"Old Money" is a song by Lana Del Rey written with Robbie Fitzsimmons and Dan Heath. It is featured as the tenth track on Del Rey's second major-label studio album, Ultraviolence.
Composition
"Old Money" is a ballad that runs at 4 minutes and 31 seconds with a beats per minute of approximately 115, in B♭ minor and 4/4. It is a melodic and lyrical development of the song "Methamphetamines" which in itself is melodically based on "What Is a Youth" (or "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet") by Nino Rota. The song has a simple production featuring only layered vocals, piano and a string ensemble.
Critical reception
"Old Money" was met with a positive reaction from critics, with many praising Del Rey for her wistful vocal performance.[1][2] Victoria Sadler of Huffington Post spoke highly of the track, deeming the song a "beautiful, wistful and bittersweet song about lost youth", and said that the song "plucks at the heartstrings". Joe Goggins of Drowned in Sound opined that the song was a highlight of Ultraviolence. Goggins further commended Del Rey, by saying, "A sparse piano aside, it's the only backing she needs to deliver the closest thing Ultraviolence has to a 'Video Games'". Sasha Geffen of Consequence of Sound pondered whether the song was a reference to the The Great Gatsby, as Del Rey's song "Young and Beautiful" is from the film's soundtrack. Geffen clarified that the song "sounds like it's sung through Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby's lost love whose story was only ever told by the men around her". Geffen praised Del Rey, stating, "In a way, Del Rey lends even more life to that character than Carey Mulligan did on camera", and closed her review by calling the track an "essential track" on Ultraviolence.[3]
Live performaces
Del Rey performed the song live for the first time on July 5, 2014, at the Vida Festival in Spain as an a cappella clip due to audience request. The song was also included in the set list for October 2014 portion of the Paradise Tour. In 2015, Del Rey performed an a cappella clip of the song in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the Endless Summer Tour on June 14, and in 2016 she performed it again at the Corona Capital festival in Mexico on November 20.
Commercial performance
Due to the release of Ultraviolence and strong digital downloads of "Old Money", the song debuted on the top France songs (Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique) chart at number 190.
Cross-references
- Lyrical references to "Young and Beautiful" such as "will you still love me when I shine from words but not from beauty", which is similar to "will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful".
- Feelings of loneliness are explored in "Born to Die".
- Del Rey sings about blue hydrangeas in "Axl Rose Husband", "Greenwich" and "Elvis".
- Del Rey refers to herself as the "queen of New York" in "Party Girl", "Us Against the World" and "Summer of Sam".
- White sunshine is also mentioned in "13 Beaches".
Official versions
- Album version — 4:31
- Instrumental version — 4:29
Lyrics
Blue hydrangea, cold cash divine
Cashmere, cologne, and white sunshine
Red racing cars, Sunset and Vine
The kids were young and pretty
Where have you been? Where did you go?
Those summer nights seem long ago
And so is the girl you used to call
The queen of New York City
But if you send for me you know I'll come
And if you call for me you know I'll run
I'll run to you, I'll run to you, I'll run, run, run
I'll come to you, I'll come to you, I'll come, come, come
The power of youth is on my mind
Sunsets, small town, I'm out of time
Will you still love me when I shine
From words but not from beauty?
My father's love was always strong
My mother's glamour lives on and on
Yet still inside I felt alone
For reasons unknown to me
But if you send for me you know I'll come
And if you call for me you know I'll run
I'll run to you, I'll run to you, I'll run, run, run
I'll come to you, I'll come to you, I'll come, come, come
And if you call I'll run, run, run
If you change your mind I'll come, come, come
Blue hydrangea, cold cash divine
Cashmere, cologne, and hot sunshine
Red racing cars, Sunset and Vine
And we were young and pretty
Credits
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
- Daniel Heath — songwriting, production, arranging
- Robbie Fitzsimmons — songwriting
- Milton Gutiérrez — engineering
- Andy Zisakis — assistant engineering
- Robert Orton — mixing
- Matthew McGaughey — orchestration
- John Davis — mastering
- Technical
- Published by Songs Publishing / Sony/ATV Music Publishing
- Mixed at Hot Rock Studios, Santa Monica, California
- Strings recorded at The Bride Recording, Glendale, California
- Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom
Charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP)[4] | 190 |
References
- ISWC-Net #T-909.965.208-1
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/victoria-sadler/lana-del-reys-ultraviolen_b_5509458.html
- ↑ http://www.idolator.com/7523017/lana-del-rey-ultraviolence-album-review
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequence_of_Sound
- ↑ http://www.lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lana+Del+Rey&titel=Old+Money&cat=s
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