(Credits: Far Out / Spotify)
Lana Del Rey’s world is one of poetry and romanticism. Since her breakout, her lyricism has always been rich with literary reference points from classic novels to beat poets, including the likes of Sylvia Plath, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oscar Wilde and more.
Del Rey has never made any secret of her influences and references. Even on her debut record, Born To Die, she included direct lyrical shout-outs to her favourite writers, singers and beyond, from Bruce Springsteen to Vladimir Nabokov. Every album since could be a book club as the singer essentially gives her fans a list of texts to study.
Some of her callouts are more obvious than others. Nabokov’s Lolita is perhaps the most obvious and well-known text that Del Rey referenced during the start of her career. From her heart-shaped sunglasses reference on ‘Diet Mountain Dew’ to dedicating an entire track to the book, it’s a controversial choice. On ‘Off To The Races’, she directly quotes from the book, “light of my life, fire of my loins”. On her debut album alone, she references the Russian novel three times.
Another key reference point comes in the form of the poet Sylvia Plath. The confessional poet’s influence on Del Rey seems limitless as the singer’s work becomes more personal as her albums go on. On Norman Fucking Rockwell, a record that marked a clear shift in sound and lyrical style to a more personal place, she mentioned the writer by name as she declares herself a “24/7 Sylvia Plath” in ‘Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have’, a song about her own experience with depression.
One of her most controversial literary references comes in the form of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, a story so violent and shocking that the movie ended up being banned. It provides inspiration for one of Del Rey’s most controversial songs as well. ‘Ultraviolence’, the title track of her 2014 album, borrows the word from the novel’s made-up language, used to describe needless and thrilling extreme violence. As Del Rey controversially sings, “he hit me and it felt like a kiss,” she continued the novel’s troubling legacy.
Poetry is essential to Del Rey, who has even released her poetry book. On Honeymoon, she dedicates an entire track to reciting a T.S Eliot poem. Another poet she references is Walt Whitman, borrowing from his poem ‘I Sing The Body Electric’ for her track, ‘Body Electric’. Similarly, she quotes the poet Robert Frost as she sings “nothing gold can stay” in ‘Venice Bitch’.
Americana, meanwhile, is something vital to Del Rey’s work, from her aesthetic to her lyricism. “We’re American made,” she sings proudly in ‘Venice Bitch’ and throughout her discography, she nods towards several great American novels and writers. F. Scott Fitzgerald appears several times as Del Rey not only provided a song for the Great Gatsby film soundtrack but references him again on ‘Tomorrow Never Came’, as she sings “on that side of paradise”, including the title of one of his novels. In that same song, she sings “in the tropic of cancer”, referencing Henry Miller’s 1939 novel. Tennesee Williams also gets a shoutout in her track ‘Carmen’ as she quotes from A Streetcar Named Desire and sings “relying on the kindness of strangers”. Ernest Hemmingway is another writer who crops up a lot as her songs ‘Money, Power, Glory’ and ‘Religion’ both quote his work.
Del Rey’s music is almost like a history lesson of great literature. Including Victorian literature in the form of a Frankenstein reference on her most recent record, back to a nod towards the 1960s beat poetry movement, she’s truly covering all bases.
The list is endless. From classic Russian works to 1960s influential figures, Del Rey’s library is expansive as she seems to find unending inspiration in the pages of her favourite books. For fans looking to dive deeper into her world, you better start reading.
Lana Del Rey’s literary references:
- Sylvia Plath – The Bell Jar (‘Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have’)
- Walt Whitman – Leaves Of Grass (‘Body Electric’)
- Vladimir Nabokov – Lolita (‘Lolita’, ‘Off To The Races’, ‘Diet Mountain Dew’)
- Mary Shelley – Frankenstein (‘Grandfather, please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing’)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby (‘Young and Beautiful’)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald – This Side Of Paradise (‘Tomorrow Never Came’)
- Robert Frost – Nothing Gold Can Stay (‘Venice Bitch’)
- Vincent Bugliosi – Helter Skelter (‘Heroin’)
- T.S Eliot – Burnt Norton (‘Burnt Norton’)
- Tennessee Williams – A Streetcar Named Desire (‘Carmen’)
- John Milton – Paradise Lost (‘Gods and Monsters’)
- Anna Sewell – Black Beauty (‘Black Beauty’)
- Ernest Hemmingway – The Sun Also Rises (‘Money, Power, Glory’)
- Ernest Hemmingway – A Farewell To Arms (‘Religion’)
- Anthony Burgess – A Clockwork Orange (‘Ultraviolence’)
- Henry Miller – Tropic Of Cancer (‘Tomorrow Never Came’)
- Allen Ginsberg – Howl (‘Brooklyn Baby’)
- Oscar Wilde – The Decay Of Living (‘Gods and Monsters’)
