"Swan Song" is a song written by Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels that is featured on Del Rey's third major-label full-length album, Honeymoon.
Background[]
The song was written and recorded in 2014.[S 1] In May 2015, a few fans met Del Rey and she revealed to them that a song off her record would be titled "Swan Song".
In an interview with W magazine on May 17, 2022, when asked which song of hers makes her cry, she mentioned this song.[1]
- "It’s the antithesis of hopefulness. It’s about trying to find beauty in giving up. If I had my way, I would continue to persist in all areas of my life, but it can be quite challenging because I can be too trusting too soon. The burn that can come from that really can incinerate your whole thinking life and your daily processes. At the end of every album, I say goodbye and thank you—very Old Hollywood style—and yet I cannot help but just continue to write."
Controversy[]
After images from the booklet that accompanied Honeymoon's physical release leaked, some fans took to social media to express their unease at the line "and I will never sing again". Many worried that the line, along with the title of the song, it's placement on the track listing as the penultimate track before "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", and the inclusion of the song "God Knows I Tried", in which Del Rey sings about resenting her fame, would be a literal representation of the final song of her career and that Honeymoon would be Del Rey's last album. However, these concerns proved to be unnecessary, as in September 22, 2015, Del Rey told radio presenter Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1 that she had begun the writing process for the follow up to Honeymoon "a few months ago".[2]
Cross-references[]
- Ice is also mentioned in "Brooklyn Baby", "Freak" and "Venice Bitch".
- Money is also mentioned in "Dance for Money", "Dealer", "Money Hunny", "Pawn Shop Blues" and "Religion".
- It's referred to as cash in "Hundred Dollar Bill" and "Old Money".
- Working hard is also mentioned in "Wait for Life".
- The opening of the song samples vocals from "High by the Beach".
- The term "Swan Song" refers to an ancient Greek myth that said that swans would sing a beautiful song right before they die.
- The lyric "And I will never sing again" is similar to the lyric "What would you do if I wouldn't sing for them no more?" from "Wild at Heart".
- The lyric "Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me" is similar to the lyric "Put your red boots on, baby giddy up" from "If You Lie Down with Me".
- The lyric "The world can change in a day" is similar to the lyric "it's funny how some things just change in a day" from demos 1 & 2 for "Lust for Life".
Official versions[]
- Album version — 5:23
- Instrumental version — 5:23
Lyrics[]
Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
Why work so hard when you could just be free?
You got your money now, you got your legacy
Let's leave the world for the ones who change everything
Nothing could stop
The two of us
Let's just get lost
That's what we want
And I will never sing again
And you won't work another day
I will never sing again
With just one wave it goes away
It will be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Dive in, dive deep, and dive blue, my sweet
Brushing up from the water where the ice meets
And you've been gone so long you missed everything
The world can change in a day if you go away, but
Nothing could stop
The two of us
If that's what we want
We could just get lost
And I will never sing again
And you won't work another day
I will never sing again
With just one wave it goes away
It will be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Do you like
Do you like where you've been and where you're going to? (Going to)
Say goodnight
Say goodnight to the life and the world you knew
I'm gonna follow you
And I will never sing again
And you won't work another day
And I will never sing again
You won't work another day
It will be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Be our swan song
It will be our swan song
Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
Why you work so hard when you could just be free?
Credits[]
Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting, production
- Rick Nowels — songwriting, production, bass guitar, synthesizer, organ, horn
- Kieron Menzies — production, engineering, mixing, programming, drums
- Chris Garcia — engineering
- Phil Joly — engineering
- Josh Tyrrell — recording
- Patrick Warren — strings, sound effects
- Derek Allen — percussion
- David Levita — electric guitar, banjo
- Brian Griffin — drums, percussion
- Adam Ayan — mastering
References[]
Notes[]
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