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This page is primarily focused on scrapped or unreleased content. Please proceed at your own discretion. |
"Coloring Book" is an unreleased song by Melanie Martinez. It was recorded in the sessions for her debut studio album, Cry Baby, however, it was later scrapped.
The full song was leaked on May 10, 2021, and the demo leaked on May 17, 2021.
Background
Melanie confirmed during a Tumblr Q&A from July 27, 2015, that she considered "Coloring Book" as a title for her debut album before it was released as Cry Baby.[1]
Theme
This song uses a coloring book as a metaphor for Cry Baby's life. The song seems to address themes of dissonance between appearances and realities, social maladjustment and the unpredictability of life. Also, the song conveys the idea that life is full of complexities and contradictions. Appearances can often be deceiving, and human emotions do not follow predictable rules. Each verse illustrates a situation in which reality defies expectations, and the chorus reinforces that "nothing ever stays within the lines", indicating that life is unpredictable and beyond rigid control. The "coloring book" symbolizes life as a space where experiences are varied and do not need to conform to a rigid pattern.
The song also references other songs that were intended to be on Cry Baby at the time of the song being recorded. It discusses the storyline of what happens to Cry Baby from the beginning.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
There's a girl on a carousel reachin' out her hands
But no one reaches back and she doesn't understand
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 2]
There's a house in my neighborhood with a perfect lawn
But inside the kitchen, there's something deeply wrong
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 3]
And that house is getting flooded and the walls are falling down
When Melatonin cries, she makes everybody drown
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Post-chorus]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Verse 4]
There's a girl at a party eating cake alone
That boy will be sorry when he picks up the phone
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 5]
Her teddy bear is crazy
Grabbed a knife and chased her
She had to kill him, it didn't even phase her
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 6]
Now the girl's at a funeral, dressed in all black
Someone just died but the girl isn't sad
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Bridge]
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
[Outro]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
La-la-ah-ah-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-oh-ah-ah
La-la-la-la-la-la
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Verse 1]
There's a girl on a carousel reachin' out her hands
But no one reaches back and she doesn't understand
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 2]
There's a house in my neighborhood with a perfect lawn
But inside the kitchen, there's something deeply wrong
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 3]
And that house is getting flooded and the walls are falling down
When Melatonin cries, she makes everybody drown
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Post-chorus]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Verse 4]
There's a girl at a party eating cake alone
That boy will be sorry when he picks up the phone
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 5]
Her teddy bear is crazy
Grabbed a knife and chased her
She had to kill him, it didn't even phase her
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Verse 6]
Now the girl's at a funeral, dressed in all black
Someone just died but the girl isn't sad
[Chorus]
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Nothing ever stays inside the lines
[Bridge]
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
These are the pages in my coloring book
[Outro]
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
La-la-ah-ah-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-oh-ah-ah
La-la-la-la-la-la
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Official versions
| Version | Associated project | Leak date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "coloring book 01" (demo) | Cry Baby | May 17, 2021 | One Love | May 17, 2014 | 5:05 |
| "coloring book 02" (final) | Cry Baby | May 10, 2021 | One Love | May 17, 2014 | 5:07 |
Trivia
- There is a sound sampled at the beginning of the song that sounds similar to children playing, it is presumably a sample from a cartoon.
- This song references several songs from the Cry Baby sessions, including both outtakes and songs that made it onto the final album.
- The songs are "Carousel", "Zzzz", "Dollhouse", "Cry Baby", "Pity Party", "Teddy Bear" and "Dead To Me".
- "There's a girl on a carousel [...]" is a direct reference to "Carousel".
- A perfect lawn is also mentioned in "Zzzz".
- "But inside the kitchen, there's something deeply wrong" is a direct reference to "Dollhouse".
- "And that house is getting flooded and the walls are falling down" and "[...], she makes everybody drown" are direct references to "Cry Baby".
- "There's a girl at a party eating cake alone" is a direct reference to "Pity Party".
- "Her teddy bear is crazy" is a direct reference to "Teddy Bear".
- "Now the girl's at a funeral, dressed in all black" is a direct reference to "Dead To Me".
- The songs are "Carousel", "Zzzz", "Dollhouse", "Cry Baby", "Pity Party", "Teddy Bear" and "Dead To Me".
- Melatonin is also mentioned in "Milk and Cookies", "Walkie Talkie" and "Zzzz".
- It is likely the original name for Cry Baby's character.
- This is the longest known song recorded for Cry Baby.
