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  • Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

  • Written by: Lana Del Rey
  • Narrated by: Lana Del Rey
  • Length: 39 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (175 ratings)

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Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

Written by: Lana Del Rey
Narrated by: Lana Del Rey
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Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling debut book of poetry from Lana Del Rey, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is the title poem of the book and the first poem I wrote of many. Some of which came to me in their entirety, which I dictated and then typed out, and some that I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are and for that reason I’m proud of them, especially because the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.” (Lana Del Rey)

Lana’s breathtaking first book solidifies her further as “the essential writer of her times” (The Atlantic). The collection features more than 30 poems, many exclusive to the book: "Never to Heaven", "The Land of 1,000 Fires", "Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving", "LA Who Am I to Love You?", "Tessa DiPietro", "Happy, Paradise Is Very Fragile", "Bare Feet on Linoleum", and many more. The result is an extraordinary poetic landscape that reflects the unguarded spirit of its creator.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is also brought to life in an unprecedented spoken-word audiobook that features Lana Del Rey reading 14 select poems from the book accompanied by music from Grammy Award-winning musician Jack Antonoff. 

©2020 Lana Del Rey. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Lana Del Rey. All rights reserved.

What listeners say about Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

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Ethereal and a Transcendent Escape

This is a unique and transcendent 40 minutes of bliss. Lana uses her experiences, her voice, her creative ways to describe her world. A world for us all to escape into. Her descriptions of LA to a simple Zimmerman floral dress paint a visual feast through words. The music carries it like an ocean current. This is a must listen for anyone that wants to float away and remember past loves, a bright future and eternal blue skies.

2 people found this helpful

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as always grant is beautiful

her voice is so smooth and alluring. her words are swim into each other it’s so beautiful. and she makes me feel so seen about the most mundane things. i love her

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Best poetry

amazing i love every chapter. i love u lana. every poem resonates with me. so beautiful

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Immersive poetry

Worth listening to vs reading. Quite performative narration with music and sound effects that added to the experience. Enjoyed overall.

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Love her poetry

Literal the way poetry should be - disguised as metaphor . The review requires 15 words.. let’s see

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I listen to it all the time

Lana Del Rey writes poetry like nobody else. When she’s narrating this book you can hear the emotions change throughout each poem. It’s honestly so beautiful

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Exactly what poetry should be

The amount of freedom in these poems is exactly why poetry was named that way. The free expression of an artist’s mind, thoughts, fantasies, dreams, disappointments, and the list goes on and on. It is a beautiful marriage between the writer’s skills and her ink. Simply beautiful.

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lana del rey is God

this book is my therapy. life laugh love lana del rey. buy this book <3

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beauty

beautiful I'm so proud of Lana. She delivered beautiful, authentic poetry. she's a different kinda soul.

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  • 2021-04-14

Beautiful poetry

I appreciate the candid way that the author approaches her poetry in ways that feel similar to her songwriting, playing on musicality of sentences, and also different, wordier and with a quality of stream of consciousness.

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  • Jorge Mondragon
  • 2020-07-28

A dreamy intimitate portrayal.

Famous for painting a canvas of what she speaks of in our head, Lana Del Rey pulls us from the current world and immerses us in on her world with ‘Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass’ making us appreciate the little things in life she sees and notices, forever changing our perspective on love, nature, and what we thought are our most intimate feelings. Don’t just come for the aesthetics but listen between the lines, the lyrics touch you more that way. This work of art helps her solidify her spot as the best singer/songwriter of this Generation a claim she voiced but was misunderstood earlier in the year. Lambasted by people, celebrities, and critics since her debut, this year when she decided to voice her stance on her opinions and decided to claim respect from her detractors that are unwilling to admit the impact she has and that she’s given to others in her industry since she grazed us with her presence, she instead received unnecessary backlash that provoked unwarranted anger proving to everyone that she’s always been misunderstood since the beginning. Her claim that in a way felt necessary and yet unnecessary because her eclectic and admirable work speaks for it’s self. It’s only a matter of time that her impact will be better known or better yet... respected (hopefully it is with this newly released work of art). One thing is for sure, she always seizes to amaze her audience whether they like her or not and that her constant evolution is ever so satisfying proving to us that she’s more than what you make her out to be but in reality she is a true artist. One who like they say is not from these times because deep down she isn’t a mass produced figure like her indistinguishable contemporaries but she’s a woman who talks about themes that has plagued mankind since the beginning : love, time, and death. Themes that always cut deep into our souls and are timeless. For those who block these feelings are lost and may never understand due to the prejudice within them. Now intimitate as ever she will keep on inspiring those who never give her enough credit, occasionally she will reappear to give us something we didn’t know we needed and she will then again bless us by opening up an intimitate perspective of her life and our lives making us come to terms on who we really are within.

9 people found this helpful

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  • David Granda
  • 2020-07-28

Amazing storytelling

Love it! So beautiful, calming and interesting. The stories are quite relatable too. The music is ethereal. Recommend it 100%

6 people found this helpful

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  • AH90
  • 2020-07-28

Above and Beyond

I enjoyed this collection thoroughly. The pictures painted with words are captivating. Exceeded any expectation I had.

5 people found this helpful

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  • Hira
  • 2020-07-28

Magnificent

She once again did that. She made her dreams
come true, she is a beautiful poet now. Track 7 is so inspiring and everything is so raw and pure.

5 people found this helpful

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  • Flávia
  • 2020-07-28

Every minute of it feels and sounds like heaven!

I loved how personal these poems are, and how deeply Lana decided to take us into her soul, her doubts, her insecurities, her passions, her kindness... it's a true masterpiece!

4 people found this helpful

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  • Jesse Blevins
  • 2020-07-28

Lana Del Rey soothes & enchants!

This poetry audio is gorgeous. I felt completely transported while listening to her soothing voice. The music adds this very classic and ethereal sound. I highly recommend.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Daniel
  • 2020-07-28

Absolutely incredible

Lana Del Rey has really proved to be a poet in “Violet” while embarking a possible new genre of poetry. Immersive Imagery is alive in all directions.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Jenna
  • 2020-07-28

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND STUNNING POETRY

TALENTED, BRILLIANT, INCREDIBLE, SHOW STOPPING, SPECTACULAR, NEVER THE SAME, TOTALLY UNIQUE, COMPLETELY NOT EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. Girl you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all, and doing it flawlessly. This is hands-down, absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever listened to, thank you for blessing my ears.

4 people found this helpful

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  • AML525
  • 2020-07-28

Gorgeous

“Would standing in front of Mount Rushmore feel like the great American homecoming i never had? Would the magnitude of the scale of the sculptures take the place of the embrace i never got?”

4 people found this helpful

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  • Ben Richardson
  • 2020-07-28

Great poetry and music

Really beautiful poetry set to beautiful music. She better win the Grammy for best spoken word.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Marine Bourgeois
  • 2020-11-21

Mélancolique et plein d'espoir

D'une beauté et d'une sincérité rare ! Il émane de ce recueil un mélange de violence et de fragilité qui est parfaitement retranscrit par la voix douce et chaude de Lana Del Rey. On ressent chaque émotion de l'auteure, et j'avoue été émue aux larmes à plusieurs reprises.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-02-17

Wow

This experience was amazing, I love Lana del rey and I was sure that listening her book and reading it would not be the same. I have absolutely not regret of taking this audiobook she had a so peaceful and amazing voice !!! Love u Lana I’m so excited to listen your next album ! <3

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  • Sylvie
  • 2020-08-25

Wonderful

I loved it from the bottom of my heart, thanks a lot Lana it was a wonderful experience to hear your voice over these out of the world lines. I do wish more is to come!

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  • Edith B
  • 2020-08-05

It’s safe to say Lana is a true poet

It’s incredible to hear the way she expresses every phrase, she almost brings you into the feeling of the experience she had. Not only can she sing, but she can write, and she can convey it with such exquisite beauty. A believe her art may only be truly appreciated later on, it’s so different from anything else in today’s culture.

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  • José Zaarour
  • 2020-07-31

Stunning

Really enjoyed the themes evoked, the melody in the background, and the beautiful words of the author

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-07-28

Quelle expérience !

La voix angélique de Lana mêlée à la musique de Jack = magique !

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-07-28

Incroyable

À écouter d’urgence , d’une douceur exceptionnelle, sa voix, sa diction , ses mots, tout est beau

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2020-07-28

Piece of art

It's of a beauty that you can't even describe, you just have to listen to it