It is the thirteenth track from Lana Del Rey's eighth studio album, Blue Banisters.
Living Legend
Lana Del Rey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blackbirds will sing in the same key
As you play in the shoes that I bought you
And sweet baby Jane don't know a thing
About my songs but she knows I'm a monsoon
And baby you, all the things you do
And baby you, what you never knew
What I never said, is you're my living legend
Hipsters will sing just like a dream
In Sin-é or the back Brooklyn bayou
But you never cared about my name
And darling, I never meant to defy you
But baby, you, all them things you do
And those ways you moved, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, I never said to you
You really are my living legend
I got guns in the summertime and horses too
Guns in the summertime and horses too
I never meant to be bad or unwell
I was just living on the edge
Right between heaven and hell
And I'm tired of it
Ooh, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, what I never said to you
'Cause you really are my living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
In "Living Legend," Lana Del Rey explores the idea of a lover who is a muse and a source of inspiration for her. The opening lines evoke the image of blackbirds singing in harmony with the music played by her lover, and the shoes she bought for him likely represent a gift given to inspire his creative process. The reference to sweet baby Jane could either be a reference to a child or a hypothetical persona through which the artist addresses herself. While Jane may not understand the meanings behind Lana's songs, the singer perceives her lover as astutely aware of her artistic identity.
Del Rey continues with the idea of not caring about her name or identity in the next verse, perhaps acknowledging the futility of becoming too attached to fleeting fame or worrying too much about the legacy one leaves behind. The final verse starts with an interesting metaphor- guns and horses. These are both objects that can be used to represent both power and instability, so when combined, they evoke the image of a dangerous but powerful entity. In this context, it might mean that the artist sees her own life and her place in the music industry as something akin to being in between heaven and hell, and her lover is a source of stability in an otherwise volatile existence.
Overall, "Living Legend" is a tribute to the artist's muse and a declaration of the power of love to sustain and inspire. It also touches on some of the pitfalls of fame and the desire for creative expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Blackbirds will sing in the same key
Your actions will harmonize with others when in sync with them.
As you play in the shoes that I bought you
You perform so well in the present because of how well you were prepared in the past.
And sweet baby Jane don't know a thing
About my songs but she knows I'm a monsoon
Others will sense your magnitude without knowing the minor details of your greatness.
And baby you, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
You have a power over me that lifts me up and makes me feel heavenly.
And baby you, what you never knew
What I never said, is you're my living legend
You hold a special place in my heart as something truly remarkable, but I never told you.
Hipsters will sing just like a dream
In Sin-é or the back Brooklyn bayou
Even those who seem different or out of place will thrive when in their element.
But you never cared about my name
And darling I never meant to defy you
You didn't give me the recognition I desired and I didn't mean to push against you because of it.
I got guns in the summertime and horses too
Guns in the summertime and horses too
I never meant to be bad or unwell
I was just living on the edge
Right between Heaven and Hell
And I'm tired of it
I had everything I needed to succeed, but my recklessness and fatigue wore me down.
And baby you, I never said to you
You really are my living legend
You are truly iconic to me, but I never found the words to express it.
My living legend
You are constantly celebrated and admired in my eyes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Barrie James O'Neill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Victoria Lopes
{lyrics} Living Legend:
Mm-mm-mm, oh-oh
Blackbirds will sing in the same key
As you play in the shoes that I bought you
And sweet baby Jane don't know a thing
About my songs but she knows I'm a monsoon
And baby you, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, what you never knew
What I never said, is you're my living legend
Hipsters will sing just like a dream
In Sin-é or the back Brooklyn bayou
But you never cared about my name
And darling I never meant to defy you
But baby you, all them things you do
And those ways you moved, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, I never said to you
You really are my living legend
I got guns in the summertime and horses too
Guns in the summertime and horses too
I never meant to be bad or unwell
I was just living on the edge
Right between Heaven and Hell
And I'm tired of it
Ooh, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, what I never said to you
'Cause you really are my living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
Annalie Chentes
"Living Legend"
Blackbirds will sing in the same key
As you play in the shoes that I bought you
And sweet baby Jane don't know a thing
About my songs but she knows I'm a monsoon
And baby you, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, what you never knew
What I never said, is you're my living legend
Hipsters will sing just like a dream
In Sin-é or the back Brooklyn bayou
But you never cared about my name
And darling I never meant to defy you
But baby you, all them things you do
And those ways you moved, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, I never said to you
You really are my living legend
I got guns in the summertime and horses too
Guns in the summertime and horses too
I never meant to be bad or unwell
I was just living on the edge
Right between Heaven and Hell
And I'm tired of it
Oh, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to heaven
And baby you, what I never said to you
'Cause you really are my living legend
Why, why, why
Why, why, why
Why, why, why
Why, why, why
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
S B
[Intro]
Hmm, oh-oh
[Verse 1]
Blackbirds will sing in the same key
As you play in the shoes that I bought you
And sweet baby Jane don't know a thing
About my songs, but she knows I'm a monsoon
[Chorus]
And, baby, you, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to Heaven
And, baby, you, what you never knew
What I never said is you're my living legend
[Verse 2]
Hipsters will sing just like a dream
In Sin-é or the back Brooklyn bayou
But you never cared about my name
And, darling, I never meant to defy you
[Chorus]
But baby, you, all them things you do
And those ways you moved, send me straight to Heaven
And baby you, I never said to you
You really are my living legend
[Bridge]
I got guns in the summertime and horses, too
Guns in the summertime and horses, too
I never meant to be bad or unwell
I was just living on the edge
Right between Heaven and Hell
And I'm tired of it
[Chorus]
Oh, all the things you do
And the ways you move, send me straight to Heaven
And, baby, you, what I never said to you
'Cause you really are my living legend
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
My living legend
may jailer
I love how "uncommercial" she's become. She's caring less and less about the sales and the attention and more focused on being her authentic self, having listeners that are willing to hear that.
CARMEN
I think she’s always been like that
catapimba
I'll be there for whenever she tries, I love her style, mind and heart. She gave us everything
J
Her music has dramatically improved since Norman F*cking Rockwell. That album along with Chemtrails over the Country Club and Blue Banisters are by far her best work IMO
TROUVAILLE
she has always been that tho
J
@lady lana Fair enough, in my opinion it's improved. Especially the songwriting.
vibe
ummm she literally used her voice as an electric guitar in the end— this woman will never fail to leave me jaw dropped
Robert C
Saxophone. Her words.
Elijah Rees
@Robert C yup in her live
Roberto Soto
She actually said "my voice sounding like a saxophone"