean
Jim is the worst that I've ever seen
I am the trailer park darling
He is the one-time comeback king
He knows that I be looking to die
He said, "baby, pay respect to the high"
I'm not invincible
But cash come quick when looks can kill
And there's nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Twenty of 'em wrapped up tight in silk
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
I like your ultra-violent swing
I like it when you treat me mean
You turn my mood from black to blue
Ruby Tuesdays
Oh, sick, oh
I loved you then, you'll always know
I loved you then, you'll always know
That there's nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill
Nothin' more gorgeous than a hundred dollar bill