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"Dollhouse" is the debut single by Melanie Martinez, featured as the first track on her namesake debut extended play, Dollhouse. It is also included as the second track on her debut album, Cry Baby and her extended play, Pity Party.
The music video was released on February 9th, 2014 and the song became available for digital download the following day.
Theme[]
"Dollhouse" is about the family of Melanie's alter ego. The alter ego's mother is revealed to be an alcoholic due to her husband's infidelity and the brother smoking cannabis. The alter ego, named Cry Baby, is the only one that recognizes how horrible her situation is. Cry Baby wishes people would understand her reality. In the music video, Cry Baby and her family are visualized as dolls as a metaphor for Cry Baby's family trying to seem perfect in public.
This song also can be used to describe how people view celebrities. In an interview, Melanie said, "People put them in glass boxes and think they are perfect and when something happens that shows when they are humans, people don't like that."
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Hey girl, open the walls
Play with your dolls
We'll be a perfect family
When you walk away is when we really play
You don't hear me when I say
"Mom, please wake up
Dad's with a slut
And your son is smoking cannabis"
[Pre-chorus 1]
No one ever listens
This wallpaper glistens
Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen
[Chorus]
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
[Post-chorus]
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E)
(I see things that nobody else sees)
[Verse 2]
Hey girl, look at my mom
She's got it going on
Ha! You're blinded by her jewelry
When you turn your back
She pulls out a flask
And forgets his infidelity
Uh oh, she's coming to the attic
Plastic, go back to being plastic
[Pre-chorus 2]
No one ever listens
This wallpaper glistens
One day they'll see what goes down in the kitchen
[Chorus]
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
[Post-chorus]
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E)
(I see things that nobody else sees)
[Breakdown]
Hey girl (Hey girl X7)
Hey girl, open your walls
Play with your dolls
We'll be a perfect family
[Chorus]
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains
[Post-chorus]
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E)
(I see things that nobody else sees)
Official versions[]
Several mixes and demos were lost, according to producer, One Love. It is confirmed that the song does not seem to have one, but rather two additional unleaked demos.
Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Recording date | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
▶ | Final | Single • Dollhouse (EP) • Cry Baby | April 22nd, 2014 | One Love | September 19th, 2013 | 3:51 |
Instrumental | Unreleased | - | One Love | - | 3:51 | |
Remixes | ||||||
▶ | Kiely Rich Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) (EP) | July 24th, 2014 | One Love | 2014 | 6:20 |
▶ | One Love Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) (EP) | July 24th, 2014 | One Love | 2014 | 4:27 |
▶ | Jai Wolf Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) (EP) | July 24th, 2014 | One Love | 2014 | 4:08 |
▶ | Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) (EP) | July 24th, 2014 | One Love | 2014 | 4:46 |
Demos | ||||||
"dollhouse 01" (demo 1) | Unreleased | - | One Love | 2013 | 3:52 | |
Demo 2 | Unreleased | - | One Love | 2013 | Unknown | |
Demo 3 | Unreleased | - | One Love | 2013 | Unknown |
Gallery[]
Videos[]
On February 5th, 2014, Melanie posted a promotional trailer for the music video on YouTube to announce the song's release date. There was also a link to pre-order the song on iTunes.[2][3]
Music video[]
The music video takes place inside a dollhouse that a little girl plays with. It shows Cry Baby's family in their various roles. The dad is off having an affair, the son is smoking cannabis, and the mom is passed out on the couch. During the line, "Picture, picture, smile for the picture," the family poses for a picture and then they return to their activities. After the second chorus, the little girl appears inside the dollhouse and Cry Baby sings to her while she is cornered by the family. Soon after, she appears back outside the dollhouse and runs away.
Cast[]
- Cry Baby: Melanie Martinez
- Mom: Stella Rose Saint Clair
- Brother: Edwin Zabala
- Dad: Mughen Nakamura
- Little Girl: Jessica Cherniak
Live[]
The live video takes place in an old house with balloons and vintage toys throughout. Miles Nasta and Mike Squillante are dressed up in onesies, with Miles playing a drum machine and Mike playing the keyboard and guitar. Melanie is wearing a white dress with a white bow. This performance was recorded at the same location as the "Carousel" live video.
Trivia[]
- On January 13th, 2017, the music video reached 100 million views on YouTube. It reached 200 million on October 24th, 2018 and reached 300 million on March 13th, 2021. It is Melanie's first music video to reach these milestones.
- Melanie began shooting the video on December 6th, 2013.
- The music video was shot in three days.[4]
- Fans funded the music video for Dollhouse.
- In late 2013, Melanie crowdfunded more than $10,000 for the music video.
- Melanie also crowdfunded Carousel's music video.
- The music video has never left the overall top 200 music videos on iTunes since its release.
- During the Dollhouse Tour, the rhythm of the song in some cases was changed to a faster one, or changed as the song progressed, during interdules instrumentals talking to the musicians.
- "Dollhouse" is Melanie's song that is featured the most on albums and EPs, as it is on Cry Baby, Dollhouse, and Pity Party.
- "Sippy Cup" references the line, "One day they'll see what goes down in the kitchen," as it talks about what "went down in the kitchen."
- The bear next to the doll heads is Melanie's phone case.
- Melanie's pet rabbit Whinnie makes an appearance in the song's music video
- Melanie said during a Q&A on Tumblr on July 27, 2015 that there was no real reason for Whinnie to be featured, he "just wanted to be on camera".[5]
- The skirt next to Cry Baby when she is strapped into the box is the same skirt she wears in the music video for "Carousel."
- There is a subtle guitar in the chorus, which can almost only be heard in the instrumental.
- This is Melanie's first song to be certified gold. It was certified on December 16th, 2015.
- "Dollhouse" is Melanie's first platinum-certified song. It was certified on December 1st, 2016.
- It was later certified 2x multi-platinum on February 28th, 2020.
- On December 1st, 2020 The song got lllegally reuploaded by Sicily Rose as her Own Single.
- This is Melanie's first song produced by Kinetics & One Love and was created on the first day that the three met.[6]
- At the beginning of the music video, a tune can be heard. If the tune is sped up, an instrumental remake of the chorus can be heard.
- The rough cut version of the music video is available on YouTube.
- This version includes some deleted scenes and raw footage.
- This was the first song recorded for Cry Baby.
- Is it also Melanie's first written released song as a whole.
- This song, along with "VOID", was officially added to the official Barbie movie soundtrack playlist on Spotify, consisting of songs from and inspired by the movie.
- This is one of the few songs by Melanie, like "NYMPHOLOGY", the title of the song is spelled.
- "Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen" is a direct reference to "Sippy Cup" being a sequel.
- Both "Zzzz", and "Coloring Book" reference this song through a "perfect lawn."
- The story and illustration for this song appear on the 5th page of the Cry Baby storybook, reading:
"And in her picture perfect home
Momma's drunk while daddy moans
Her brother always comes home stoned
She watches in her room alone"
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kineticsmusic/status/380813866642735104
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141007161153/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-clNKm5ywI&list=UU2YnEq5Fc5_zEO6bo0oNzCQ
- ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=qOT8Tmt45Jc
- ↑ http://www.groundsounds.com/2014/05/28/interview-dollhouse-singer-melanie-martinez-plays-nice-groundsounds/
- ↑ http://melaniemartinezmusic.tumblr.com/post/125200275218/in-your-dollhouse-video-why-is-there-a-rabbit-on
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kineticsmusic/status/502965876686352384
[]
v • e | |
---|---|
Featured tracks | Dollhouse • Carousel • Dead To Me • Bittersweet Tragedy |
Characters | Cry Baby • Mom • Dad • Brother • Little Girl • Alphabet Boy |
Extras | Merchandise |
Locations | Cry Baby's House • Carnival |
v • e Pity Party EP | |
---|---|
Featured Tracks | Pity Party • Dollhouse • Dead To Me • Bittersweet Tragedy |
Characters | Cry Baby • Mom • Dad • Brother • Little Girl |
Producers | One Love • CJ Baran • Robopop |
Related | Dollhouse (EP) |