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"Music to Watch Boys To" (originally titled "Pink Flamingos"[S 1]) is a song by Lana Del Rey that is featured as the second track on Del Rey's third major-label full-length album Honeymoon. The song was officially released worldwide as the second single from the record on September 11, 2015.
Background and writing[]
Del Rey first mentioned the song as a potential title for the whole album in late June, 2014.[1] On January 2, 2015, Del Rey opened up a little more on the song, elaborating on how she wrote it in a visual, noirish way saying "the title [of the song] lends itself to a visual of shadows of men passing by, this girl's eyes, her face. I can definitely see things."[2]
An early demo of the song is rumored to exist.[S 2]
Release[]
On June 4, 2015, model Jake Mast tweeted that the music video he had filmed with Del Rey earlier in the year was for the track and would be released in June,[3] however, by the end of the month, no video had been released. On August 31, 2015, Del Rey posted a photo depicting the behind-the-scenes of the music video for the track on Instagram.[4] A snippet of the song was featured alongside excerpts from "Terrence Loves You", "Freak" and "High by the Beach" in an album sampler released September 8, 2015.
On September 9, 2015, Del Rey posted the official single cover on social media sites along with an announcement that the track would premier later that day on Beats 1 Radio. On September 11, 2015, the single's official audio was uploaded to Del Rey's Vevo YouTube channel, and the song was also released on iTunes. On September 30, 2015, the official music video for the song was uploaded to Del Rey's Vevo YouTube channel.
Live performances[]
Del Rey performed the song live for the very first time on July 31, 2017, during a small scale concert at the House of Blues in San Diego, California. She also performed it on August 1, 2017, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. It was performed at many other 2017 shows, and in 2018, it was performed on various dates of the LA to the Moon Tour.
Use in media[]
The song can be heard in the first episode of the first season of Norwegian TV drama series Skam.
Music video[]
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | September 30, 2015 |
| Length | 4:55 | |
| Director | Kinga Burza | |
| Producer | ||
| Filmed | April 25, 2015 | |
| Location | California | |
| Vevo views | 64 million+ views | |
Background[]
The music video for "Music to Watch Boys To" was shot near Hollywood, California. It was filmed during April, 2015. It was officially released on Del Rey's official Vevo channel on September 30, 2015, after Del Rey had teased various photos promoting the video on social media during previous weeks.
Description[]
The video features Del Rey lounging in a lawn chair while men play basketball on an empty court, and a group of young girls in dresses swimming together underwater. Scenes of Del Rey wearing glitter and wearing a black dress are intercut in between the footage of the basketball players. The video ends with Del Rey and the young girls holding hands and jumping together in a line.
Photoshoot by Chuck Grant[]
Photoshoot by Neil Krug[]
Behind the scenes[]
Cross-references[]
- Lemonade is also mentioned in "Dance for Money", "Lemonade Motorcycle Heaven", "Trash Magic", "Ultraviolence" and in the poem "What Happened When I Left You".
- Pink flamingos are also mentioned in "Methamphetamines" and "Trash Magic".
- Playing guitar is also mentioned in "Brooklyn Baby", "For K (Part 2)", "Groupie Love", The Next Best American Record" and "Tomorrow Never Came".
- Velvet is also mentioned in "Blue Velvet", "Fake Diamond", "This Is What Makes Us Girls" and "Velvet Crowbar".
- "Nothing gold can stay" is a reference to the poem of the same title written in 1923 by Robert Frost, which was also referenced in "Venice Bitch".
- "Nothing gold can stay, like love or lemonade" is similar to the lyric, "crying tears of gold like lemonade" from "Ultraviolence".
- The phrase "I like you a lot" is also used in "Breaking My Heart", "White Mustang" and "You Can Be the Boss", and it's similar to "I like you quite a lot" in "Lolita" and "I like you lots" in "Wild at Heart".
Official versions[]
- Album version – 4:50
- Instrumental version – 4:37
- Music video version – 4:54
- Radio mix – 4:34
- "Pink Flamingos" demo version (unleaked) – Unknown
Lyrics[]
Album version[]
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
Pink flamingos always fascinated me
I know what only the girls know
Hoes with lies akin to me
I, I see you’re goin'
So I play my music, watch you leave
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
Velveteen and livin' single, it never felt that right to me
I know what only the girls know
Lies can buy eternity
I, I see you leaving
So I push record and watch you leave
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
I live to love you and I love to love you and I live to love you, boy
I live to love you and I love to love you and I live to love you, boy
Nothing gold can stay, like love or lemonade
Or sun or summer days, it’s all a game to me anyway
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys
Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys
Radio mix[]
Pink flamingos always fascinated me
I know what only the girls know
Hoes with lies akin to me
I, I see you’re goin'
So I play my music, watch you leave
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
Velveteen and livin' single, it never felt that right to me
I know what only the girls know
Lies can buy eternity
I, I see you leaving
So I push record and watch you leave
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
I live to love you and I love to love you and I live to love you, boy
I live to love you and I love to love you and I live to love you, boy
Nothing gold can stay, like love or lemonade
Or sun or summer days, it’s all a game to me anyway
I like you a lot (Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys)
So I do what you want (Singin' soft grunge just to soak up the noise)
With ribbons in knots (Playin' the guitars, only one of my toys)
‘Cause I like you a lot (No holds barred, I was sent to destroy, yeah)
Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys
Puttin' on my music while I’m watchin' the boys
Promotional releases[]
Music to Watch Boys To CD by Interscope and Polydor Records[]
Music to Watch Boys To CD by Universal Music in Poland[]
Music to Watch Boys To CD by Interscope and Polydor Records[]
Credits[]
- Personnel[a]
- Lana Del Rey – songwriting, production, vocals
- Rick Nowels – songwriting, production, piano, synth, pads, electric guitar
- Kieron Menzies – production, drums, percussion, samples, engineering, recording, mixing
- Patrick Warren – orchestrations, strings, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon
- Curt Bisquera – live drums
- Trevor Yasuda – additional effects, engineering, additional recording
- Brian Griffin – conga
- Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – bass, Omnichord
- Leon Michels – flute
- Chris Garcia – engineering, additional recording
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Technical
- Published by R-Rated Music, administered by EMI April Music Inc. (Global Music Rights) / Sony/ATV Music Publishing
- Recorded and mixed at The Green Building, Santa Monica, California
- Mastered at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine
Charts[]
| Chart (2015) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[5] | 117 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] | 186 |
References[]
- ↑ Lananow (2014) Audio clip of Del Rey talking about third album for the first time. Soundcloud. [Access date December 17, 2014]
- ↑ Ali, Lorraine. 2015 Lana Del Rey talks about her Globe-nominated 'Big Eyes' title track. LA Times. [Access date January 6, 2015]
- ↑ Mast, Jake (@jake__mast). "Lana del Rey music video titled "Music To Watch Boys To" coming out verry soon this month!! Check us out! #lanadelrey" June 4, 2015. Twitter. Access date: [June 4, 2015]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/7D4VTVTAedFZYWY3RswhHG5iFfmqbPD-fmDJY0/?taken-by=honeymoon
- ↑ http://www.lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Music+to+Watch+Boys+To&cat=s
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/2015-09-25/
Notes[]
- ↑ This is speculation and should not be relied upon. It has not been confirmed by any official sources, but has been reported by BlackoutZone, who is considered a reliable insider by the community.
- ↑ This is speculation and should not be relied upon. It has not been confirmed by any official source, but is considered widespread knowledge within the community.
- ↑ Adapted from the album's liner notes.
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