Shades of Cool (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey Rick Nowels
Producer(s)	Dan Auerbach
Length	5:42
From
Single(s)	"West Coast" "Ultraviolence" "Black Beauty"
Promotional single(s)	"Shades of Cool" "Ultraviolence" "Brooklyn Baby"
Ultraviolence track listing
"Ultraviolence"
"Brooklyn Baby"

"Shades of Cool" is a song by Lana Del Rey. It was written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, and produced by Dan Auerbach from Del Rey's second major-label studio album, Ultraviolence. It was released as the first promotional single from the album on May 26, 2014.

Background

On May 23, 2014, various music streaming sites announced that "Shades of Cool" would be debuted on May 26 as the first promotional single from the album Ultraviolence. The artwork for the single was released alongside the news that it would be a promotional single. A pseudo video was published to YouTube and VEVO, although the upload had a corrupted thumbnail image and a typo in the title.

Composition

The track is in F♯ major with a time signature of 6/8 and a tempo of approximately 49 beats per minute. Del Rey sings using the higher part of her register, a departure from most of her music since Born to Die.

Music video

Music video	Information
	Released	June 17, 2014
	Length	5:43
	Director	Jake Nava
	Producer
	Filmed	May, 2014
	Location	Los Angeles, California
	Vevo views

Background

On June 12, 2014, Del Rey posted a preview of the video on Instagram. The video was uploaded to YouTube and Vevo on June 17, 2014. The video was filmed in Los Angeles in May and stars celebrity tattoo artist Mark Mahoney who previously appeared in the music video for "West Coast".

Description

The video opens with Mahoney looking at the camera as a scene of an LA street at night fades in. Del Rey starts singing over shots of Mahoney driving a car before she appears superimposed over various dark blue plants and flowers, with the colors on her distorted and blurring. During the chorus, the scene with Del Rey shows red fireworks and birds while Mahoney is shown with blue shooting stars.

In the second verse, Del Rey walks down a street of LA in the daytime and sees Mahoney getting into his car. He notices her but gets in anyway.

In the next scene Del Rey swims by Mahoney by the glass side of a swimming pool as Mahoney crosses himself. Del Rey is then seen dancing in a living room while Mahoney drinks. Del Rey eats a strawberry then drinks and smokes in the pool while in another scene she playfully hugs and dances with Mahoney. She gets out of the pool as the shot references Marilyn Monroe in Something's Got to Give.

The video ends with a shot of Mahoney pulling a happy Del Rey off the floor into an embrace in reverse.

Lyrics

My baby lives in shades of blue
Blue eyes and jazz and attitude
He lives in California too
He drives a Chevy Malibu

And when he calls
He calls for me and not for you
He lives for love, he loves his drugs
He loves his baby too

But I can't fix him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather

But you are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable

My baby lives in shades of cool
Blue heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women, too
I'm one of many, one is blue

And when he calls
He calls for me and not for you
He prays for love, he prays for peace
And maybe someone new

But I can't help him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather

'Cause you are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable

'Cause you are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable