Yayo (song)

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey
Producer(s)	Dan Heath Emile Haynie
Length	5:21 (See official versions)
From
Single(s)	"Ride"
Promotional single(s)	"Blue Velvet" "Burning Desire"
Paradise track listing
"Gods & Monsters"
"Bel Air"

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey
Producer(s)	David Kahne
Length	5:45 (See official versions)
From
Lana Del Ray track listing
"Smarty"
N/A

Lana Del Rey(as Lizzy Grant)
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey
Producer(s)	David Kahne
Length	5:45 (See official versions)
Kill Kill track listing
"Kill Kill"
"Gramma (Blue Ribbon Sparkler Trailer Heaven)"

Lana Del Rey
Writer(s)	Lana Del Rey
Producer(s)	Unknown
Recorded	2007
Length	4:18 (See official versions)
No Kung Fu track listing
"Put Me in a Movie"
N/A

"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. 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.

During 2016 Del Rey stated various times that "Yayo" is about somebody who was a very good friend of hers years ago while she was living in New Jersey.

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 had got 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 nine known times from 2007–2009. The first known performance of "Yayo" was on June 14, 2007, at Union Pool in New York City.

During 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. During 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	Unknown
	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 featured 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" and "Breaking My Heart".
• "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", oh
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, oh
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, oh
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 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, oh
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
(Mm 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-oo-oo-oo-oo

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

• Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
• Dan Heath — production, strings, keys
• Emile Haynie — production, drums, additional keys
• Graham Archer — vocal engineering
• Jeremy Cochise Ball — mixing
• John Davis — mastering

Technical

• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London
• Recorded at Sarm Studios, London, United Kingdom
• Mixed at The Bridget Studio, Buffalo, New York, United States
• Published by EMI

Charts (Paradise version)

Chart (2012)	Peak position
France (SNEP)	120