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"Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)" (registered as "Raise Me Up" and alternatively as "Mississippi South", and referred to as "Ray to Doug") 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[]

The song was recorded on February 28, 2007, at Studio 356, where Del Rey also recorded various takes of "Let My Hair Down", "For K, Pt. 2" and "Get Drunk". Another take of the song, along with "Disco", "For K, Pt. 2", "Get Drunk" was recorded on August 14, 2007. These are known as the Studio 356 Sessions. There were 3 takes of "Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)". There is erroneously thought to be 4 different takes, though two of the takes are actually the same recording, with the shorter one missing the studio banter heard at the beginning of the unedited version. The song was mastered on February 28, 2008.

An early mix of the song was leaked under the title "Rayse" on December 23, 2012. The song's "final master" leaked on September 6, 2016. A demo of the song leaked on December 4, 2017.

"Raise Me Up (Mississippi South)" was also a part of a June 2009 rehearsal session that included raw live versions of "Heavy Hitter", "Vivian", and "Hundred Dollar Bill". This song's take leaked on December 22, 2023, with the title "Ray to Doug".

Official versions[]

  • Album version — 4:22
  • "Rayse" early mix — 4:22
  • Final master — 4:32
  • Demo version — 3:22
  • Studio 356 Session (Take 1) — 4:00
  • Studio 356 Session (Take 2) — 3:52
  • Studio 356 Session (Take 3) — 3:54
  • "Ray to Doug" rehearsal take — 2:17

Cross-references[]

Lyrics[]

Album version/"Rayse" early mix[]

Rai-, rai-
(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)
(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)
(I don't have to talk)
(Rai-raise me up, rai-raise)

It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, no, no, say no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's the voodoo Mississippi south
Sixty-nine million stars
Birds are flyin' out of my mouth
Spirits creepin' in my yard

Oh, my head, it's tiltin' back
Something dancin' me around
Puttin' crystals on my neck
Liftin' my feet off the ground, the ground

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, me up

Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talking 'bout
Oh, me, look what you done now
Oh, me, it's what I'm talking' 'bout
It's what I'm talking 'bout
It's what I'm talking about

Pick me up in a pickup truck
Roy, don, you got it going on
Let me talk on your CB, what?
Let me play with your new shotgun, shotgun

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up (Shot)
Rai-raise me up (Shot)
Rai-raise me up (Shotgun)

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up (Shot)

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama, no
(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)

(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)
(Rai-rai-rai-raise me up)

Demo version[]

It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, ah, no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's the voodoo Mississippi south
Sixty-nine million stars
Birds are comin' out of my mouth
Spirits creepin' in my yard

Oh, my head, it's tiltin' back
Something's dancin' me around
Puttin' crystals on my neck
Liftin' my toes off the ground, ah-ah-ahh, ground, ah-ha-ah-ah

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise me up

Take one[]

(A lot of people would love to see that)
Yeah, they would
Okay, uh
Five, six, seven, eight

It's like you said, it's all been done before
So I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, ah-ah-ah, no, oh no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's the voodoo Mississippi south
Sixty-nine million stars, and
Birds are flyin' out of my mouth, and
Spirits creepin' in my yard

Oh, my head, it's tiltin' back, and
Something dancin' me around, and it's
Puttin' crystals on my neck, and
Liftin' my toes off the ground, the ground

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up

Roy, don, you got it going on
Let me talk on your CB, what?
And you let me play with your new
Shotgun, ah-ah-ah-ah, the shotgun, ah-ah-ah, ah

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

Take two[]

It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, ah-ah, no, no, no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's the voodoo Mississippi south
Sixty-nine million stars
Birds are flyin' out of my mouth, and
Spirits creepin' in my yard

Oh, my head, it's tiltin' back
Something dancin' me around
Puttin' crystals on my neck, and it's
Liftin' my toes off the ground, the ground

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

Pick me up in a pickup truck
Roy, don, you got it going on
And you, you let me talk on your CB, what?
And you let me play with your new
Shotgun, ah-ah-ah-ah, shotgun, ah-ah-ah

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

(That was awesome)

Take three[]

And five, six, seven, eight

It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I can talk what I want how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, ah, no, no, no, no, no, no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's the voodoo Mississippi south
Sixty-nine million stars
Birds are flyin' out of my mouth
Spirits creepin' in my yard

Oh, my head, it's tiltin' back, and
Something's dancin' me around, and it's
It's puttin' crystals on my neck, and it's
Liftin' my feet off the ground-ound-ound, the ground ah-ah

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, man, rai-rai-, ah

Oh, see? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Oh, see, man? Look what you done now
Oh, me, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up, man
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up, man
Rai-raise me up, rai-rai-

You pick me up in a pickup truck
Roy, don, you got it going on
And youo let me talk on your CB, what?
And you let me play with your new
Shotgun, ah-ah, ah-ah, shotgun, ah-ah-ah

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up

"Ray to Doug" rehearsal take[]

(Hi Doug, um, for "Raise Me Up")

(Um, to keep this clean, I'm gonna be playing this kinda Bo Diddley beat through the whole thing, this [vocalizing]
And the arrival point of the chorus will be the fact that you play that along with me and we do it stronger
And before, in the verses, I'll be sort of playing that, but you play regular time and it'll be softer, okay?
So, verses soft, me and the rhythm, you doing more of a normal beat and then, on the, um, choruses, we go stronger
So, we were about to play the, uh, song, like do the first chords
All right? And, and you'll, uh, when you sing this thing at the beginning that'll be in time) Okay
(All right? So, here we go, uh
One, two, three, four)

Rai-, my first time I'm gonna do it
Wait, you're gonna do your little "Diddley"

Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more
It's like you said, it's all been done before
I don't have to talk pretty for them no more

I can talk what I want and how I wanna
I can talk what I want and how I wanna
I can talk what I want, how I wanna
I don't have to talk taste for you, mama
No, no, no, said no

Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-rai-rai-raise me up
Rai-raise me up, rai-raise

(And then, break down)
It's the voodoo Mississippi south
(Okay) Sixty-nine- (That's that)
Yeah


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