Songfacts®:

• "Paris, Texas" is a short and classic pop tune replete with Lana Del Rey's breathy vocals and some lovely piano. Del Rey sings of taking a trip to forget about her doomed romance back in Los Angeles.
• In the song, Del Rey needs to escape from California for a while. Even though nobody knew why she chose to go to Paris, Texas, her instincts said it was time to take a break and leave that bad relationship behind.
  
  I had to leave
  Knew they wouldn't understand
  When you know, you know
  
  She flies off to Spain and hangs out with pals in Alabama before returning to Los Angeles. Del Rey hits up Venice Beach, a cool spot she loves for its artsy feel and chill beach vibes.
  
  Del Rey previously referenced Venice in her 2018 track "Venice Bitch."
• Paris is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Texas in the United States. It's population is about 24,000 but it has an outsized cultural significance thanks to its name: there's an odd contrast between Paris, Texas and Paris, France.
  
  The tune brings up three American cities that sound just like fancy European ones. Paris, Texas, and Florence, Alabama are nowhere near as bougie as their namesakes in France and Italy, and Venice, California, is just a chill beachy hood in Los Angeles.
  
  Lana Del Rey's totally down with Americana, and that's why she's shining a light on these smaller towns that have more personal meaning to her. Even though they're not as popular as their European doppelgangers, they're special to her.
• To create the song, Del Rey's vocals and some strings were layered on top of the piano instrumental "I Wanted to Leave" from the Washington singer-songwriter SYML's 2020 You Knew It Was Me EP. Written in Paris, France, the "I Wanted to Leave" instrumentation provides a haunting backdrop for Del Rey's voice.
  
  SYML is credited as a featured artist on "Paris, Texas," a rare example of a piano part earning an artist feature billing.
• Lana Del Rey recorded "Paris, Texas" for Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. She wrote the song herself and co-produced it with Jack Antonoff, who contributed to 11 of the Ocean Bvld tracks.
• The song borrows its title from the 1984 road movie Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders. The film stars Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, and Nastassja Kinski and tells the story of a man who returns to Texas after going missing for four years.
• As a sidenote, two Scottish bands took their names from Paris, Texas.
  
  The group Texas chose their name as a homage to the movie. They were reportedly inspired by the film's atmosphere and soundtrack, which included Ry Cooder's iconic slide guitar work.
  
  Travis decided on their moniker after watching Paris, Texas and naming themselves after Harry Dean Stanton's character, Travis Henderson. Band member Fran Healy said he was inspired by the character and the film's portrayal of a broken family seeking redemption and a new beginning.
  
  The name of the American alternative hip-hop duo Paris Texas also references the movie.