"White Dress" (originally titled "White Dress / Waitress" or "Waitress"[1]) is a song by Lana Del Rey, which is featured on her seventh studio album, Chemtrails Over the Country Club. It serves as the opening track from the album.
Background[]
The title was revealed in Interview magazine published September 2020. About the track, Del Rey commented that it would be a defining moment for the album:
- "What I like about that song is that despite all the freakiness over it, you understand exactly what it’s about when it ends. I hate when I hear a song that has a great melody, but I have no idea what they're talking about".[2]
On December 18, 2020, it appeared on Shazam alongside the rest of the tracklist for Chemtrails Over the Country Club.
Before the songs official release, it was described as "one of the saddest of her career" and hearkens back to her Lizzy Grant days, with vocals akin to "In My Feelings" and "Stargirl Interlude" according to a reliable source. In an interview with Mojo magazine, they described the song as being sung in a breathlessly rapt whisper of being "only 19", working as a waitress, listening to The White Stripes and Kings of Leon. "Look how I do this," she sings with trembling innocence, "look how I've got this." Then comes the fall: "It kind of makes me feel that I was better off."
Music video[]
Music video | Information | |
---|---|---|
Released | March 19, 2021 | |
Length | 5:47 | |
Director | Constellation Jones | |
Producer | ||
Filmed | December, 2020 | |
Location | Hicksville Trailer Palace, Joshua Tree, California | |
Vevo views | 13 Million views |
Background[]
During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Del Rey confirmed that the track would have a music video.[3] On December 27, 2020, Del Rey posted an announcement to Instagram.
- "When you see my second video for this album, don’t think that the fact I’m wearing a cast is symbolic for anything other than thinking I was still a pro figure skater. I wiped out on my beautiful skates before the video even began after a long day of figure eights and jumps in the twilight of the dezert [sic]."[4][dead link]
On February 27, 2021, she posted a sneak-peek on her social media accounts[5][dead link][6][7] and an extended snippet on March 15.[8][dead link]
Filming for the music video took place during December 2020 and was directed by Constellation Jones. Originally Del Rey was set to shoot the roller skating scenes but due to an elbow injury while filming the idea was scrapped and instead a body double was used, although it is speculated Del Rey skates around a bonfire in some shots towards the end of the video. Shots of Del Rey skating through the desert are played by model Ganna Bogdan.[8][dead link]
Cross-references[]
- Similar to a white dress, a white nightgown is mentioned in "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman like Me to Have – but I Have It", "Playing Dangerous", "Cult Leader", and "If I Die Young".
- God is mentioned in many of Del Rey's songs, for example: "Without You", "Chemtrails Over the Country Club", "Money Power Glory", "Gods & Monsters", "Carmen" and "God Knows I Tried".
- The phrase "my head in my hands" is similar to "your head in your hands" from "Norman Fucking Rockwell".
- Being a waitress is also referenced in "I Learned How to Make Love from the Movies" and "Every Man Gets His Wish".
- Summer is also mentioned in "Summer Bummer", "Salvatore", "Young and Beautiful", "National Anthem" and "Summer of Sam", among many others.
- "White hot" is also mentioned in "Tulsa Jesus Freak".'
- Jazz is also referenced in "Fuck It I Love You", "Brooklyn Baby," "Terrence Loves You," "Shades of Cool" and "Salvatore".
- Rock is also referenced in "Young and Beautiful", "St. Tropez", "The Greatest", "West Coast" and "Freak" among others.
- The phrase "I only mention it" also appears in "Let Me Love You like a Woman".
Lyrics[]
Sun stare, don't care with my head in my hands
Thinking of a simpler time
Like Sun Ra, I feel small
But I had it under control every time
When I was a waitress wearing a white dress
Look how I do this, look how I got this
I was a waitress working the night shift
You were my man, felt like I got this
Down at the Men in Music Business Conference
Down in Orlando, I was only nineteen
Down at the Men in Music Business Conference
I only mention it 'cause it was such a scene
And I felt seen
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm
Summer, sizzling
Listening to jazz out on the lawn
Listening to White Stripes when they were white hot
Listening to rock all day long
When I was a waitress wearing a tight dress handling the heat
I wasn't famous, just listening to Kings of Leon to the beat
Like, look how I got this, look how I got this
Just singing the street
Down at the Men in Music Business Conference
I felt free 'cause I was only nineteen
Hey, such a scene
Summer, summer's almost gone
We were talking about life, we were sitting outside till dawn
But I would still go back
If I could do all again, I thought
Because it made me feel, made me feel like a God
'Cause it made me feel, made me feel like a God
'Cause it made me feel, made me feel like a God
When I was a waitress wearing a white dress
Look how I do this, look how I got this
I was a waitress working the night shift
You were my man, felt like I got this
Down at the Men in Music Business Conference
Down in Orlando, I was only nineteen
Down at the Men in Music Business Conference
I only mention it 'cause it was such a scene
And I felt seen
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm
When I was a waitress wearing a tight dress
Like look how I do it, look how I got this
I was a waitress wearing a tight dress
Like look how I do this, look how I got this
Made me feel, made me feel like a God
It kinda makes me feel like maybe I was better off
'Cause it made me feel, made me feel like a God
Kinda makes me feel like maybe I was better off
Credits[]
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, production, vocals
- Jack Antonoff — songwriting, production, bass, drums, guitar, piano, mixing
- Laura Sisk — engineering, mixing
- Chris Gehringer — recording engineering assistance
- John Rooney — recording engineering assistance
- Jon Sher — recording engineering assistance
References[]
- ↑ angelwitprblmz (May 16, 2021). "I have a friend who works at a certain studio and she sent me this. Peep an unreleased track and some alternate song titles + tracklisting.". Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/lanadelrey/comments/ndskhv/i_have_a_friend_who_works_at_a_certain_studio_and/. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ↑ Antonoff, Jack (September 8, 2020). "Who is Lana Del Rey?". Interview. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/who-is-lana-del-rey-jack-antonoff-september-poetry-cover. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Radio 1's Future Sounds with Annie Mac, Lana Del Rey Hottest Record". BBC Radio 1. January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210115211209/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r3k5.
- ↑ Del Rey, Lana (December 27, 2020). "When you see my second video for this album, don’t think that the fact I’m wearing a cast is symbolic for anything other than thinking I was still a pro figure skater. I wiped out on my beautiful skates before the video even began after a long day of figure eights and jumps in the twilight of the dezert. Anyways my fracture isn’t that bad kind of goes with my new bucket hat. Thanks to my beautiful family for my gifts". Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CJUWxWPhYvN/.
- ↑ Del Rey, Lana (February 27, 2021). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CLz5U1Vhews/.
- ↑ Del Rey, Lana (February 27, 2021). Twitter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227213520/https://twitter.com/LanaDelRey/status/1365777428941918208/.
- ↑ Del Rey, Lana (February 27, 2021). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1364934110507929. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Del Rey, Lana (March 15, 2021). "Well! What to say! This is my last post as my album rapidly approaches. Thank you so much to all my friends for your support up until now and... for everything. Until we meet again, I’ll be out there somewhere Running with the wolves Thank you @ganna_bogdan for teaching me so much and taking over after I broke my 💪🏼". Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMc957PhYWh/.