"I Can Fly" is a song by Lana Del Rey featured on the soundtrack of the movie Big Eyes. It was co-written with Rick Nowels who also served as the track's producer. The song was kept a secret until the film was screened for insiders in early November 2014. The track leaked from the Weinstein Company's official website along with "Big Eyes" on December 3, 2014.
Background
The song's genesis began through Del Rey's other contribution to Big Eyes' soundtrack "Big Eyes", which was written to play over the credits at the end of the film. However, the song was deemed too sad to end the film with and producers noticed it fit perfectly over two near dialogue-free scenes, which originally contained music by scorer Danny Elfman. Seeing as the track was no longer being used in the credits, Del Rey worked with Rick Nowels to write the song "I Can Fly" for the outro of the film.
It was recorded during December 2013, in the same sessions as "Fine China", "Yes to Heaven", "Shades of Cool", "Sad Girl", "Is This Happiness" and "Your Girl". The song could have been meant for Ultraviolence, but was later used as a soundtrack for the Big Eyes film.
Cross-references
- "Eyes wide" references "Big Eyes" and "Cola".
- Del Rey sings about "mid-July" in "Young and Beautiful".
- Del Rey mentions being "on fire" in "Sad Girl", "Summertime Sadness" and "Baby Blue Love".
In Big Eyes
The Hollywood Reporter explains the song is used during the credits and "[celebrates] Margaret’s escape from a pre-feminist cage with lines like “I had a dream that I was fine / I wasn’t crazy, I was divine.”"[1]
Lyrics
I can fly
You had me caged up
Like a bird in mid-summer
You saw me waiting
I was crazy, on fire
Waiting to fly
I can fly
I had bright wishes in the summer
I was bathing in sunlight
Painting in the garden
Like a ghost in mid-July
Running fast from something
With my eyes wide like saucers
Spinning in the sun
I had a dream that I was fine
I wasn't crazy, I was divine
I can fly
You had me caged up
Like a bird in mid-summer
You saw me waiting
I was crazy, on fire
Waiting to fly
I can fly
You lies were hard kisses in the summer
I was dreaming of a lake
Dreaming of the water
Where I'd rise like a Phoenix
Soaring high and from the fire
I've got things to tell you like
I know that you're a liar
I had a dream that I was fine
I wasn't crazy, I was divine
I can fly
You had me caged up
Like a bird in mid-summer
You saw me waiting
I was crazy, on fire
Waiting to fly
I can fly
Your words cut like a knife in butter
I was fighting for my art
Fighting with my lover
You had me so tied up
Thinking there's no other
Yeah, right, yeah, right
I can fly
You had me caged up
Like a bird in mid-summer
You saw me waiting
I was crazy, on fire
Waiting to fly
I can fly
References
- ↑ ‘Big Eyes: The Story Behind Lana Del Rey's Stunning Secret Songs. (November 18, 2014). The Hollywood Reporter. [Retrieved November 19, 2014]