"Yayo" is a song written by Lana Del Rey. The first known recording of the track was on No Kung Fu, and was later re-recorded in 2008 for her first EP, Kill Kill. The same version of the track found on Kill Kill was re-released on her first album, Lana Del Ray. The final re-release of the track appears as track number seven on her third EP, and second major-label release, Paradise.
Background and writing[]
"Yayo" was first officially released on October 21, 2008, on Del Rey's first studio EP and commercial release, Kill Kill, when Del Rey still used the stage name Lizzy Grant. It was again released commercially on January 4, 2010, as part of Del Rey's first studio album, Lana Del Ray, under the name Lana Del Ray. Both of these releases have since been taken down from all music services. David Kahne said on his website of the song: "Noir trailer park escape to bright futures, on a stranger's motorcycle... I had Lizzy/Lana play the guitar on this because she has such a unique and simple approach to how she plays, on only two strings at a time. It's very distinctive. She didn't like to play guitar because it messed up her nails."
On December 23, 2011, Del Rey posted the Lana Del Ray version of "Yayo" on her YouTube channel.[1] The final and most well-known version of "Yayo" was officially released on November 9, 2012, as part of Del Rey's third studio EP, Paradise. It is the only song from Del Rey's first studio album Lana Del Ray that has been officially re-recorded and re-released.
In 2016, Del Rey stated various times that "Yayo" is about someone who was a very good friend of hers years ago while she was living in New Jersey.[2]
On January 19, 2018, while performing at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on her LA to the Moon Tour, Del Rey explained more about the background of the song. She stated that the friend whom the song was written about was named Rob, a friend who she had gotten to know through her other friend Mikey Martin, a drummer for the band Shiny Toy Guns.
Live performances[]
During the early days of her career, Del Rey performed the song live a total of ten known times from 2007 to 2009. The first known performance of "Yayo" was on June 14, 2007, at Union Pool in New York City. Footage is available online for her performances at Union Pool, The Cutting Room, Mercury Lounge, The Living Room, Canal Room, and The Slipper Room.
Footage of her performance at Arlene's Grocery exists and was uploaded online, however it has not yet resurfaced.
In 2016, Del Rey performed "Yayo" for the first known time since 2009 at the TW Classic Festival on July 9, as part of her Festival Tour. Del Rey continued to perform the song acoustically on guitar for the remaining dates of the Festival Tour. In 2017, Del Rey performed the song at the South by Southwest festival on March 19 and in 2018, the song was performed at the Boston, Massachusetts, show of the LA to the Moon Tour on January 13, among various other dates.
Music video[]
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | |
| Length | 6:00 | |
| Director | Lana Del Rey | |
| Producer | ||
| Filmed | 2007-2008 | |
| Location | Unknown | |
| Vevo views | N/A | |
Background and description[]
As with many of the other Lana Del Ray songs, Del Rey created a homemade music video for the song in 2008. It was uploaded to YouTube on July 5, 2008. It features clips of Del Rey herself and clips she gathered from miscellaneous films and videos, the usual style of her old music videos.
Cross-references[]
- The phrase "yayo" also appears in "Florida Kilos", "Breaking My Heart" and "Put the Radio On".
- "Yayo" is a street name for cocaine. Drugs are a common topic in Del Rey's songs.
- References to trailer parks are also found in "Backfire" and "Dangerous Girl", amongst many other songs.
- Someone on a black motorcycle is talked about in "Strangelove".
- Del Rey also sings about "putting on a show" for her lover in "Take Me to Paris".
Official versions[]
A different version of "Yayo" was included on each respective project it was included on: No Kung Fu, Lana Del Ray, and Paradise. An acoustic demo of the song leaked on a different occasion. On June 13, 2016, four snippets of Del Rey performing the song live with the band The Rich Whores leaked through Instagram. The full live rehearsal from 2007 leaked on March 5, 2020. The official studio a cappella of the Paradise version leaked on August 28, 2018. The official instrumental of the Paradise version leaked on February 5, 2021.
- Paradise version — 5:21
- A cappella — 5:16
- Instrumental — 5:16
- Lana Del Ray/Kill Kill version — 5:45
- No Kung Fu demo — 4:18
- Laptop demo — 5:10
- The Rich Whores rehearsal — 4:37
Lyrics[]
Paradise version[]
I like the snake on your tattoo
I like the ivy and the ink blue
Yayo, yes, you, yayo
You have to take me right now
From this dark trailer park life now
Yayo, how now, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my "I do"
It only takes two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
I need you like a baby when I hold you
Like a druggie, like I told you
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50s baby doll dress for my "I do"
It only takes two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
Hello, Heaven, you are a tunnel lined with yellow lights
On a dark night
Yayo, yes, you, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50s baby doll dress for my "I do"
It only takes two hours to Nevada
I-I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
Lana Del Ray/Kill Kill version[]
I like the snake on your tattoo
I like the ivy and the ink blue
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
You have to take me right now
From this dark trailer park life now
Yayo, how now, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It'd only take two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger, ah
Let me put on a show
I need you like a baby when I hold you
Like a druggie, like I told you
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It'd only take two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger, ah
Let me put on a show
Hello, Heaven, you are a tunnel lined
With yellow lights on a dark night (Dark night)
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It'd only take two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show, daddy
Let me put on a show for you, tiger, ah
Let me put on a show
(Hmm, hmm, hmm)
No Kung Fu demo[]
I like the snake on your tattoo
I like the ivy and the ink blue
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
(Mmm doo-dee-dee-dee)
You have to take me right now
From this dark trailer park life now
Yayo, how now, yayo
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show, yeah
Let me put on a show for you, tiger, oh
Let me put on a show
Hey
Hey, yeah
Hey, yeah
Yay-yeah-yay
Doo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It only takes two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show
Laptop demo[]
I like the snake on your tattoo
I like the ivy and the ink blue
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
I need you like a baby when I hold you
Like a druggie, like I told you
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show, oh
Let me put on a show for you, tiger, ah
Let me put on a show, yeah
You have to take me right now
From this dark trailer park life now
Yayo, how now, yayo
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It only takes two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you callin' me your mama
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show, yo, yo
Let me put on a show for you, I say
Let me put on a show, yeah
Hello, Heaven, you are a tunnel lined
With yellow lights on a dark night
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
Let me put on a show, show
Let me put on a show for you, tiger
Let me put on a show
The Rich Whores rehearsal[]
I like the snake on your tattoo
I like the ivy and the ink blue
Yayo, yeah, you, yayo
"Let me put on a show for you" I said
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you, yayo
Let me put on a show
You have to take me right now
From this dark trailer park life now
Yayo, how now, yayo
Let me put on a show for you, daddy
"Let me put on a show" I said
Let me put on a show for you, yayo
Let me put on a show
Hey, hey
Hey-oh
Ohh
Put me onto your black motorcycle
'50 baby doll dress for my, "I do"
It'd only take two hours to Nevada
I wear your sparkle, you call me your mama
"Let me put on a show for you" I said
Let me put on a show, oh
Let me put on a-
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show for you
Let me put on a show
Credits (Paradise version)[]
- Personnel[a]
- Lana Del Rey — songwriting, vocals
- Dan Heath — production, strings, keys
- Emile Haynie — production, drums, additional keys
- Graham Archer — vocal engineering
- Jeremy Cochise Ball — mixing
- John Davis — mastering
- Technical
- Published by EMI
- Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom
- Recorded at Sarm Studios, London, United Kingdom
- Mixed at The Bridget Studio, Buffalo, United States
Charts (Paradise version)[]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[3] | 120 |
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Adapted from the album's liner notes.
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
 | ||
|---|---|---|