Black Beauty
Lana Del Rey/ Lyrics
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I dye my hair a darker shade of brown,
Because you like your women Spanish, dark, strong and proud.
I paint the sky black,
You said if you could have your way,
You'd make a night time what a day,
So it suits the mood of your soul
Ohhh, what can I do?
Ohhhhh, what can I do?
Life is beautiful,
But you don't have a clue
Sun and ocean blue,
They're magnificent,
It don't make sense to you
Black beauty
Ohhh oh oh
Black beauty
Ohhh oh
I paint the house black,
My wedding dress black leather, too.
You have no room for light,
Love is lost on you.
I keep my lips red,
They seem like cherries in the spring.
Darling, you can't let everything seem so dark blue.
But, ohhh
What can I do,
To turn you on,
Or get through you?
Ohhh, what can I do?
Life is beautiful,
But you don't have a clue.
Sun and ocean blue,
They're magnificent,
It don't make sense to you.
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black bea-u-uty,
Ohhhh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Black beauty baby
Black beauty baby
Ohhhh what can I do?
Life is beautiful,
But you don't have a clue
Sun and ocean blue,
They're magnificent,
It don't make sense to you
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
Black beauty,
Ohhhh
The lyrics of Lana Del Rey's "Black Beauty" are a melancholic, yet deeply poetic description of a relationship that seems to be suffering under the weight of the singer's partner's preferences. The first two lines center around the singer altering her appearance - painting her nails black and dyeing her hair darker - in order to appeal to her partner's tastes. The partner, the singer sings, likes women who are "Spanish, dark, strong and proud." This could be seen as a commentary on the pressure women feel to conform to patriarchal beauty standards and on how this can lead to some degree of self-erasure. The following lines - "I paint the sky black, you said if you could have your way, you'd make a night time what a day, so it suits the mood of your soul" - continue this theme, highlighting how the partner seems to be perpetrating this pressure by making the world around him darker and more melancholic to fit his own preferences.
However, the chorus seems to suggest that the singer may be aware of how desperate this situation is - "life is beautiful, but you don't have a clue" - and that no amount of effort on her part can change it. She sings of "sun and ocean blue, they're magnificent," for instance, but notes that "it don't make sense to you," indicating the level of disconnect between the couple. The final verse is the darkest yet, with the singer singing that she has even painted her own house black and will wear a black leather wedding dress, signifying further self-erasure, while the partner has "no room for light." The song ends with the same chorus, as if it is looping endlessly, with no escape.
Some possible interpretations of this song are that it may be about the pressure women face to conform to beauty standards that are linked to race, as well as to the male gaze. The emphasis placed on the partner's preferences, and the way he seems to be dictating the mood of the world around him, suggests a sense of male entitlement and toxic masculinity. On the other hand, the song also seems to point towards a larger malaise, where the characters' inability to connect could be seen as a metaphor for a darker societal trend towards isolation, division and apathy.
Line by Line Meaning
I paint my nails black
I adorn myself in the color black as a symbol of darkness and depth.
I dye my hair a darker shade of brown,
I change my natural hair color to appear darker as you prefer women with that look.
Because you like your women Spanish, dark, strong and proud.
I strive to embody your ideal visual representation of a strong Spanish woman.
I paint the sky black,
Using artistic expression, I project the darkness in my mind onto the world around me.
You said if you could have your way,
You have an overwhelming desire to control and manipulate the world around you.
You'd make a night time what a day,
You would prefer the dark, brooding atmosphere of the night to the cheerful brightness of day.
So it suits the mood of your soul
The melancholy tone of night resonates more with your inner emotional state.
Ohhh, what can I do?
I am helpless to change your view of the world and your own emotions.
Nothing, my sparrow blue
I am resigned to accepting this challenge in our relationship, even if it causes me pain.
Life is beautiful,
The world has many joys and pleasures to offer.
But you don't have a clue
You are so blinded by your own melancholy that you cannot appreciate these basic sources of happiness.
Sun and ocean blue,
The natural beauty of the world around us.
They're magnificent,
These wonders are awe-inspiring and inspiring to me.
It don't make sense to you
Sadly, you cannot rouse feelings of appreciation or inspiration in these things.
My wedding dress black leather, too.
The traditional white wedding dress would not suit your dark aesthetic, so I wear black leather instead.
You have no room for light,
You reject the lightness and happiness that light can bring.
Love is lost on you.
You have lost the ability to love, and cannot appreciate its beauty or power.
I keep my lips red,
I use a vibrant color on my lips to symbolize life and sensuality.
They seem like cherries in the spring.
The fresh, vibrant look of my lips is reminiscent of the new growth and blooms of spring.
Darling, you can't let everything seem so dark blue.
You cannot continue to let your melancholy feelings and vision of the world dominate everything.
Black beauty,
The beauty in darkness that I find - the deep emotion and artistry that can be found there.
Ohhhh
(continuation of above)
Black beauty baby
Addressing you as baby, I try to express the beauty that can be found in darkness and melancholy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY O'NEIL, ELIZABETH GRANT, RICK NOWELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind