"Kintsugi" is a song by Lana Del Rey from her ninth studio album and eighth major-label studio album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
Background[]
In an interview with Interview magazine on February 14, 2023, Del Rey described the track and "Fingertips" as "super long and wordy", containing her "innermost thoughts".[1]
In an interview with Rolling Stone UK magazine, Del Rey had revealed the song came to her when she was with her dad and sister at her uncle's hospice in Manhattan with all "50 of the Grant members".[2] A video of this event was uploaded to Del Rey's Facebook account back on May 4, 2020.[3]
The unmastered version of the song - featuring an extra few seconds of talking at the end - leaked before the album's release. The official instrumental leaked on May 20, 2023.
Cross-references[]
- Whistling can be heard in "Every Man Gets His Wish" and "White Mustang".
- Letting light in is also mentioned in "Let the Light In".
- "The light" is also mentioned in "The Devil".
Official versions[]
- Album version — 6:18
- Instrumental version — 6:18
- Unmastered version — 6:22
Lyrics[]
Album version[]
There's a certain point the body can't come back from
In one year, we've learned the turn of the mouth
The depth that the chest cavity takes
Chucky was there for three out of three
I was there for the third, 'cause I couldn't be
There for the one who was closest to me
But I can't say I run when things get hard
It's just that I don't trust myself with my heart
But I've had to let it break a little more
'Cause they say that's what it's for
That's how the light shines in
That's how the light shines in
That's how the light gets in, mhm
[Whistling]
So, everyone was there, they were standin', laughin'
And I'm on the side, with my tears streamin' down
Somethin' about the clutch of the wrist
He thought mine was his to cough into his mouth
We've only got hours, and I just can't stop crying
'Cause all of the ways, when you see someone dying
The sea of your days flash in front of you
And you think about who will be with you
And then there's Donoghue, mhm
Daddy, I miss them, I'm in the mountains
I'm probably runnin' away from the feelings I get
When I think all the things about them
Daddy, I miss them, I'm at the Roadrunner Cafe
I'm probably runnin' away from the thoughts and the day
That have things to do with them, but they say
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
Think by the third of March, I was cracked open
Finally, the ground was cold, they wouldn't open
Brought by the sunlight of the spirit to pour into me
There's a name for it in Japanese, it's kintsugi
They sang folk songs from the '40s
Even the fourteen-year old knew "Froggie Came a-Courtin"
How do my blood relatives know all of these songs?
I don't know anyone left who knows songs that I sing
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
But, daddy, I miss them, I'm at the Roadrunner Cafe
Probably runnin' away from the feelings today
In the snow-capped mountains of the desert
Daddy, I miss them, I'm in the mountains
Probably runnin' away, I'm meaning to say
That there's nothing to do except know that
This is how the light gets in
By cracking, the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
And you're golden, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Just another folk song, la-lie, la-lie
I try so hard, but that's okay
It's how the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
Unmastered version[]
There's a certain point the body can't come back from
In one year, we've learned the turn of the mouth
The depth that the chest cavity takes
Chucky was there for three out of three
I was there for the third, 'cause I couldn't be
There for the one who was closest to me
But I can't say I run when things get hard
It's just that I don't trust myself with my heart
But I've had to let it break a little more
'Cause they say that's what it's for
That's how the light shines in
That's how the light shines in
That's how the light gets in, mhm
[Whistling]
So, everyone was there, they were standin', laughin'
And I'm on the side, with my tears streamin' down
Somethin' about the clutch of the wrist
He thought mine was his to cough into his mouth
We've only got hours, and I just can't stop crying
'Cause all of the ways, when you see someone dying
The sea of your days flash in front of you
And you think about who will be with you
And then there's Donoghue, mhm
Daddy, I miss them, I'm in the mountains
I'm probably runnin' away from the feelings I get
When I think all the things about them
Daddy, I miss them, I'm at the Roadrunner Cafe
I'm probably runnin' away from the thoughts and the day
That have things to do with them, but they say
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
Think by the third of March, I was cracked open
Finally, the ground was cold, they wouldn't open
Brought by the sunlight of the spirit to pour into me
There's a name for it in Japanese, it's kintsugi
They sang folk songs from the '40s
Even the fourteen-year old knew "Froggie Came a-Courtin"
How do my blood relatives know all of these songs?
I don't know anyone left who knows songs that I sing
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
But, daddy, I miss them, I'm at the Roadrunner Cafe
Probably runnin' away from the feelings today
In the snow-capped mountains of the desert
Daddy, I miss them, I'm in the mountains
Probably runnin' away, I'm meaning to say
That there's nothing to do except know that
This is how the light gets in
By cracking, the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
That's how the light gets in
And you're golden, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Just another folk song, la-lie, la-lie
I try so hard, but that's okay
It's how the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
It's how the light gets in
[Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey]:
Should we put a structure together?
Yeah
Now?
Credits[]
Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, production, vocals, whistle
- Jack Antonoff — songwriting, production, drums, piano, acoustic guitar, synth [Prophet], engineering, mixing
- Laura Sisk — engineering, mixing
- Brian Rajaratnam — engineering assistance
- Jon Sher — engineering assistance
- Mark Aguilar — engineering assistance
- Matt Tuggle — engineering assistance
- Megan Searl — engineering assistance
- Ruairi O'Flaherty — mastering
Charts[]
Weekly chart[]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[4] | 44 |
References[]
- ↑ "Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish Fall in Love". Interview. February 14, 2023. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/lana-del-rey-and-billie-eilish-fall-in-love. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ↑ Rolling Stone UK (March 17, 2023). "Lana Del Rey on Kintsugi, lessons she's learnt, and the minutia of everyday life". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs0hCe6hcro. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ↑ Del Rey, Lana (May 4, 2020). "Uncle Dick reading his poem ‘Holding Back the Night’ Grandma looking on
One of many of his from many of his books". Facebook. https://fb.watch/oQdM3rfuJC/. Retrieved December 9, 2023. - ↑ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
