Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass

Since her musical beginnings, Del Rey has expressed how she has been inspired by poetry, with Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg being instrumental to her songwriting.[5][6] Del Rey has written several poems which she has used as spoken monologues in her music videos and short films, the most notable being the lengthier, melancholic pieces featured Ride (2012) and Tropico (2013), in the latter of which she also recited poems from Whitman's Leaves of Grass.

In 2018, Del Rey announced her intention to release a book of poetry.[7] She explained how, following some writer's block while beginning work on Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) in 2017,[8] she had begun writing poetry.[9] Shortly afterwards, Del Rey revealed she would be binding the book herself and be selling copies for as little as a dollar.[10] When asked why the book would be so inexpensive, Del Rey replied "because my thoughts are priceless."[11][12] However, Lana's original plans changed when Simon & Schuster acquired the rights and published the book regularly and at a standard price.[13]

During her promotional cycle of Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Del Rey described the book as consisting of "thirteen long poems",[14] though she has teased shorter pieces on social media since, including "Never to Heaven",[15] "Happy", and "Quiet Waiter-Blue Forever," among other pieces.

In addition to the book, Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass was released as a spoken word album on July 28, 2020 through Interscope and Polydor in physical formats only, with the track "LA Who Am I to Love You" available on streaming[1] for a limited time. The poems are accompanied with music by Jack Antonoff, a frequent collaborator of Del Rey's and the producer of her albums Norman Fucking Rockwell! and Chemtrails over the Country Club.[2]

Del Rey originally said in an Instagram livestream that the album would also be U$1 in price and that 50 percent of proceeds would benefit charities supporting Native American land constancy and protecting indigenous rights in the United States, with the charities rotating every couple of years following the release of the record.[16][17] However, the album was never sold for $1.