Lana Del Rey kicked off a massive career in alternative pop with the release of her 2012 album Born To Die. You might remember that album for songs like “Summertime Sadness” and “Video Games”. You might also remember the Americana aesthetics that Del Rey popularized with the album. After just one thorough listen and a deep dive into her music videos, it’s clear that Lana Del Rey is a fan of classic rock. Here are a few moments on Born To Die where she gave props to classic rock icons.
Videos by American Songwriter
Lou Reed
One of the most iconic Lou Reed lyrics of all time is “take a walk on the wild side” from the icon’s hit 1972 solo single “Walk On The Wild Side”. It’s a legendary glam rock tune. Lana Del Rey references the line directly in the title track of Born To Die.
“Come and take a walk on the wild side / Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain / You like your girls insane.”
Belinda Carlisle
To be honest, I was a fan of Born To Die when it came out, and even I missed this reference the first time around. Ahead of the release of the album, Del Rey started making the rounds on YouTube with the music video for the album’s most iconic track, “Video Games”.
In the song, Del Rey croons that “Heaven is a place on earth with you / Tell me all the things you wanna do.” Some, like me, might have missed the reference to Belinda Carlisle’s huge pop-rock hit from 1987, “Heaven Is A Place On Earth”.
Tom Petty
Del Rey name-drops a ton of classic rock icons on the song “American”. That song was released as part of the deluxe edition of Born To Die. In that song, she gives props to Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, and others. And unsurprisingly, Tom Petty makes it to the lyrics as well, albeit a bit more subtly.
Del Rey croons, “Honey, put on that party dress.” That’s a direct line from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ 1993 song “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”.
Bruce Springsteen
Lana Del Rey apparently loves classic rock legend Bruce Springsteen. She references him both in “The American” and in the song “Summertime Sadness”. In the latter song, Del Rey sings the line “Dancing in the dark in the pale moonlight.” That lyric is a reference to the Boss’ 1984 song “Dancing In The Dark”.
Photo by Michael Kovac/WireImage
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