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"Beautiful People Beautiful Problems" (originally titled "Beautiful People") is a song by Lana Del Rey featuring Stevie Nicks. It was co-written with Nicks, Jesse Harris, Rick Nowels and Justin Parker and co-produced with Nowels, Kieron Menzies and Dean Reid.[1] It is featured on Del Rey's fifth studio album and fourth major-label studio album Lust for Life.

Background and writing[]

The song was registered as "Beautiful People" with Justin Parker credited as a co-writer on APRA AMCOS during August 2015 along with "Wild One".[2]

During a 2017 interview with Flaunt magazine, Del Rey stated that she "traded" verses with Stevie Nicks and both are featured on the song's chorus: "Consider 'Beautiful People,' where she trades verses and coalesces on the chorus with the one and only Stevie Nicks, of whom I refer to as a bonafide badass. "I didn't know what to except or that I could even ask her, Del Rey remarks. "When I went through ideas of women that could really add something to the record, she was the one we kept coming back to. 'Bonafide badass' is a great phrase for her."[3]

Del Rey discussed the song again in an interview with KROQ radio that was released on May 21, 2017, stating that she had wanted a woman on the record, and her and Rick Nowels both thought of Stevie Nicks. "They [Nowels and Nicks] actually started the track in New York at Electric Lady Studios, and then she flew back and finished it at our studio" said Del Rey, she continued talking about Nicks by saying: "she was amazing, she's just everything you hope she's gonna be. She loved the track and she added so much to it".[4]

On March 22, 2018, Tyrannosaurus posted an article revealing that the song, then "Beautiful People", along with "The Good Life" were from 2014 and intended for the Tim Burton film, Big Eyes. It also revealed the original version was lyrically much darker, centering in on an abusive relationship.[5][dead link] On August 5, 2018, the full lyrics of the demo and two snippets were leaked online. The full demo leaked on September 20, 2018, and the original file leaked on September 23, 2018. This version was produced by Justin Parker. On December 28, 2020, a leaker reported that as many as five or six other versions of the song exist, one of which being an outtake from the Honeymoon sessions. The same day, a snippet of a third demo leaked. On the 29th of December, an snippet of another demo leaked. The next day, another snippet of the third demo leaked. On January 20, 2021, three snippets from an unknown version, possibly the third demo, of the song leaked online.

Use in media[]

A snippet of the song was used in a trailer for the HBO Max's "The Last Movie Stars" documentary.[6][dead link]

Live performances[]

Del Rey performed the song live for the first time at her Lust for Life listening party and performance hosted by Spotify at No Vacancy in Los Angeles, California, on July 20, 2017.

Cross-references[]

Official versions[]

  • Album version — 4:13
    • Instrumental version — 4:16
  • Demo version 1 — 4:00
  • Demo version 2 — 4:02
  • Demo version 3 (Honeymoon outtake version) — 3:59

Lyrics[]

Album version[]

[Lana Del Rey]:
Blue is the color of the planet from the view above
Long live our reign, long live our love
Green is the planet from the eyes of a turtle dove
Till it runs red, runs red with blood

We get so tired and we complain
'Bout how it's hard to live
It's more than just a video game

[Lana Del Rey & Stevie Nicks]:
But we're just beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows we've got them
But we've gotta try, lie-la-lie
Every day and night, lie-la-lie

[Stevie Nicks]:
Blue is the collar of the shirt of the man I love
He's hard at work, hard to the touch
But warm is the body of the girl from the land he loves
My heart is soft, my past is rough

[Lana Del Rey & Stevie Nicks]:
And when I love him, get a feeling
Something close to like a sugar rush
It runs through me, but is it wasted love?
There's no wasted love

But we're just beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows we've got them
But we've gotta try, lie-la-lie
Every day and night, lie-la-lie

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

[Lana Del Rey]:
Yeah, we've gotta try, lie-la-lie
We gotta walk through fire, lie-la-lie

Because we're just...

[Lana Del Rey & Stevie Nicks]:
Beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows we've got them
(Beautiful people)
Beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows we’ve got them
So beautiful

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Demo version #1[]

Green are the color of the eyes of the man I love
He's hard to take and hot to touch
And green is the color of the sea in the early month
Of mid-July, te amo much

You get so mad when I complain
You think I'm crazy but
I hear them talk, they say my name
They're fucking tired of

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people and God knows I've got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
And she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Red is the color of your mouth when you drink rum punch
You like July and yellow sun
And red are the color of your eyes when you drink too much
You pack your place, you pack a punch

You get so tired, tell to me to stop
I'm ruining our love
But I walk by, I hear them talk
They're fucking tired of

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people and God knows I've got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
And she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

She wants to die, lie-la-lie
And she should fucking try, lie-la-lie
(I can tell you what I really want)
(I can tell you what I really want)
(I can tell you what I really want)
(I can tell you what I really want)

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people and God knows I've got them, yeah
Beautiful people with beautiful problems
Beautiful people with beautiful problems

Demo version #2[]

Blue are the color of the eyes of the man I love
He's hard to take and hot to touch
Green is the color of the sea in the early months
Of mid-July, I love you much

You get so mad when I complain
'Bout it's hard to love
But you don't hear them talk about
They're fucking tired of

These beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people, God knows I've got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
And she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Red is the color of your mouth when you drink fruit punch
You like to lie in yellow sun
And red are the color of your eyes when you drink too much
You like to rage, you like to fuss

You get so tired, when I complain
They're fucking tired of

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people, God knows I've got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
And she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

You wanna die? Lie-la-lie
Then go on and try, lie-la-lie
Lie-la-lie

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful people with beautiful problems (try)
Beautiful people with beautiful problems

Demo version #3[]

Blue are the color of the eyes of the man I love
He's hard to take and hot to touch
Green is the color of the sea in the early month
Of July, I love you much

You get so mad when I complain
Because it's hard to love
But you don't hear them say my name
They're fucking tired of

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows I got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
Well, she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Red is the color of your mouth when you drink fruit punch
You like to lie in yellow sun
Red are the color of your eyes when you drink too much
You like to rage, put up a fuss

You get so mad when I complain
Because it's hard to love
But you don't hear them say my name
They're really tired of

All these beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows I got them
She wants to die, lie-la-lie
Well, she should fucking try, lie-la-lie

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

You wanna die? Lie-la-lie
Well then, go on and try, lie-la-lie

Beautiful people with beautiful problems, yeah
Beautiful problems, God knows I got them, yeah
Beautiful people with beautiful problems, ooh
Beautiful people with beautiful problems

Charts[]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[7] 5
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[8] 29

Gallery[]

Recording session[]

References[]

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