"Norman Fucking Rockwell" (stylized in sentence case and originally titled "Bird World") is a song by Lana Del Rey. It serves as the opening track and the title track from Del Rey's sixth studio album and fifth major-label studio album.
Background[]
On September 18, 2018, during an interview with Zane Lowe, Del Rey explained the back story behind the title track:[1]
- "So the title track is called "'Norman Fucking Rockwell'" and it's kind of about this guy who is such a genius artist but he thinks he’s the shit and he knows it and he like won't shut up talking about it."
On June 15, 2019, Del Rey posted a snippet of the song on her Instagram.[2]
During an Instagram livestream on September 4, 2019, Del Rey revealed the track was originally titled "Bird World". She performed this version featuring verses different from the released version. Some of these unused lyrics and melodies would be reworked into "Dark but Just a Game", a song included on her following album, Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Del Rey would go on to say the title track is her favorite song on the album. It was the third song recorded with Jack Antonoff, after "Love Song" and "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have — but I Have It".
The song was nominated for Song of the Year at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[3]
In mid-2022, the song went viral on TikTok, with hundreds of thousands of individual videos made using it, amassing millions of views.
Live performances[]
"Norman Fucking Rockwell" serves as the opening track for the Norman Fucking Rockwell Tour, and was first performed live on September 21, 2019, at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York.
Music video[]
Music video | Information | |
---|---|---|
Released | December 20, 2019 | |
Length | 14:06 | |
Director | Chuck Grant | |
Producer | Chuck Grant, Lana Del Rey | |
Filmed | April, 2018 | |
Location | Los Angeles, California | |
Vevo views | 22 Million views |
Background and Description[]
Del Rey shared a 2-minute clip of a music video for the track on August 31, 2019.[4] It was shot by Chuck Grant and is a part of a 3-part video with "Bartender" and "Happiness Is a Butterfly". The video was originally set for release in October 2019.[5] On December 17, 2019, Del Rey announced it would actually be released December 20, 2019.[6] She shared another excerpt from the video the following day.[7]
Cross-references[]
- The color blue is also mentioned in many other Del Rey's songs, including "Old Money", "Get Free" and "Nectar of the Gods".
- Poetry is also mentioned in "Brooklyn Baby" and "Bartender".
- Not being able to change someone's mood is also a theme in "Shades of Cool".
- The phrase "color me blue" is similar to "paint me happy and blue" which appears in "Venice Bitch".
- Poets are also referenced in the "Ride" monologue and the poems "Salamander" and "Sportcruiser".
- The phrase "your head in your hands" is similar to "my head in my hands" from "White Dress".
Official versions[]
- Album version — 4:09
- Instrumental version — 4:07
Lyrics[]
Album version[]
Goddamn man-child
You fucked me so good that I almost said, "I love you"
You're fun and you're wild
But you don't know the half of the shit that you put me through
Your poetry's bad and you blame the news
But I can't change that and I can't change your mood
Ah-ah
'Cause you're just a man, it's just what you do
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
Yeah, you're just a man, all through and through
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
Blue, blue, blue
Goddamn man-child
You act like a kid even though you stand six foot two
Self-loathing poet, resident Laurel Canyon, know-it-all
You talk to the walls when the party gets bored of you
But I don't get bored, I just see it through
Why wait for the best when I could have you?
You, ooh
'Cause you're just a man, it's just what you do
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
Yeah, you're just a man, all through and through
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
Blue, blue
You make me blue
Blue, blue
Blue, blue, blue, blue
"Bird World" demo version[]
Hey, I heard you left town
Hey, heard you're back around
Hey, hey
Heard you're back in the bar again
Hangin' out with your stupid friends
Playing with your guitar again
But I don't fucking care
'Cause you're just a man, it's just what you do
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
Yeah, you're just a man, all through and through
Your head in your hands as you color me blue
You keep changing all the time
You're changing your goddamn mind
You know you like to shine
But I don't have a clue
'Cause you're just a man, it's just what you do
Your head in your hands...
Credits[]
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, production, vocals
- Jack Antonoff — songwriting, production, engineering, mixing, keyboards, piano
- Laura Sisk — engineering, mixing
- Jonathan Sher — assistant engineering
- Evan Smith — saxophone
- Phillip Peterson — baritone, cello, flugelbone
- Victoria Parker — violin
- Chris Gehringer — mastering
- Will Quinnell — assistant mastering
- Technical
- Mastered at Sterling Sound
- Recorded at Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, United States / House of Breaking Glass, Seattle, United States
- Mixed at Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, United States
References[]
- ↑ Hussein, Wandera (September 18, 2018) "Lana Del Rey announces Norman Fucking Rockwell album, shares “Venice Bitch”"
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey). “Title track #normanfuckingrockwell @jackantonoff” 15 June 2019. Instagram. [Access date: 16 June 2019]
- ↑ "2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List" (in en). 2019-11-18. https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2020-grammy-awards-complete-nominees-list. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey). “Norman fucking Rockwell Jack Antonoff. Video chuck grant”. 31 August 2019. Instagram. [Access date: 31 August 2019]
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@Lana Del Rey). “Title track”. 31 August 2019. Twitter. [Access date: 31 August 2019]
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey). “Three song video for Norm coming Friday...” 17 December 2019. Instagram. [Access date: 18 December 2019]
- ↑ Lana Del Rey (@lanadelrey). “Happiness is @yourgirlchuck @missalexkaye @ms.ashrodriguez”. 18 December 2019. Instagram. [Access date: 18 December 2019]