Diet Mountain Dew

Album: Born To Die (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A demo of this song originally surfaced in the summer of 2011, but since then a mid- '90s Hip-Hop beat has been added, courtesy of veteran Hip-Hop producers Jeff Bhasker, the man behind much of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Kid Cudi collaborator Emile Haynie. Del Rey told Q magazine she writes in two ways - "Walking around New York, singing words and melodies into my phone…" and with a producer "helping put my words to music."
  • Del Rey penned the song with one time Whiskeytown multi-instrumentalist Mike Daly. Whiskeytown was an alternative country band who was fronted by Ryan Adams before his successful solo career. They released three albums between 1995 and 2001. Daly went on to become a successful songwriter/producer. His songs have been recorded by such artists as Sister Hazel ("Take a Bow") and The Plain White T's ("Our Time Now").
  • The song finds Lana in love again, "Diet Mountain Dew baby New York City / Never was there ever a girl so pretty / Do you think we'll be in love forever?," she sings. However, her bad boy boyfriend is not suitable for her and she admits, "you're not good for me, but baby I want you."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.