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".
Never Let Me Go
Lana Del Rey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Promise I won't hurt you, kid
Hold me really tight until the stars look big
Never let me go
All the world is ours, like they say in Scarface, kid
You can push your drugs and I can make it big
Singing CBGB, have a real good gig
'Cause, baby, we were born to live fast and die young
Born to be bad, have fun
Honey, you and me can be one
Just believe, come on
If you love me hardcore, then don't walk away
It's a game, boy, I don't want to play
I just want to be yours, like I always say
Never let me go
Boy, we're in a world war, let's go all the way
Put your foot to the floor, really walk away
Tell me that you need me more and more every day
Never let me go, just stay
We're going to go far, I can already taste it, kid
LA's going to look real good
Drive me in your car until the sky gets big
Never let me go
Send me to the stars, tell me when I get there, kid
I can be your Nancy, you can be my Sid
Get into some trouble like our parents did
Hey, they'll never know
'Cause, baby, we were born to be bad, move on
Built to go fast, stay strong
Honey, you and me and no one
Just believe, come on
If you love me hardcore, then don't walk away
It's a game, boy, I don't want to play
I just want to be yours, like I always say
Never let me go
Boy, we're in a world war, let's go all the way
Put your foot to the floor, really walk away
Tell me that you need me more and more every day
Never let me go, just stay
I remember when I saw you for the first time
You were laughing, sparkling like a new dime
I came over, "Hello, can you be mine?"
Can you be mine?
Can you be mine?
If you love me hardcore, then don't walk away
It's a game, boy, I don't want to play
I just want to be yours, like I always say
Never let me go
Baby, it's a sweet life, sing it like song
It's a short trip, only getting one
Who can count on my love more than anyone
Never let me go
If you love me hardcore, then don't walk away
It's a game, boy, I don't want to play
I just want to be yours, like I always say
Never let me go
Boy, we're in a world war, let's go all the way
Put your foot to the floor, really walk away
Tell me that you need me more and more every day
Never let me go, just stay
In "Never Let Me Go," Lana Del Rey romanticizes the idea of a fast and passionate life, one that is filled with love and adventure. She compares her relationship with a man to that of Sid and Nancy, two infamous lovers who were known for their destructive lifestyle. The song begins with Del Rey pleading for the man to hold her like his best friend did, promising not to hurt him. She asks him to hold her tight until the stars look big, showing her desire to be close to him and her yearning for a grand life that is larger than themselves.
The chorus of "Never Let Me Go" emphasizes the idea that they were "born to live fast and die young," repeating that they were "born to be bad." Despite the dangerous aspects of their lifestyle, Del Rey explains that they were meant to be together, as the chorus implores the man not to walk away and to always stay with her. She sings about how they can push their limits and go far together, fueling their ambition to succeed in the music industry in LA.
Throughout the song, Del Rey demonstrates her love for this man and their shared desire to enjoy life to the fullest, even if it means taking risks. She asks him to drive her in his car until the sky gets big, a clear metaphor for expanding their horizons, and sings about their ability to create trouble similar to their parents. Despite the potential risks of their lifestyle, Del Rey is steadfast in her love for the man and begs him never to let her go.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me in your arms, love me like your best friends did
Hold onto me tightly like your closest friends do and love me with all your heart
Promise I won't hurt you, kid
I vow not to cause you any pain
Hold me really tight until the stars look big
Embrace me so tightly that the stars in the sky look bigger
Never let me go
Do not ever let me slip away from your arms
All the world is ours, like they say in Scarface, kid
We can conquer and own the world together as they say in the movie Scarface
You can push your drugs and I can make it big
You can sell your drugs and I will make a name for myself
Singing CBGB, have a real good gig
Performing at the famous CBGB club will be an amazing experience
Hey you never know
Anything is possible, you never know what could happen
'Cause, baby, we were born to live fast and die young
We were meant to have a wild and exciting life that ends at a young age
Born to be bad, have fun
Our destiny is to live life on the edge and have enjoyment
Honey, you and me can be one
You and I can be inseparable and like one being
Just believe, come on
Believe in us and let's do this
If you love me hardcore, then don't walk away
If you truly love me, do not abandon me
It's a game, boy, I don't want to play
This is not a game, I do not want to play around
I just want to be yours, like I always say
I desire to be completely devoted to you, just as I always express
Boy, we're in a world war, let's go all the way
We are in a fierce battle, let's give it our all to win
Put your foot to the floor, really walk away
Accelerate and do not look back
Tell me that you need me more and more every day
Express your growing need for me every single day
Never let me go, just stay
Never release me, always remain by my side
We're going to go far, I can already taste it, kid
We will reach great heights and I have a gut feeling about it
LA's going to look real good
Los Angeles will be an amazing city for us to live in
Drive me in your car until the sky gets big
Let's drive together until the sky appears vast and endless
Send me to the stars, tell me when I get there, kid
Take me to the highest points, inform me when we reach there
I can be your Nancy, you can be my Sid
We can have a wild and exciting partnership like punk icons Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious
Get into some trouble like our parents did
Let's get into some mischief, similar to how our parents did
Hey, they'll never know
Our parents will never find out
Baby, it's a sweet life, sing it like song
Life is wonderful, we should celebrate and sing about it
It's a short trip, only getting one
Life is temporary and we only have one chance to live it
Who can count on my love more than anyone
No one can rely on my love more than you can
Contributed by Asher W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Cochran
on West Coast
Amazing how the film maker lifted the filming of this video directly from the Chet Baker documentary Let's Get Lost - black & white hanging at the beach and cruising in the backs of convertables
ciggywater
on National Anthem
such a goddess
Abygail Fernandez Smith
on West Coast
ganda
Inside Bilderberg
on Cruel World
Love this song.
Romatizzalid Bozin Veda Loca
on West Coast
barcelona akhawa
Dawit Dawit
on Ultraviolence
nice
Dawit Dawit
on West Coast
best