Elizabeth Woolridge Grant , famously known as “Lana Del Rey” wrote the original song "Young and Beautiful" for "The Great Gatsby" motion picture soundtrack. The song peaked at 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her highest peak on the chart at that time. As a movie depicting the difference between social classes, the lyrics penned by Lana herself suited to the theme. In my opinion, I have no other song in mind to sing when I think of the movie. When I listen to this song, it feels like I am one of those people who are attending Jay Gatsby’s lavish and luxurious parties. It takes me back to the 1920s. Lana Del Rey’s vocal prowess adds up to the effectiveness of the soundtrack. As this was written specifically for The Great Gatsby- for me, this song is evocative of Daisy Buchanan. If the listener imagines that Daisy is the one singing the line: Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful? He can certainly connect it to Daisy’s fickleness. It highlights character vulnerability. This song perfectly captures the character of Daisy. If the lyrics are explained as to the movie or book’s context, it can be concluded that this illustrates the days when Daisy and Jay Gatsby were in their younger days. The Hot Summer nights, Mid July are representative of Gatsby and Daisy's love affair when she was only a damsel. The way you'd play with me like a child represents the capriciousness and the immaturity of their love affair. The way you play for me at your show, And all the ways, I got to know, Your pretty face and electric soul. Gatsby throws an exotic party every night just to get Daisy’s attention. It shows how much effort Jay Gatsby put in in order to win again Daisy’s heart. All that grace, all that body, All that face, makes me wanna party, He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds shows how Daisy is still enamoured with him for his money and good looks, but he still is of poor blood. Gatsby uses a lot of means to make her happy, living a life of crime as a bootlegger coupled with so much lies and thievery. Daisy is just using Gatsby for a fun fling because she cannot bring herself to leave Tom.
In conclusion, this song basically sums up the whole book or the movie and it tells about how materialistic people can get that they don’t seem to realize that according to Antoine-de-Exupery: what is essential is invisible to the eye.
