Blue Jeans

Album: Born To Die (2012)
Charted: 32
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This sleazy, gangsta track finds Del Rey singing of her love for her blue-jeaned James Dean-lookalike boyfriend. "You fit me better than my favorite sweater," she sings. Lana's heart is crushed when he walks out on her. She stays up, "waitin', anticipatin' and pacin' but he was, chasing paper, 'Caught up in the game.'" Like many of the songs on Born To Die, this was inspired by an actual relationship that went sour for the singer. She told The Daily Telegraph: "It's not my fault that love went bad. I met this person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. We were both clean and sober. We lived together and then he started getting into trouble, and he had to leave. There's a lot of facets to my life, they don't all seem like they would come together. It's been a strange ride."
  • The cowgirl anthem was produced by hip-hop veteran Emile Haynie (Lil Wayne, Eminem) and finds Del Rey slotting in hip-hop slang ("You so fresh to death") into the lyrics. "I brought Emile in because the beats were still raw and hard to get... sort of the danger I wanted to incorporate," said the singer to Billboard magazine.
  • Del Rey sung this along with "Video Games" on Saturday Night Live. Her performance was much derided with many critics deciding that she had bombed.
  • This song, along with "Video Games" sets the tone for Born To Die. Del Rey told Pedestrian TV: "I don't know if there's a definitive vibe but it's consistently autobiographical and I think most of the songs verge on dark and beautiful. I mean, when I make a record I'm not really going for a big show stopping sound. I've been singing for so long now that you just end up writing for yourself and making it as personal as possible."
  • The song's music video was directed by Yoann Lemoine, who also helmed the clip for Del Rey's previous single "Born To Die." New-York-based model Bradley Soileau plays Del Rey's love interest in both the visuals.

Comments: 1

  • Aj from Orange County, CaThe recurring sample in the song is Rick James shouting the word "shout" in an amusingly slurred sounding way (he sounds almost like he is saying "surf!") The sample is from a 1981 live performance of "Mary Jane." This sample has also been used by Kanye West and other performers, and is a nod to Lana's love of hip-hop. For those who wrote her off as a live performer after her much derided SNL performance, please check out Lana's performance of "Video Games" and "Blue Jeans" from the 2012 iTunes Festival. Lana can deliver the goods live :)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.