"This Is What Makes Us Girls" (also registered as "What Makes Us Girls") is a song by Lana Del Rey released on her second studio album, Born to Die. It serves as the closing track from the standard edition of the album. The track was written with Tim Larcombe and Jim Irvin, with production by Al Shux and Emile Haynie.
Background and writing
Three demos of the song exist, the first leaked November, 2011, alongside a demo of "National Anthem" preceding the album's release, the second leaked September 29, 2012 and the third demo leaked January 23, 2015. The three demos are all noticeably have a more pop sound that was scrapped on the final release. Unlike most other demos of tracks from Born to Die, the demos have different vocal takes accommodating for lyric and tempo changes. The second and third demo were produced by Peter "Neros" Ibsen. The final version shares the same background noise sample with "Off to the Races".
Lyrically, the song is Del Rey recounting her wild-child youth, while explaining things she and her friends did that made them girls, including looking for heaven and love, and putting men ahead of their friendships. During an interview in May 2014, Del Rey described the "stealing police cars with the senior guys" lyric is actually from her time in Lake Placid when an unnamed female friend of hers got into a police car with the door open, but failed to get away because she was unable to drive.
Live performances
"This Is What Makes Us Girls" has never been featured in a live performance by Del Rey, unlike every other track on the standard edition of Born to Die which has been performed at least once.
Although the song has never been performed in its entirety, Del Rey sang the first verse and chorus a cappella on February 8, 2018 during a visit to Seacrest Studios at Children's Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
Cross-references
- Del Rey talks about her time at school in "Boarding School".
- Cherries are also mentioned in "Carmen" and "Cherry".
- A mention of ribbons in one's hair is found in "Heroin" and "Tired of Singing the Blues".
- Velvet is also referenced in "Blue Velvet", "Fake Diamond" and "Velvet Crowbar".
Official versions
- Album version — 3:58
- Instrumental version — 3:56
- Demo version 1 — 3:36 (produced by Tim Larcombe)
- Demo version 2 — 4:06
- Demo version 3 — 4:03
Lyrics
Album version
Remember how we used to party up all night
Sneakin' out and lookin' for a taste of real life
Drinkin' in the small town firelight
Pabst blue ribbon on ice.
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Walkin' down the streets as they whistle, "hi, hi"
Stealin' police guys with the senior guys
Teachers said we'd never make it out alive
There she was, my new best friend
High heels in her hand, swayin' in the wind
Oh she starts to cry, mascara running down her little bambi eyes
Lana how I hate those guys
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it?
It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We all stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all going to happen
And that's where the beginning of the end begun
Everybody knew that we had too much fun
We were skippin' school and drinkin' on the job
With the boss
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Baby's table-dancing at the local dive
Cheerin' our names in the pink spotlight
Drinkin' cherry schnapps in the velvet night
Yeah we used to go break into the hotel
Pool glimmering we'd swim
Runnin' from the cops in our black bikini tops
Screamin', "Get us while we're hot"
We don't give a whaaat?
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it?
It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We all stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all going to happen
The prettiest in-crowd that you had ever seen
Ribbons in our hair and our eyes gleamed mean
A freshman generation of degenerate beauty queens
And you know something?
They were the only friends I ever had
We got into trouble and when stuff got bad
I got sent away and was wavin' on the train platform
Cryin' 'cause I know I'm never comin' back
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it?
It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
To all the little queens, do you know what you're worth?
I'll tell you every day till you get it, girl
It's all going to happen
Demo version one
Remember how we used to party up all night
Sneakin' out and lookin' for a taste of real life
Drinkin' in the small town firelight
(Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice)
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Walkin' down the streets as they whistle, "Hi, hi!"
Stealin' police cars with the senior guys
Teachers said we'd never make it out alive
There she was, my new best friend
High heels in her hands, swayin' in the wind
Oh, she starts to cry
Mascara running down her little Bambi eyes
"Lana, how I hate those guys."
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it? It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
And that's where the beginning of the end begun
Everybody knew that we had too much fun
We were skippin' school and drinkin' on the job
With the boss
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Baby's table-dancing at the local dive
Cheerin' our names in the pink spotlight
Drinkin' cherry schnapps in the velvet night
Yeah, we used to go break in
To the hotel pool
Glimmerin' we'd swim
Runnin' from the cops in our black bikini tops
Screamin', "Get us while we’re hot."
We don't give a what?
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it? It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
The prettiest in-crowd that you had ever seen
Ribbons in our hair and our eyes gleamed mean
A freshman generation of degenerate beauty queens
And you know something?
They were the only friends I ever had
We got into trouble and when stuff got bad
I got sent away and was wavin' on the train platform
Cryin' 'cause I know I'm never comin' back
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Don't you know we'd die for it? It's a curse
Don't cry about it, don't cry about it
This is what makes us girls
To all the little queens, do you know what you're worth?
I'll tell you everyday till you get it, girl
It's all gonna happen
This is what makes us girls now, baby
This is why we rule the world now, baby
This is what makes us girls now, baby
Why we rule the world now, baby, oh
This is what makes us girls now, baby
This is why we rule the world now, baby
This is what makes us girls now, baby
Why we rule the world now, baby, oh
Demo version two/three
Remember how we used to party up all night
Sneakin' out and lookin' for a taste of real life
Drinkin' in the small town firelight
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Walkin' down the streets as they whistle, "Hi, hi!"
Stealin' police cars with the senior guys
Teachers said we'd never make it out alive
There she was, my new best friend
High heels in her hands, swayin' in the wind
And she starts to cry
Mascara running down her little Bambi eyes
"Lana, how I hate those guys!"
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we puttin' love first
Somethin' that we'd die for, it's a curse
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
And that's where the beginning of the end begun
Everybody knew that we had too much fun
We were skippin' school and drinkin' on the job
With the boss
Sweet 16 and we had arrived
Baby's table-dancing at the local dive
Cheerin' our names in the pink spotlight
Drinkin' Pérignon in the velvet night
Yo, we used to go break in
To the hotel, glimmerin' we’d swim
Runnin' from the cops in our black bikini tops
Screamin', "Get us while we're hot, we don't give a what?"
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we put love first
Somethin' that we'd die for, it's a curse
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together 'cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
The prettiest in-crowd that you had ever seen
Ribbons in our hair and our eyes gleamed mean
A freshman generation of degenerate beauty queens
And you know something?
They were the only friends I ever had
I got into trouble and when stuff got bad
I got sent away, wavin' on the train platform
Cryin' 'cause I know I'm never comin' back
This is what makes us girls
We all look for heaven and we puttin' love first
Somethin' that we'd die for, it's a curse
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
This is what makes us girls
We don't stick together cause we put love first
Don't cry about him, don't cry about him
It's all gonna happen
This is what makes us girls now, baby
It's why we rule the world now, baby, oh
This is what makes us girls now, baby
It's why we rule the world now, baby, oh
Credits
- Personnel
- Lana Del Rey — vocals, songwriting
- Tim Larcombe & Jim Irvin — songwriting
- Al Shux — production, vocal production, guitars, bass, keyboards, programming
- Emile Haynie — production, drums, sounds, additional keyboards
- Larry Gold — strings arrangement and conduction
- Steve Tirpak — strings assistance
- Manny Marroquin — mixing
- Erik Madrid & Chris Galland — mixing assistance
- John Davis — mastering
- Technical
- Published by EMI / Warner Chappell
- Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London, United Kingdom
- Mixed at Miloco's Engine Room, London, United Kingdom
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