"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.
Background
In an interview with ex-boyfriend 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,” “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]
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 words "Miss America" are also heard in "Driving In Cars With Boys" and "Trash Magic".
- Heavy metal is also referenced in "Smarty", "Axl Rose Husband", "Angels Forever, Forever Angels" and "Guns and Roses".
Music video
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | N/A |
| Length | 4:09 | |
| Director | Lana Del Rey | |
| Producer | ||
| Filmed | 2008 | |
| Location | Unknown | |
| Vevo views | N/A | |
Background and description
Del Rey created her own homemade music video for the song in 2008. Like most of her early music vides, it featured clips of Del Rey herself and clips she gathered from miscellaneous films and videos.
Lyrics
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 lived 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 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
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
References
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