"The Greatest" (stylised in sentence case) is a song by Lana Del Rey for her upcoming sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell. It was released as a single on August 15, 2019, on Google Play, but was removed hours later.[1]
Background and composition
On July 26, 2019, Del Rey announced the song via Instagram along with "Fuck It I Love You".[2] Co-producer and co-writer Jack Antonoff tweeted on July 31, 2019 that "The Greatest" was his favorite song on Norman Fucking Rockwell.[3]
"The Greatest" is a surf rock torch song with a total running time of 5 minutes, playing at appoximately 80 beats per minute in the key of D minor. The track opens with guitars before Del Rey begins the first verse accompanied by piano. As the song progresses to the first chorus, vocal harmonies, drums, guitars and strings are introducted to the instrumentation. A drum break then leads the song into a 30 second electric guitar solo. The second verse returns to stripped back instrumentation, with a piano, single guitar and light drums before returning to the full instrumentation in the second chorus. The outro features Del Rey singing multiple harmonies over guitar and piano which slowly draw the song to a close.
The lyrics make multiple references to various musicians and songs, including The Beach Boys' "Kokomo", David Bowie's "Life on Mars" and Kanye West. The song focuses on Del Rey lamenting how she misses a former flame in California, her old friends in New York and her previously uncomplicated life. It also brings in themes of worldwide poltical unrest, Millenial and Generation X culture, and the 2019 California wildfires which are featured in the background of the Norman Fucking Rockwell album cover.
Music video
Del Rey confirmed that the music video was directed by Rich Lee and that it is a double music video with "Fuck It, I Love You".[2]
Lyrics
I miss Long Beach and I miss you, babe
I miss dancing with you the most of all
I miss the bar where the Beach Boys would go
Dennis' last stop before "Kokomo"
Those nights were on fire
We couldn't get higher
We didn't know that we had it all
But nobody wants you before the fall
And I'm wasted
Don't leave, I just need a wake-up call
I'm facing the greatest
The greatest loss of them all
The culture is lit and I had a ball
I guess I'm signing off after all
I miss New York and I miss the music
Me and my friends, we miss rock and roll
I want shit to feel just like it used to
When, baby, I was doing nothing the most of all
The culture is lit and if this it I had a ball
I guess that I'm burned out after all
Oh, I'm wasted
Don't leave, I just need a wake-up call
I'm facing the greatest
The greatest loss of them all
The culture is lit and I had a ball
But I guess that I'm burned out after all
If this is it I'm signing off
Miss doin' nothing the most of all
Hawaii just missed a fireball
LA's in flames, it's getting hot
Kayne West is blind and gone
"Life on Mars" ain't just a song
Oh, the livestream's almost on
