|
This page is primarily focused on scrapped or unreleased content. Please proceed at your own discretion. |
"A Million Men",[1] also registered as "Million Men",[2] is an unreleased song by Melanie Martinez. The song was written for her 2013 EP, but the project was later scrapped.
An acoustic worktape of the song recorded and produced by Melanie on her laptop was posted by Melanie's manager, Ron Shapiro, to SoundCloud in 2013.[3] The full acoustic demo leaked on June 4, 2021.
Background[]
Melanie wrote "A Million Men" after watching documentaries about sex trafficking.[4] She likely composed it sometime around January 7, 2013, as she posted a photo of the lyric sheet to her Instagram account around this time.
"I've seen a lot of documentaries about it, stuff that's really sad, so I wrote a story, basically. I call it more a story than a song because the lyrics kind of go through the girl's life."
Melanie Martinez
The song is often mistaken as being about Melanie herself or a friend, partly because the most widely circulated video of her performance cuts off her explanation.
Theme[]
This song tells the story of a fictional young girl named Maggie, sold into a sex trafficking ring by her mother in exchange for drugs (drugs that Maggie, in her innocence, believes to be "candy"). It depicts the abuse she endures while trapped within that world, also empathizing with the difficulty survivors face when trying to adjust to society after being rescued from such horrific circumstances.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Miss Maggie was way too young to understand
Why she got thrown into someone else's hands
Why she woke up to strange men
They tore her to pieces and she couldn't comprehend
Why she was locked up in a basement filled with men
Should've gone to school, instead she did them
[Pre-chorus 1]
Don't touch me, I'm fragile
I'm bitter in my heart
Mama sold me for candy
And I was ruined from the start
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm five years old, sleeping with a million men
[Verse 2]
All grown up and her body has decayed
All those promiscuous games she had to play
No, she skipped the jungle, jungle gym phase
She's trying to look at things in a bright way
Sees a light peeking through the end of the hallway
No, she's tryna, tryna, tryna escape
[Pre-chorus 2]
I'm running
Full force, dear
But it's harder when you're bones
I'm weak-kneed, but I'm flying
Out of this Hell hole
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm ten years old, running from a million men
[Bridge]
Finally the light is coming close
No turning back, run full force
Angels swoop down and grab me
And now I'm safe away from the million men who raised me
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, how will my boyfriend understand?
I'm seventeen with a history of a million men
[Outro]
Men, a million men
Men, a million men
A million men, a, a million,
A million men, a million men
Men, a million men
[Verse 1]
Miss Maggie was way too young to understand
Why she got thrown into someone else's hands
Why she woke up to strange men
They tore her to pieces and she couldn't comprehend
Why she was locked up in a basement filled with men
Should've gone to school, instead she did them
[Pre-chorus 1]
Don't touch me, I'm fragile
I'm bitter in my heart
Mama sold me for candy
And I was ruined from the start
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm five years old, sleeping with a million men, a million men
[Verse 2]
All grown up and her body has decayed
All those promiscuous games she had to play
No, she skipped the jungle, jungle gym phase
She's trying to look at things in a bright way
Sees a light peeking through the end of the hallway
Oh, she's tryna, tryna, tryna escape
[Pre-chorus 2]
I'm running
Full force, dear
But it's harder when you're bones
I'm weak-kneed, but I'm flying
Out of this Hell hole
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm ten years old, running from a million men, a million men
[Bridge]
Finally the light is coming close
No looking back, run full force
Angels swoop down and grab me
And now I'm safe away from the million men who raised me
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, how will my boyfriend understand?
I'm seventeen with a history of a million men
[Outro]
Oh, a million men
Oh, a million men
A million men, a million men,
A million, a million men
A million men, a million men
A million, a million men
A million men
[Verse 1]
Miss Maggie was way too young to understand
Why she got thrown into someone else's hands
Why she woke up to strange men
They tore her to pieces and she couldn't comprehend
Why she was locked up in a basement filled with men
Should've gone to school, instead she did them
[Pre-chorus 1]
Don't touch me, I'm fragile
I'm bitter in my heart
Mama sold me for candy
And I was ruined from the start
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm five years old, sleeping with a million men
[Verse 2]
All grown up and her body has decayed
All those promiscuous games she had to play
No, she skipped the jungle, jungle gym phase
She's trying to look at things in a bright way
Sees a light peeking through the end of the hallway
No, she's tryna, tryna, tryna escape
[Pre-chorus 2]
I'm running
Full force, dear
But it's harder when you're bones
I'm weak-kneed, but I'm flying
Out of this Hell hole
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm ten years old, running from a million men
[Bridge]
Finally the light is coming close
No turning back, run full force
Angels swoop down and grab me
And now I'm safe away from the million men who raised me
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, how will my boyfriend understand?
I'm seventeen with a history of a million men
[Outro]
Men, a million men
Men, a million men
A million men, a, a million,
A million men, a million men
Men, a million men
[Verse 1]
Miss Maggie was way too young to understand
Why she got thrown into someone else's hands
Why she woke up to strange men
They tore her to pieces and she couldn't comprehend
Why she was locked up in a basement filled with men
Should've gone to school, instead she did them
[Pre-chorus 1]
Don't touch me, I'm fragile
I'm bitter in my heart
Mama sold me for candy
And I was ruined from the start
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm five years old, sleeping with a million men, a million men
[Verse 2]
All grown up and her body has decayed
All those promiscuous games she had to play
No, she skipped the jungle, jungle gym phase
She's trying to look at things in a bright way
Sees a light peeking through the end of the hallway
Oh, she's tryna, tryna, tryna escape
[Pre-chorus 2]
I'm running
Full force, dear
But it's harder when you're bones
I'm weak-kneed, but I'm flying
Out of this Hell hole
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, but how will my friends understand?
I'm ten years old, running from a million men, a million men
[Bridge]
Finally the light is coming close
No looking back, run full force
Angels swoop down and grab me
And now I'm safe away from the million men who raised me
[Chorus]
Why do you have to sell me to those mean old men?
They cut me up in places I don't even understand
It's normalcy to me, how will my boyfriend understand?
I'm seventeen with a history of a million men
[Outro]
Oh, a million men
Oh, a million men
A million men, a million men,
A million, a million men
A million men, a million men
A million, a million men
A million men
Official versions[]
| Version | Associated project | Leak date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worktape demo | 2013 EP | 2013 [note 1] | Melanie Martinez | Early 2013 | 4:30 |
| "Million Men.mp3" (acoustic demo) | 2013 EP | June 4, 2021 | Miles Nasta | 2013 | 4:12 |
Videos[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In one performance, Melanie changed some of the lyrics of the song and mixed up the lines.
- After the December 11 show, on The Acoustic Tour, Melanie seemingly dropped the song from all setlists. With the song not appearing on both the December 14 and December 21 show sets. It is unknown why she cut the song after The Orpheum show, when she'd been performing it consistently at every show on tour.
Notes[]
- ↑ This version was uploaded on SoundCloud by her account manager, Ron Shapiro, in 2013. However, the track is now unavailable.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/melaniemartinezmusic/posts/514714898612960
- ↑ https://warnerchappell.com/browse-our-songs/?mode=track&trackId=feb0c923-e7b2-4785-be0c-15f986075eac&sourceUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwarnerchappell.com%2Fbrowse-our-songs%2F%3Fmode%3Dsearch%26query%3Dmelanie%2Bmartinez%26sort%3D%26refiners%3D%257B%257D
- ↑ File:Millionmensoundcloud.jpg
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WdXyUZsV8Tc?si=8CME8ThoCpa1e5er
[]
| v • e 2013 EP | |
|---|---|
| Recorded tracks | A Million Men • A Thousand Words • Birthing Addicts • Bittersweet Tragedy • Bones Are Blue • Curly Cue • Dear Porcupines • I Think I'm Crazy • Intervals • Night Mime • Race • Rough Love • Time Flies |
| Related tracks | Can't Shake You • Heart at the Door • Last Chapter (Never Stayed for Love) • Mistakes • Until Sunrise • Wicked Words (with Jared Dylan) |
| Producers | Doveman • John Feldmann • Larzz Principato • Robopop • SmarterChild • Syience |