Changes: Mermaid Motel (song)

Revision as of 19:52, 26 November 2021

Lana Del Rey

From

*Lana Del Ray* track listing
"Jump"	"Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)"

Lana Del Rey

Writer(s)

Lana Del Rey

Producer(s)

Steven Mertens

Recorded

2007

Length

6:21
(See official versions)

*No Kung Fu* track listing
Jump	Put Me in a Movie

"Mermaid Motel" (registered as "Mermaid Hotel") is a song written by Lana Del Rey and produced by David Kahne. It was released in 2010 on Del Rey's debut album, Lana Del Ray.

Background and writing

In an interview with ex-boyfriend Michael Mizrahi, Del Rey stated:

"I wrote "Mermaid Motel" because I was so happy. I was on such a roll. I wrote three smashing songs, in my opinion. I wrote "Queen of the Gas Station", "Jump" and "Put Me in a Movie" in a week. And that's how it happens. I have to wait so long, I never know how long, could be years [for inspiration], but I know exactly when I have a song, and it comes all at once. It doesn't take long to write. It comes with the melody. It comes with the harmonies and I have to take as long as it takes that day, because then it does leave."^[1]

A studio demo, recorded in 2007, leaked on July 1, 2017. The original file leaked the next day. The file comes from an album called "No Kung Fu Demos (Received 2007-09-06)" confirming that the demo was a track on Del Rey's EP, No Kung Fu. This version of the song was produced by Steven Mertens.

There is an alternate version called "Mermaid Hotel", with a length of 3:00. It is registered and remains unleaked.^[2]

Music video

Music video	Information
	Released	May 19, 2009
	Length	4:09
	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 May 19, 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.

Cross-references

References to Coney Island are also present in "Off to the Races", "Carmen" and "TV in Black & White".
Refers to singing the "National Anthem".
The phrase "Miss America" is mentioned in "Driving in Cars with Boys" and "Trash Magic".
Heavy metal is also referenced in "Smarty", "Axl Rose Husband", "Angels Forever, Forever Angels", "Jimmy Gnecco" and "Guns and Roses".
Del Rey sings the phrase "God bless.." in "God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It" and "Ben".
A motel is also referenced in "Motel 6".

Official versions

Album version — 3:59
No Kung Fu demo — 6:21
"Mermaid Hotel" version (unleaked) — 3:00

Lyrics

Album version

Mhm mhm, mhm

Maybe we could go to Coney Island
Maybe I could sing the national anthem
Buy a white sweater for the last white day
Of the summer

Buy my purple wig for my mermaid video
Walk back to where I live in my motel
On Neptune Avenue

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off

(Maybe we could go to) Suede Tokyo
Or see Van Halen at the reunion show
Heavy metal hour on TV
Diamond Dave and Ray Lee
And you salute me, Miss America
Because I am, I am

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off

Maybe we could go to Coney Island
Maybe I could sing you to sleep
God bless the universe, God bless the ocean
God bless you and God bless me
God bless you and God bless me

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, t-take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off

Demo version

Maybe we can go to Coney Island
Maybe I can sing the national anthem
Buy a white sweater for the last white day
Of the summer

Like my purple hair for my mermaid video
Walk back to where I live in my motel
On Neptune Avenue (It's pretty fancy, ah)

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off

Maybe we could visit suede Tokyo
See Van Halen at the reunion show
Heavy metal hour on TV
Diamond Dave and Ray Lee
And you salute me, Miss America
Because I am, I am

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off

All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers
I've been beautiful for more than a thousand years
All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers and stare at you, baby
Smile you to tears
Oh, oh, hmm

Maybe we can go to Coney Island
Maybe I can sing you to sleep
God bless the universe, God bless the ocean
God bless the blue and God like them mean
God bless the blue and God like them mean

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off

You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
You say take it off, take it off
Take it off

References

↑ http://lizzygrant4ever.tumblr.com/post/60113849123/lizzy-grant-interviewed-by-michael-mizrahi
↑ ISWC: T-902.048.482-6

Songs | Music videos | Photoshoots | Producers | Writers

"Kill Kill"
"Queen of the Gas Station"
"Oh Say Can You See"
"Gramma (Blue Ribbon Sparkler Trailer Heaven)"
"For K, Pt. 2"

"Jump"
"Mermaid Motel"
"Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)"
"Pawn Shop Blues"

"Brite Lites"
"Put Me in a Movie"
"Smarty"
"Yayo"

[1] ttp://lizzygrant4ever.tumblr.com/post/60113849123/lizzy-grant-interviewed-by-michael-mizrahi

[2] ISWC: T-902.048.482-6

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |album = [[Lana Del Ray (album)|Lana Del Ray]]
 |previous = "[[Jump (song)|Jump]]"
-|next = "[[Raise Me Up (Mississippi South) (song)|Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)]]"
+|next = "[[Raise Me Up (Mississippi South) (song)|Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)]]"}}
+{{Infobox song
-}}
+|image = Image:NoImage.png
-"'''Mermaid Motel'''" (registered as "'''Mermaid Motel'''" and "'''Mermaid Hotel'''") is a song written by [[Lana Del Rey]] and produced by [[David Kahne]]. It was released in 2010 on Del Rey's debut album, ''[[Lana Del Ray (album)|Lana Del Ray]]''.
+|artist = Lana Del Rey
+|written = [[Lana Del Rey]]
+|producer = [[Steven Mertens]]
+|recorded = 2007
+|time = 6:21<br><small>(See [[#Official versions|official versions]])</small>
+|next = [[Put Me in a Movie (song)|Put Me in a Movie]]
+|previous = [[Jump (song)|Jump]]
+|album = [[No Kung Fu (EP)|No Kung Fu]]}}
+"'''Mermaid Motel'''" (registered as "'''Mermaid Hotel'''") is a song written by [[Lana Del Rey]] and produced by [[David Kahne]]. It was released in 2010 on Del Rey's debut album, ''[[Lana Del Ray (album)|Lana Del Ray]]''.
 ==Background and writing==
-In an interview with ex-boyfriend [[Mike Mizrahi|Michael Mizrahi]], Del Rey commented that "I wrote "Mermaid Motel" because I was so happy. I was on such a roll. I wrote three smashing songs, in my opinion. I wrote "[[Queen of the Gas Station (song)|Queen of the Gas Station]]", "[[Jump (song)|Jump]]" and "[[Put Me in a Movie (song)|Put Me in a Movie]]" in a week. And that's how it happens. I have to wait so long, I never know how long, could be years [for inspiration], but I know exactly when I have a song, and it comes all at once. It doesn't take long to write. It comes with the melody. It comes with the harmonies and I have to take as long as it takes that day, because then it does leave."<ref>http://lizzygrant4ever.tumblr.com/post/60113849123/lizzy-grant-interviewed-by-michael-mizrahi</ref>
+In an interview with ex-boyfriend [[Mike Mizrahi|Michael Mizrahi]], Del Rey stated:<blockquote>"I wrote "Mermaid Motel" because I was so happy. I was on such a roll. I wrote three smashing songs, in my opinion. I wrote "[[Queen of the Gas Station (song)|Queen of the Gas Station]]", "[[Jump (song)|Jump]]" and "[[Put Me in a Movie (song)|Put Me in a Movie]]" in a week. And that's how it happens. I have to wait so long, I never know how long, could be years [for inspiration], but I know exactly when I have a song, and it comes all at once. It doesn't take long to write. It comes with the melody. It comes with the harmonies and I have to take as long as it takes that day, because then it does leave."<ref>http://lizzygrant4ever.tumblr.com/post/60113849123/lizzy-grant-interviewed-by-michael-mizrahi</ref></blockquote>
-An extended studio demo, recorded in 2007, was leaked on July 1, 2017. The original file leaked the next day, July 2, 2017, lasting 10 minutes and 53 seconds. However, the additional length is just silence.
+A studio demo, recorded in 2007, leaked on July 1, 2017. The original file leaked the next day. The file comes from an album called "No Kung Fu Demos (Received 2007-09-06)" confirming that the demo was a track on Del Rey's EP, [[No Kung Fu (EP)|''No Kung Fu'']]. This version of the song was produced by [[Steven Mertens]].
-There is an alternate version called "Mermaid Hotel" that lasts 3 minutes. It is registered and remains unleaked.<ref>ISWC: T-902.048.482-6</ref>
+There is an alternate version called "Mermaid Hotel", with a length of 3:00. It is registered and remains unleaked.<ref>ISWC: T-902.048.482-6</ref>
-==Cross-references==
-*References to Coney Island are also present in "[[Off to the Races (song)|Off to the Races]]", "[[Carmen (song)|Carmen]]" and "[[TV in Black & White (song)|TV in Black & White]]".
-*Refers to singing the "[[National Anthem (song)|National Anthem]]".
-* The phrase "Miss America" is mentioned in "[[Driving in Cars with Boys (song)|Driving in Cars with Boys]]" and "[[Trash Magic (song)|Trash Magic]]".
-* Heavy metal is also referenced in "[[Smarty (song)|Smarty]]", "[[Axl Rose Husband (song)|Axl Rose Husband]]", "[[Angels Forever, Forever Angels (song)|Angels Forever, Forever Angels]]" and "[[Guns and Roses (song)|Guns and Roses]]".
-* Del Rey sings the phrase "God bless.." in "[[God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It (song)|God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It]]".
 == Music video ==
 {{infobox mvideo
 |video = Lana Del Rey - Mermaid Motel
-|released = N/A
+|released = May 19, 2009
 |length= 4:09
 |director =  [[Lana Del Rey]]
 |producer =
-|filmed= 2008
+|filmed= 2009
 |location= Unknown
 |vevo views= N/A
 }}
-==== Background and description ====
+==== '''Background and description''' ====
-Del Rey created her own homemade music video for the song in 2008. Like most of her early music videos, it featured clips of Del Rey herself and clips she gathered from miscellaneous films and videos.
+Del Rey created her own homemade music video for the song in 2009 and posted it to YouTube on May 19, 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.
+== Cross-references ==
+*References to Coney Island are also present in "[[Off to the Races (song)|Off to the Races]]", "[[Carmen (song)|Carmen]]" and "[[TV in Black & White (song)|TV in Black & White]]".
+*Refers to singing the "[[National Anthem (song)|National Anthem]]".
+* The phrase "Miss America" is mentioned in "[[Driving in Cars with Boys (song)|Driving in Cars with Boys]]" and "[[Trash Magic (song)|Trash Magic]]".
+* Heavy metal is also referenced in "[[Smarty (song)|Smarty]]", "[[Axl Rose Husband (song)|Axl Rose Husband]]", "[[Angels Forever, Forever Angels (song)|Angels Forever, Forever Angels]]", "[[Jimmy Gnecco (song)|Jimmy Gnecco]]" and "[[Guns and Roses (song)|Guns and Roses]]".
+* Del Rey sings the phrase "God bless.." in "[[God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It (song)|God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It]]" and "[[Ben (song)|Ben]]".
+*A motel is also referenced in "[[Motel 6 (song)|Motel 6]]".
 == Official versions ==
 * Album version — 3:59
-* Demo version — 6:21
+* [[No Kung Fu (EP)|''No Kung Fu'']] demo — 6:21
-* "Mermaid Hotel" version — 3:00
+* "Mermaid Hotel" version <small>''(unleaked)''</small> — 3:00
 ==Lyrics==
 ===Album version ===
 {{Scroll box|content=<poem>
+Mhm mhm, mhm
-[Verse 1]
-Baby we can go to Coney Island
-Baby I could sing the national anthem
+Maybe we could go to Coney Island
+Maybe I could sing the national anthem
-Buy a white sweater for the last white day of the summer
+Buy a white sweater for the last white day
-Like my purple hair
+Of the summer
-For my mermaid video
-Walk back to where I live in my motel on Neptune Avenue
+Buy my purple wig for my mermaid video
-(It's very fancy)
+Walk back to where I live in my motel
+On Neptune Avenue
-[Hook]
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
@@ Line 64: / Line 76: @@
 You say take it off, take it off
+(Maybe we could go to) Suede Tokyo
-[Verse 2]
+Or see Van Halen at the reunion show
-Maybe we could visit Suede Tokyo
+Heavy metal hour on TV
-See Van Halen at their reunion show
-Heavy metal hour on T.V.
 Diamond Dave and Ray Lee
 And you salute me, Miss America
 Because I am, I am
-[Hook]
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
@@ Line 78: / Line 88: @@
 You say take it off, take it off
+Maybe we could go to Coney Island
-[Brigde]
+Maybe I could sing you to sleep
-All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers
-I've been beautiful for more than a thousand years
-All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers
-And stare at you baby, smile you the tear
-Maybe we can go to Coney Island
-Maybe I can sing you to sleep
 God bless the universe, God bless the ocean
-God bless the blue and God lighten me
+God bless you and God bless me
-God bless the blue and God lighten me
+God bless you and God bless me
-[Hook]
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-You say take it off, take it off
+You say take it off, t-take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-You say take it off, take it off
+You say take it off
-[Outro]
-(You call me lavender, you call me sunshine)
-(You say take it off, take it off)
-(You call me lavender, you call me sunshine)
-(You say take it off, take it off)
 </poem>}}
@@ Line 106: / Line 104: @@
 Maybe we can go to Coney Island
 Maybe I can sing the national anthem
-Buy a white sweater for the last white day of the summer
+Buy a white sweater for the last white day
+Of the summer
 Like my purple hair for my mermaid video
 Walk back to where I live in my motel
-On Neptune Avenue (it's pretty fancy)
+On Neptune Avenue (It's pretty fancy, ah)
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
-Maybe we could visit Suede Tokyo
+Maybe we could visit suede Tokyo
 See Van Halen at the reunion show
 Heavy metal hour on TV
@@ Line 123: / Line 122: @@
 And you salute me, Miss America
 Because I am, I am
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers
 I've been beautiful for more than a thousand years
 All I wanna do is lie on chandeliers and stare at you, baby
 Smile you to tears
+Oh, oh, hmm
 Maybe we can go to Coney Island
 Maybe I can sing you to sleep
-God bless the universe
+God bless the universe, God bless the ocean
-God bless the ocean
+God bless the blue and God like them mean
-God bless the blue
+God bless the blue and God like them mean
-And God like them mean
-God bless the blue
-And God like them mean
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
+You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-(You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-You say take it off, take it off)
-(You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-You say take it off, take it off)
-(You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
 You say take it off, take it off
 You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
-Take it off, take it off)
+You say take it off, take it off
+You call me lavender, you call me sunshine
+You say take it off, take it off
+Take it off
 </poem>}}
@@ Line 170: / Line 163: @@
 {{Navbox album AKA}}
 [[Category:Lana Del Ray music videos]]
 [[Category:Lana Del Ray songs]]