Raised in upstate New York, Del Rey moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue a music career. After numerous projects, including her self-titled debut studio album, Del Rey's breakthrough came in 2011 with the viral success of her single "Video Games"; she subsequently signed a recording contract with Polydor and Interscope. She achieved critical and commercial success with her second album, Born to Die (2012), which contained the sleeper hit "Summertime Sadness". Del Rey's third album, Ultraviolence (2014), featured greater use of guitar-driven instrumentation and debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200. Her fourth and fifth albums, Honeymoon (2015) and Lust for Life (2017), saw a return to the stylistic traditions of her earlier releases, while her critically acclaimed sixth album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019), explored soft rock. Her next studio albums, Chemtrails Over the Country Club and Blue Banisters, followed in 2021. Her ninth studio album, “Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” was released on all platforms March 24th 2023. It includes singles like the title track - "Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd", "A&W", and "The Grants".
Del Rey has collaborated on soundtracks for visual media; in 2013, she wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed musical short Tropico and released "Young and Beautiful" for the romantic drama The Great Gatsby. In 2014, she recorded "Once Upon a Dream" for the dark fantasy adventure film Maleficent and the self-titled theme song for the biopic Big Eyes. Del Rey collaborated with Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus on "Don't Call Me Angel" for the action comedy Charlie's Angels (2019), which peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, Del Rey published the poetry and photography collection Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (2020).
She is the recipient of various accolades, including two Brit Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for six Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century".
Chelsea Hotel No.2
Lana Del Rey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were talking so brave and so sweet
Giving me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street
Those were the reasons and that was New York
We were running for the money and the flesh
And that was called love for the workers in song
Ah, but you got away, didn't you, baby?
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You told me, again, you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
You fixed yourself
You said, "Well, never mind
We are ugly, but we have the music"
And then you got away, yeah, didn't you, baby?
You just turned your back on the crowd
And you got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need ya
And all of that jiving around
I don't mean to suggest that I love you the best
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
The lyrics to Lana Del Rey's Chelsea Hotel No. 2 tell a story of a sexual encounter that takes place in the infamous Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The singer reminisces about their time with a lover in the hotel, describing the passion and intensity of their relationship. The sense of urgency and desperation is palpable, highlighting the fast-paced, gritty lifestyle of the city. The song is a tribute to the heyday of the Chelsea Hotel, which was a haven for artists, writers, and musicians in the 60s and 70s, and has since become synonymous with rock and roll debauchery and tragedy.
The lyrics project a fascinating contrast between love and lust, or the desire for something real versus the chase of materialistic gains. The opening verse juxtaposes the singer's lover bravely talking sweetly and offering pleasure on an unmade bed while the limousines wait in the street, creating a vivid picture of opulence, desire and lust in the same scene. The lyrics then explore the relationship further, saying, "That was called love for the workers in song, probably still is for those of them left," which suggests that the love between the singer and their lover is similar to the love that drives artists and the working class.
Chelsea Hotel No. 2 is a poignant and wistful song that is hauntingly beautiful. The lyrics tell a story of love and loss, fame and fortune, and the magic of the city that never sleeps. The Chelsea Hotel has a rich and complicated history, and the song is a fitting tribute to its allure and mystery.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
I recall the memories of us together in the Chelsea Hotel
You were talking so brave and so sweet
You had a confident and charming way of speaking
Giving me head on the unmade bed
Engaging in oral sex while the bed was unmade
While the limousines wait in the street
Luxury cars were waiting outside on the street
Those were the reasons and that was New York
Those were the motives for being in New York
We were running for the money and the flesh
We were chasing after material wealth and physical gratification
And that was called love for the workers in song
Probably still is for those of them left
This kind of lifestyle was considered love in songs for the working class, and probably still is for those who remain
Ah, but you got away, didn't you, baby?
But you managed to escape, didn't you, my dear?
You just turned your back on the crowd
You simply abandoned the masses
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
You left without saying if you needed me or not and without all the meaningless talk
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You were a celebrity, known for being passionate
You told me, again, you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception
You mentioned your preference for attractive men, but you would make an exception for me
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
You fixed yourself
You said, "Well, never mind
We are ugly, but we have the music"
You clenched your fist for people like us who are oppressed by society's beauty standards. You elevated yourself and said that we may be unappealing but we have music
And then you got away, yeah, didn't you, baby?
And then you left, yes, you did, my dear
You just turned your back on the crowd
You simply abandoned the masses
And you got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need ya
And all of that jiving around
You left without saying if you needed me or not and without all the meaningless talk
I don't mean to suggest that I love you the best
I don't intend to imply that I love you the most
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I cannot keep tabs on every lost soul
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
I remember our time at the Chelsea Hotel, but it's not a memory that occupies my mind regularly
Contributed by Katherine N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lojupitermoon
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were talking so brave and so sweet
Giving me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street
But those were the reasons and that was New York
We were running for the money and the flesh
And that was called love for the workers in zone
Probably still is for those of them left
Ah, but you got away, didn't you, baby?
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You told me, again, you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
You fixed yourself
You said, "Well, never mind
We are ugly, but we have the music"
Oh, but you got away, didn't you, baby?
You just turned your back on the crowd
And you got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need ya
And all of that jiving around
I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
@akshaykundu9999
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were talking so brave and so sweet
Giving me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street
Those were the reasons and that was New York
We were running for the money and the flesh
And that was called love for the workers in song
Probably still is for those of them left
Ah, but you got away, didn't you baby
You just turned your back on the crowd
You got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
You were famous, your heart was a legend
You told me again you preferred handsome men
But for me you would make an exception
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
You fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
We are ugly but we have the music."
Ah, but you got away, didn't you baby
You just turned your back on the crowd
And you got away, I never once heard you say
I need you, I don't need you
I need you, I don't need you
And all of that jiving around
I don't mean to suggest that I love you the best
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
That's all, I don't even think of you that often
@meadowfrance
I come here when I want to cry, it hits an emotional chord in me unlike any other.
The way she sings these lines...
"Your heart was a legend"
"For the ones like us who are oppressed by the figures of beauty"
"Well nevermind, we are ugly but we have the music"
"You got away, didn't you baby? You just turned your back on the crowd"
"I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best, I can't keep track of each fallen robin"
"That's all. I don't even think of you that often..."
And I'm a weepy mess.@endlesummer_
We are ugly but we have the music
@MisterSwaginator
ozifest123 It's a lyric from this song lol
@LaMuffin-il7ei
Wow, I read this in the exact same moment she was singing it ._.
Anyway, love that line <3
@weile4u
nono, this is perfect singing, the ideal song for Lana, no-one could do this better!
@IceCreamAndCake92
Rudolf Weiler except leonard cohen who fucking wrote it
@weile4u
... but couldn't sing it so well!
@kimmy2631
This masterpiece was released 9 years and it’s still not on spotify.
@juanadarmme
Came here 'cause I couldn't find it on spoty :(
@markunf1
IKR!!! 😢
@ananyasarkar2818
Probably because the original Leonard Cohen version is already there and isn't a cover by a racist, white supremacist.