"Yayo" is a song written by Lana Del Rey in 2007. A demo of the track was first featured on Del Rey's third EP, No Kung Fu. It was re-recorded in 2008 for her first studio EP, Kill Kill, then later released on Del Rey's first studio album, Lana Del Ray. The song was once more re-recorded in 2012 for release on her fifth EP and second major-label release, Paradise.
Background and writing[]
The first known recording of the song took place in 2007 for inclusion on Del Rey's demo tape No Kung Fu. This version leaked on February 10, 2012, along with most of the rest of the EP. Del Rey self-produced an acoustic version of the song on her laptop the same year; it leaked on an unspecified date. On June 13, 2016, four snippets of Del Rey performing the song live with The Rich Whores leaked. The full live rehearsal session from 2007 leaked on March 5, 2020.
"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 performed as Lizzy Grant. This EP preceded the January 4, 2010, release of Del Rey's debut studio album, Lana Del Ray, of which the song served as the closing track. While this version is no longer available to stream, it remains available on Del Rey's YouTube. Producer David Kahne said on his website of the song:[citation needed]
- "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 September 24, 2012, the tracklist of Paradise was revealed and on it, a re-release of "Yayo". The sampler that Del Rey later posted would confirm the song to have been re-recorded. This final version of the song was released with the rest of Del Rey's third studio EP on November 9, 2012. It remains the only song that Del Rey has ever re-recorded for release on two projects. The studio a cappella of this version leaked on August 28, 2018, followed by its instrumental on February 5, 2021.
Before performing the song at various stops on the 2016 festival tour, Del Rey would mention that the song was written about a friend of hers that she knew "years ago" while living in a trailer park in New Jersey.[1] On January 19, 2018, while performing at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as part of the LA to the Moon Tour, Del Rey explained more about the background of the song:[2]
- "Funny enough, this is one of the first songs I wrote on guitar, almost 10 years ago when I lived here. I had a best friend, his name was Mikey Martin, he was the drummer in this band called Shiny Toy Guns and...his best friend's name was Rob. I got to know Rob and he was such a fun guy - he's not with us anymore, but at the time I was inspired to write this song about him called "Yayo" after he got a big snake tattoo."
Rob Dubuss was an ex-boyfriend of Del Rey's who passed away from a heroin overdose in 2011. Other than "Yayo", the song "Heroin" is also known to be written about Dubuss.
Critical reception[]
The song was mentioned in an April 2009 interview with Del Rey by Sarah Grant of Blurt magazine. Grant said: "On 'Yayo' she drags her airy vocals up and down the minor scale, while slinking around in bed sheets, looking remarkably like one of her fashion icons, the doe-eyed Tuesday Weld."[3]
Live performances[]
During the early days of her career, Del Rey performed the song live a total of ten known times between 2007 and 2009. The first known performance of "Yayo" was on June 14, 2007, at Union Pool in New York City. Footage is available online from 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 in Werchter, Belgium, on July 9, 2016, as part of the 2016 festival tour. She continued to perform the song acoustically on guitar for the remaining dates of the tour. The song was performed on two dates of the Lust for Life Promotional Tour and on most dates of the LA to the Moon Tour, though was last performed on August 10, 2018.
Music video[]
| Music video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
|
Released | July 5, 2008 |
| 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 "Yayo" in 2008 and uploaded it to her 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[]
- Paradise version – 5:21
- A cappella version – 5:15
- Instrumental version – 5:15
- 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)
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
Dooo
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 said
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, hey-oh
Ooh
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[]
Weekly charts[]
References[]
Notes[]
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