Carmen (song)

Lana Del Rey

Writer(s)

Lana Del Rey
Justin Parker

Producer(s)

Emile Haynie

Alternate producer(s)

Justin Parker
Lana Del Rey

Recorded

2010 (demo)

Released

January 27, 2012

Length

4:08
(See official versions)

From

Single(s)

" Video Games"
" Born to Die"
" Blue Jeans"
" Summertime Sadness"
" National Anthem"
" Dark Paradise"

Promotional single(s)

" Off to the Races"
"Carmen"

Born to Die track listing

" Radio"

" Million Dollar Man"

"Carmen" (originally titled "Little Carmen") is a song written by Lana Del Rey and Justin Parker with production by Emile Haynie. Taken from Del Rey's first major-label album Born to Die, the song served as the album's second promotional single, following " Off to the Races".

Background and composition

In an 2012 track-by-track breakdown of the album with The Sun, Del Rey said of Carmen: "I can't say too much about [the song] because it's so close to my heart. It's the song on the record I relate to most closely. It's set partly in Coney Island, a place that's been important to me throughout my New York City career." The song's French spoken bridge features vocals by Lenha Labelle, which translate to: "My love, I know you love me too, you need me, you need me in your life, you can't live without me and I would die without you, I would kill for you".

A demo version of the song, solely produced by Parker, was posted to Del Rey's SoundCloud page on May 23, 2010. An a cappella concept demo of the song leaked in early 2012. The instrumental of the song leaked on September 17, 2012.

Critical reception

"Carmen" was acclaimed by critics for its story-telling abilities and the intensity of its lyrics about the dark side of fame. Noted as a "cautionary hint of any downside to such a debauched lifestyle" that Del Rey portrays on her album, Andy Gill of The Independent describes the song as a metaphor used by Del Rey for her "synthetic life experience". Alex Denney of NME described the song as "a winner" with Del Rey's richly suggestive tones conjuring the ghosts of Lauren Bacall's classic femme-fatales. While reviewing the album and describing the song as the point where "things start to pick up", John Capone of Prefix described the song as a "three-Xanax-and-gin-martini-cocktail broken-hearted baroque" ballad. Angela Okhumoya of Addictmusic showed appreciation for Del Rey's writing abilities on "Carmen", stating that it is "better than most of her contemporaries." Dom Gourlay of Contactmusic.com gave the "bitchy lament" a positive review, remarking of the song: "You want hip-hop beats? Check. Radio friendly choruses? Check. Singalong verses for the hen party and karaoke masses? Check." Rob Harvilla of Spin notes how the song "gently ascends/descends to Drake/ Weeknd empty-hedonism poignancy". Billboard did not appreciate the song, calling it "poor man's version of far-superior (and hookier) anthems like "Roxanne".

Live performances

Del Rey performed the song live for the first time at The Jazz Cafe in London, England on April 10, 2012. It frequented the set lists of the Born to Die Tour, the Paradise Tour, and the 2016 festival tour. Del Rey performed the song per audience request at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain on April 19, 2018 as part of the LA to the Moon Tour, then again at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas, on November 16, 2019 as part of the Norman Fucking Rockwell Tour.

The song was a part of a session done by Del Rey's live touring band in preparation for her Paradise Tour performances. The full rehearsal session, which featured Del Rey's pre-recorded vocals and were created with the intent of aiding the tour's videographer, leaked on October 15, 2020.

Music video

Music video	Information
	Released	April 21, 2012
	Length	5:16
	Director	Lana Del Rey
	Producer
	Filmed	June 2011
	Location
	Vevo views	N/A

Background and description

On February 27, 2012, Del Rey revealed through her Facebook page that she had finished editing the music video for "Carmen". The video then premiered on April 21. It was completed in the style of Del Rey's past music videos, compiling various movie clips with footage of people, city scenes, and flowers, interlaced with videos of Del Rey in different places and outfits. American model Josh Rachlin is also featured in the video; Del Rey is filmed riding the back of his motorcycle. The video ends with Erik Satie's piano composition "Gymnopédie No. 1" and a woman dancing in a field until the word "Fin" (French for "The End") graces the screen.

Photoshoot by  Martin Zähringer ( June 11, 2011)

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Cross-references

• The phrase "mind like a diamond" is also found in " JFK".
• References to Coney Island are also present in " Mermaid Motel", " Off to the Races", " TV in Black & White", and " Methamphetamines".
• References to butterflies are also present in " Butterflies", " Butterflies, Pt. 2", and " Heavy Hitter".
• A red dress is mentioned in " Summertime Sadness", " Cruel World", "Off to the Races", " Say Yes to Heaven", and " Criminals Run the World".
• The phrase "cocaine heart" from the demo also appears in "Off to the Races".
• Cherries are also mentioned in " Cherry" and " This Is What Makes Us Girls".
• The phrase "darling, darling" is also repeated in "Cherry".
• "Soft ice cream" is also mentioned in " Salvatore".
• Del Rey mentions the phrase "kindness of strangers" in " Kinda Outta Luck" and in the " Ride" music video monologue. This phrase is a direct quote from the 1951 movie "A Streetcar Named Desire".
• Getting high is a common subject in many of Del Rey's songs, including " High by the Beach", " Florida Kilos", " Boarding School", and " Hollywood".
• The feeling of being "alive again" is also described in " Paradise" and "Hollywood".
• Top-shelf liquor is also mentioned in " California".
• The lyric "like lightning" is also used in " White Mustang".
• Like in the song's demo, Del Rey uses Spanish in " Ultraviolence", " Dragonslayer", and " West Coast".
• The lyric "baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go, that's the little story of the girl you know" is similar to "all dressed up with nowhere to go, that's the story of the girl you know, me" from " All Smiles".

Official versions

• Album version — 4:08
  • Instrumental version — 4:06
• Music video version with piano outro — 5:15
• Demo version (produced by Justin Parker) — 4:16
• "Little Carmen" a cappella demo version (produced by Lana Del Rey) — 3:06
• Paradise Tour rehearsal session — 4:16

Lyrics

Album version

[Lana Del Rey]:
Darlin', darlin' doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf
It's alarmin', honestly, how charming she can be
Fooling everyone, telling 'em she's having fun

She says, "You don't wanna be like me
Don't wanna see all the things I've seen
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'"
She says, "You don't wanna get this way
Famous and dumb at an early age
Lyin', I'm lyin'"

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Carmen, Carmen, stayin' up 'til morning
Only 17 but she walks the streets so mean
It's alarmin', truly, how disarmin' you can be
Eatin' soft ice cream, Coney Island queen

She says, "You don't wanna be like me
Lookin' for fun, gettin' high for free
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'"
She says, "You don't wanna get this way
Street walk at night and a star by day
It's tirin', tirin'"

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go
That's the little story of the girl you know
Relyin' on the kindness of strangers
Tyin' cherry knots, smilin', doin' party favors
Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on
Sing your song, song, now the camera's on
And you're alive again

[Lenha Labelle]:
Mon amour, je sais que tu m'aimes aussi
Tu as besoin de moi, tu as besoin de moi dans ta vie
Tu ne peux vivre sans moi et je mourrais sans toi
Je tuerais pour toi

[Lana Del Rey]:
The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Darlin', darlin' doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf

Demo version

Darlin', darlin' doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf
It's alarmin', honestly, how charming she can be
Fooling everyone, telling 'em she's having fun

She says, "You don't wanna be like me
Don't wanna see all the things I've seen
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'"
She says, "You don't wanna get this way
Famous and dumb at an early age
Lyin', I'm lyin'"

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Carmen, Carmen, stayin' up 'til morning
Only 17 but she walks the streets so mean
It's alarmin', truly, how disarmin' you can be
Eatin' soft ice cream, Coney Island queen

She says, "You don't wanna be like me
Lookin' for fun, gettin' high for free
I'm dyin', I'm dyin'"
She says, "You don't wanna get this way
Street walk at night and a star by day
It's tirin', tirin'"

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Baby's all dressed up with nowhere to go
That's the little story of the girl you know
Relyin' on the kindness of strangers
Tyin' cherry knots, smilin', doin' party favors
Put your red dress on, put your lipstick on
Sing your song, song, now the camera's on
And you're alive again

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, she's still shinin'
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning
Like lightning, whoa-whoa, white lightning

Darlin', darlin' doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf

"Little Carmen" a cappella demo version

The boys, the girls, they all like Carmen
She gives them butterflies, bats her cartoon eyes
She laughs like God, her mind's like a diamond
Audiotune lies, but she's still shinin', shinin', shinin'

Darlin', darlin' doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself, says her liquor's top-shelf
It's alarmin', honestly, how charmin' she can be
She's fooling everyone, telling 'em she's having fun

The night descends and there goes Carmen
Only 17 but she walks the streets so mean
The men, they stop when she walks by them
Whisper, "who is she?", la princesa de la silence
Her walk is art, her words are lightning
Striking everyone when she pass by them

Carmen, darlin' doesn't have a problem
She's lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf
It's alarmin', honestly, how charmin' she can be
She's fooling everyone, telling 'em she's having fun

She looks animated like a cartoon, baby
With her tiara smile and her shortcake heart
Yo, she looks animated like a cartoon, baby
With her champagne sex and her cocaine heart
She like a light that you can't turn off
You're gettin' too bright and you need to stop
But you can't tonight and you're gettin' hot
And your body keeps twistin', movin', twistin', movin', shakin', yeah
Twistin', movin', shakin', yeah
Dance 'til dawn, yeah, you dance 'til you drop

Carmen, Carmen doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf
It's alarmin', honest, how disarmin' she can be
You're foolin' everyone when inside you know you're dyin'

Carmen, Carmen doesn't have a problem
Lyin' to herself 'cause her liquor's top-shelf

Credits

Personnel

• Lana Del Rey — songwriting, vocals
• Justin Parker — songwriting, vocal production
• Emile Haynie — production, drums, guitar, keyboards
• Jeff Bhasker — additional production, additional keyboards, additional strings
• Lenha Labelle — French vocals
• Larry Gold — strings arrangement, strings conducting
• Steve Tirpak — strings assistance
• Manny Marroquin — mixing
• Erik Madrid — assistance
• Chris Galland — assistance
• John Davis — mastering

Technical

• Published by EMI / Sony ATV
• Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom

References