Songfacts®:

• This crowing statement of defiance was written by Del Rey as a reaction to critics of her rise to fame. "I was in more of a sardonic mood," she told The Guardian of writing that song. "Like, if all that I was actually going to be allowed to have by the media was money, loads of money, then f--k it."
• The seething slow jam was written in response to the image that has been projected on Del Rey by the media. Speaking to The New York Times, she admitted its likely to snarl her persona even further. "Carl Jung said that inevitably what other people think of you becomes a small facet of your psyche, whether you want it to or not," she said, "I learned that whatever I did elicited an opposite response, so I'm sure 'Money, Power, Glory' will actually resonate with people as being what I really do want. I already know what's coming, so it's OK to explore irony and bitterness."
• Del Rey penned the song with Greg Kurstin (Pink's "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," Sia's "Chandelier"). The Californian producer told NME about their collaboration: "'Money, Power, Glory' was one of the earlier songs written on the album and it stuck around.," he said. "I wasn't really sure what was going to happen because we did it so early and I know she went through a lot of writing after that point."
  
  "It's interesting that what ended up on the album is actually the original mix that we finished that day; we didn't re-cut or re-record anything," Kurstin added. "But it was great when I finally heard where she went and I think it was really cool that she went organic with live musicians."