Lust For Life (with The Weeknd)

"Lust For Life" represents a pivotal shift in Lana Del Rey's artistic narrative, moving away from the fatalistic, death-obsessed themes of her earlier work (like Born to Die) toward a conscious embrace of life and resilience. The song serves as a manifesto for finding joy and purpose amidst the chaos of the world and the pressures of fame.

The central setting—the Hollywood Sign—is crucial to the song's meaning. Historically, the sign is associated with the tragic suicide of actress Peg Entwistle in 1932, who jumped from the letter "H." By choosing to climb and dance on that same "H" rather than jump, Del Rey subverts this Hollywood tragedy. She rewrites the narrative from one of despair to one of triumph. The "H" becomes a pedestal for empowerment rather than a ledge for self-destruction.

The collaboration with The Weeknd adds a layer of shared experience. Both artists rose to fame through mysterious, somewhat dark personas. Their union on the track symbolizes two stars finding solace in each other at the lonely summit of celebrity. The repeated mantra "take off all your clothes" acts as a command to shed their public egos, costumes, and defenses to find the authentic human connection underneath. Ultimately, the song asserts that despite the dangers of their lifestyle ("dancing on the edge"), their sheer passion for living is what sustains them.

The narrative unfolds high above the city of Los Angeles, where the protagonist invites her lover to join her in a daring escapade. She describes climbing the ladder to the top of the famous Hollywood sign, specifically positioning herself on the letter "H." In these stolen, private moments away from the public eye, she feels a sense of ownership over the world below. The atmosphere is charged with the thrill of height and secrecy. As she stands there, she hears the wind whistling, a sound that she interprets as her own name being called, reinforcing her connection to this place of fame and dreams. It represents a dangerous yet exhilarating pinnacle where she feels cooler and more alive than ever, casting aside the darkness of the night for an eternal blue sky.

Her partner joins her in this high-altitude sanctuary. Together, they reject the fatalistic cliché that "only the good die young," arguing instead that such a fate isn't right for them because they are simply having too much fun to let it end. They affirm that their burning desire—their "lust for life"—is the very force keeping them alive and protecting them from the fall. In a chant-like refrain, they urge each other to strip away their defenses, metaphorically and literally asking to "take off all your clothes," symbolizing a return to raw vulnerability and truth amidst the artificiality of Hollywood. They declare themselves masters of their own fate and captains of their own souls, refusing to hesitate or be bound by the tragic narratives of the past. Alone on the sign, they dance on the edge, fueled by a relentless energy to keep moving and living until the very end.

The creation of "Lust For Life" was a multi-step process involving several high-profile collaborators. It was the first song Lana Del Rey wrote for the album of the same name, but she initially felt the demo was incomplete. The track began with a retro, 1960s-inspired verse that she was fond of, but it lacked a cohesive structure.

Seeking a fresh perspective, Del Rey flew to Sweden to work with legendary pop producer Max Martin. Martin identified the strength of her original verse and suggested turning it into the chorus, a structural change that anchored the song. Following this, Del Rey reached out to her longtime friend and collaborator, The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), to add his vocals. She felt the track needed a "Shangri-Las element"—a reference to the 60s girl group known for their dramatic, spoken-word style—so she returned to the studio to layer harmonies and add the doo-wop backing vocals. The final version was produced by Del Rey, Rick Nowels, Dean Reid, and Kieron Menzies, with co-writing credits for The Weeknd and Max Martin. It was released on April 19, 2017.

The song follows a standard pop structure with a highly melodic, repetitive chorus designed for catchiness. The verses utilize a loose, conversational rhythm that mimics the spoken-word style of 60s girl groups, often employing AABB or ABAB rhyme schemes (e.g., "Hollywood sign" / "world is mine"). The rhythm is mid-tempo, creating a swaying, hypnotic groove that feels like a slow dance. The delivery of the pre-chorus ("Take off, take off...") is rhythmic and staccato, contrasting with the flowing, legato melody of the main chorus line ("In a lust for life..."). This interplay between the choppy, rhythmic commands and the soaring, melodic declarations mimics the tension between the danger of the climb and the freedom of the view.

Literary References & Intertextuality: The song is dense with cultural references. It explicitly quotes the Victorian poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley ("Masters of our own fate... captains of our own souls"). It also lyrically references The Angels' 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" ("My boyfriend's back and he's cooler than ever"), grounding the song in a specific lineage of American pop history.

Musical Fusion: The production blends 1960s Doo-Wop aesthetics with modern Synth-pop. You can hear this in the "shoo-wop, shoo-wop" backing vocals and the spoken-word delivery reminiscent of The Shangri-Las, contrasted against the crisp, futuristic production sheen provided by Max Martin. The use of wind sound effects adds a cinematic, atmospheric quality, simulating the height of the Hollywood sign.

Vocal Contrast: Del Rey's lower, breathy register is paired with The Weeknd's piercing falsetto. This reversal of traditional gendered vocal roles (her low, him high) creates a unique sonic texture and emphasizes the dreamlike quality of the track.

"Lust For Life" marked a significant moment in Lana Del Rey's career as the title track of her Grammy-nominated album. It was her first collaboration with The Weeknd on one of her own albums, bridging two massive fanbases. The song reached number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and performed well globally.

Culturally, the song is notable for its music video, which visually cemented the "Lana Del Rey aesthetic" of vintage Americana blended with modern surrealism. By referencing the Peg Entwistle tragedy, the song sparked discussions about Hollywood lore and the dark side of fame, effectively recontextualizing a famous piece of Los Angeles history for a new generation. It remains a fan favorite for its optimistic message and is seen as the turning point where Del Rey began to let "light" into her musical world.

The "H" of the Hollywood Sign: This is the song's most potent symbol. It represents the pinnacle of success, fame, and the American Dream. However, given its history (Peg Entwistle's suicide), it also represents the dangerous, precarious nature of that fame. Standing on it signifies conquering these dangers.

"Take off all your clothes": While seemingly sexual, this phrase functions largely as a metaphor for vulnerability and authenticity. In the context of two superstars, it suggests stripping away the "costume" of celebrity and the heavy personas they carry to simply be human together.

The Ladder: In the lyrics and music video, the ladder represents the ascent to stardom. It is a deliberate climb, acknowledging the effort required to reach the top, unlike the "fall" often associated with tragic figures.

"Masters of our own fate": A direct allusion to the poem Invictus, this symbolizes a reclamation of agency. Del Rey is no longer a passive victim of love or tragedy but an active participant directing her own life.

"Lust for life": The titular phrase is the central motif, repeated as a mantra against the darkness. It replaces the "death drive" of her previous eras with a "life drive."

"Keeps us alive": This phrase often follows the title, reinforcing the idea that passion and desire are vital survival mechanisms, not just hedonistic pursuits.

"Take off all your clothes": This hook is repeated obsessively in the pre-chorus. Its repetition transforms it from a simple instruction into a hypnotic demand for raw honesty, creating a trance-like state for the listener.

"Doo-wop" backing vocals: The nonsensical backing syllables serve as a musical motif that ties the song to the 1950s/60s era, constantly reminding the listener of the "vintage" world the characters inhabit.