Swan Song

Album: Honeymoon (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A swan song is a metaphorical phrase for the final performance of a poet, actor or composer's career. It is derived from the ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song in the moment just before death.

    This Honeymoon track finds Del Rey crooning of this being her "swan song" before she stops singing and moves onto the next chapter of her life with her lover.
  • Speaking in a 2022 interview, Lana Rel Rey said this song makes her cry.

    Put your white tennis shoes on and follow me
    Why work so hard when you could just be free?
    You got your moment now, you got your legacy
    Let's leave the world for the ones who change everything


    "It's the antithesis of hopefulness," Del Rey told Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele for W magazine. "It's about trying to find beauty in giving up. If I had my way, I would continue to persist in all areas of my life, but it can be quite challenging because I can be too trusting too soon. The burn that can come from that really can incinerate your whole thinking life and your daily processes. At the end of every album, I say goodbye and thank you - very Old Hollywood style - and yet I cannot help but just continue to write."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.

Justin Timberlake

Justin TimberlakeFact or Fiction

Was Justin the first to be Punk'd by Ashton Kutcher? Did Britney really blame him for her meltdown? Did his bandmates think he was gay?

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.