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"Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass" (stylized in sentence case) is a poem written by Lana Del Rey. The poem shares its name with the title of her first poetry book.

Background[]

The poem was first mentioned by Del Rey during an interview with Zane Lowe after the premiere of "Venice Bitch". She mentioned that her poetry book was tentatively titled "Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass" and that the name came from a line from one of her favorite poems. 

Del Rey read the poem during an Instagram live on September 4, 2019, shortly after the release of her sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Cross-references[]

Poem[]

Digital version[]

[Stanza 1]
I went to a party
I came in hot
Made decisions beforehand
My mind made up
Things that would make me happy
To do them or not
Each option weighed carefully
A plan for each thought
And then I walked through the door past the open concept
And saw Violet bent backwards over the grass
Seven years old with dandelions grasped tightly in her hand
Arched like a bridge in a fallen handstand
Grinning wildly like a madman
With the exuberance that only doing nothing can bring
Waiting for the fireworks to begin
And in that moment I decided to do nothing about everything

Book version[]

I went to a party
I came in hot
made decisions beforehand
my mind made up
things that would make me happy
to do them or not
each option weighed quietly
a plan for each thought

But then i walked through the door
past the open concept

and saw Violet
bent backwards over the grass
7 years old with dandelions grasped
tightly in her hands
arched like a bridge in a fallen handstand
grinning wildly like a madman
with the exuberance that only doing nothing can bring
waiting for the fireworks to begin

and in that moment
i decided to do nothing about everything


forever.

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