"Radio" (originally titled "Cinnamon"[citation needed]) is a song by Lana Del Rey that is featured on her debut major-label studio album, Born to Die. It was written with Justin Parker, and produced by Emile Haynie.
Background[]
A demo version of the song produced by Justin Parker leaked online on June 7, 2012, along with several other of the Born to Die demos. The original file of the song leaked on December 23, 2023.
Writing and inspiration[]
When talking about the song in a 2012 interview, Del Rey stated: "People always said 'oh well people will come out of the woodwork and change their mind about you, they'll start to like you because you're on the radio' and it is true, but I don't mind, cause I'd rather have people be nice to me, so I liked it. I don't really care why people are nice to me, I just like it when it's easier".
Del Rey went on to explain when she wrote "Radio" by stating that she wrote it when a guy she used to know came back into her life, "so I was like now my life is sweet like cinnamon, cause he came back".[1]
Live performance(s)[]
Del Rey began performing the song live on the 2011 leg of the Born to Die Tour, to preview the song before the song was officially released. The song has since been included on the setlist for the 2012 leg of the Born to Die Tour and the 2014 leg of the Paradise Tour. Del Rey performed the song live for the first time in almost 4 years on January 26, 2018, in State College, Pennsylvania, at the LA to the Moon Tour.
Cross-references[]
- The American dream is also mentioned in "Damn You" and "Without You", among other songs.
- Cinnamon is also referenced in "Summer of Sam", "Candy Necklace", and "Cinnamon Girl".
- The phrase "sing it to me" is used in "Beautiful Player".
- The lyric "how do you like me now?" is also used in "Get Drunk". This lyric might be a reference to the song "How Do You Like Me Now?" by Toby Keith, a song with a similar themes containing lyrics such as "I couldn't make you love me, but I always dreamed of living in your radio, how do you like me now?".
- The word "paradise" also appears in "Coca Colla", "Every Man Gets His Wish", "Television Heaven", "Velvet Crowbar" and the two songs of the same name, among others.
- Having a "sweet" life is also a topic in "Without You" and "Dark but Just a Game".
- Mention of a radio can be found in "Put the Radio On", "Roll with Me (On the Radio), "Terrence Loves You", "Fuck It I Love You", and "Tomorrow Never Came".
- Sweet is also mentioned in "Venice Bitch", "Trash Magic", "Without You", "Serial Killer", "Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight", "Fuck It I Love You", "West Coast", "This Is What Makes Us Girls", "Living Legend", and in the song of the same name, among many others.
Official versions[]
- Album version — 3:34
- Instrumental version — 3:33
- Demo version — 3:31
- Clean version — 3:34
- Paradise Tour version — 3:37
Lyrics[]
Not even they can stop me now
Boy, I be flying overhead
Their heavy words can't bring me down
Boy, I've been raised from the dead
No one even knows how hard life was
I don't even think about it now, because
I finally found you
Now my life is sweet like cinnamon
Like a fuckin' dream I'm livin' in
Baby, love me 'cause I'm playin' on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
Lick me up and take me like a vitamin
'Cause my body's sweet like sugar venom, oh yeah
Baby, love me 'cause I'm playin' on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
American dreams came true somehow
I swore I'd chase 'em till I was dead
I heard the streets were paved with gold
That's what my father said
No one even knows what life was like
Now I'm in LA and it's paradise
I finally found you
Sing it to me
Now my life is sweet like cinnamon
Like a fuckin' dream I'm livin' in
Baby, love me 'cause I'm playin' on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
Lick me up and take me like a vitamin
'Cause my body's sweet like sugar venom, oh yeah
Baby, love me 'cause I'm playin' on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
Sweet like cinnamon
Like a fuckin' dream I'm livin' in
Baby, love me 'cause I'm playin' on the radio
(How do you like me now?)
Sweet like cinnamon
Like a fuckin' dream I'm livin' in
I finally found you
Sing it to me
Credits[]
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
- Justin Parker — songwriting, additional production
- Emile Haynie — production, keyboards, guitar, drums
- Larry Gold — strings arrangement and conduction
- Steve Tirpak — strings assistance
- Dan Grech-Marguerat — mixing
- Duncan Fuller — mixing assistance
- John Davis — mastering
- Technical
- Published by EMI / Sony ATV (ASCAP)
- Mixed at Miloco's Engine Room, London, United Kingdom
- Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom
References[]
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