I was sick of writing on guitar and I was looking for something different, I immediately came up with lyrics and melodies when I heard the toy sounds. ‘Dollhouse’ was the first song that I was really excited about. It was like magic. It helped create this world and I wanted to keep writing songs that were inside that world.
Melanie Martinez about "Dollhouse"
"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. Multiple remixes of the song were released on Dollhouse (The Remixes).
The song was released on February 9, 2014 and the music video was released on February 10, 2014.
Background[]
On February 5, 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.[1][2] Some time later, the video was taken down.
Theme[]
"Dollhouse" is about the family of Cry Baby. Cry Baby's mother is revealed to be an alcoholic due to her husband's infidelity and the brother smoking cannabis. Cry Baby is the only one that recognizes how horrible her situation is and she 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 can also 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)
[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[]
It is confirmed that the song does not seem to have one, but rather two additional unleaked demos. In addition, many remixes signed under Atlantic Records were leaked on April 2, 2024.
Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
▶ | Final | Single • Dollhouse • Cry Baby • Pity Party | February 9, 2014 | One Love | 2013-2014 | 3:51 |
Instrumental | Unreleased | June 15, 2016 (leaked) | One Love | 2013-2014 | 3:51 | |
Remixes | ||||||
▶ | Kiely Rich Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) | July 24, 2014 | One Love, Kiely Rich | 2014 | 6:20 |
▶ | One Love Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) | July 24, 2014 | One Love | 2014 | 4:27 |
▶ | Jai Wolf Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) | July 24, 2014 | One Love, Jai Wolf | 2014 | 4:08 |
▶ | Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) • Single | July 24, 2014 | One Love, Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E | 2014 | 4:46 |
▶ | Hippie Sabotage Remix | Dollhouse (The Remixes) | July 24, 2014 | One Love, Hippie Sabotage | 2014 | 4:58 |
▶ | Chocolate Puma Remix | Single | July 28, 2014 | One Love, Chocolate Puma | 2014 | 6:50 |
Belarbi Remix | Unreleased | April 2, 2024 (leaked) | One Love, Belarbi | 2014 | 3:54 | |
Remix instrumentals | ||||||
Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E Remix | Unreleased | April 2, 2024 (leaked) | One Love, Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E | 2014 | 4:46 | |
Hippie Sabotage Remix | Unreleased | April 2, 2024 (leaked) | One Love, Hippie Sabotage | 2014 | 4:58 | |
Chocolate Puma Remix | Unreleased | April 2, 2024 (leaked) | One Love, Chocolate Puma | 2014 | 6:50 | |
Demos | ||||||
"dollhouse 01" (demo 1) | Unreleased | May 10, 2021 (leaked) | One Love | September 19, 2013[3] | 3:52 | |
"dollhouse 02" (demo 2) | Unreleased | Unleaked | One Love | 2013-2014 | Unknown | |
"dollhouse 03" (demo 3) | Unreleased | Unleaked | One Love | 2013-2014 | Unknown |
Live performances[]
"Dollhouse" was performed at:
Tours[]
- Dollhouse Tour
- Music Box Tour
- Cry Baby Pre-Tour
- Cry Baby Tour
- The Original High Tour
- Cry Baby Euro Tour
- Cry Baby Australia and New Zealand Tour
- PORTALS Tour
- The Trilogy Tour
Gallery[]
To view the gallery of Dollhouse (song), click here.
|
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 the girl while she is cornered by the family. Soon after, she appears back outside the dollhouse and runs away scared.
Cast[]
- Cry Baby: Melanie Martinez
- Mom: Stella Rose Saint Clair
- Brother: Edwin Zabala
- Dad: Mughen Nakamura
- Little Girl: Jessica Cherniak
Trivia[]
- On January 13, 2017, the music video reached 100 million views on YouTube. It reached 200 million on October 24, 2018 and reached 300 million on March 13, 2021. It is Melanie's first music video to reach these milestones.
- Melanie began shooting the video on December 6, 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 interludes 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."
- "Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen" is a direct reference to "Sippy Cup" being a sequel.
- The live performance was recorded at the same location as the "Carousel" live video.
- The bear next to the doll heads was 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."
- This is Melanie's first song to be certified gold. It was certified on December 16, 2015.
- "Dollhouse" is Melanie's first platinum-certified song. It was certified on December 1, 2016.
- It was later certified 2x multi-platinum on February 28, 2020.
- This is Melanie's first song produced by One Love and was created on the first day that they 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.
- It is also Melanie's first released song as a whole that is still up.
- 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.
- Both "Zzzz", and "Coloring Book" reference this song through a "perfect lawn."
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141007161153/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-clNKm5ywI&list=UU2YnEq5Fc5_zEO6bo0oNzCQ
- ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=qOT8Tmt45Jc
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kineticsmusic/status/380813866642735104
- ↑ 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 |
Producers | One Love • Robopop |
Extras | Merchandise • Infomercial • Pity Party (EP) |
Locations | Cry Baby's house |
Tour | Dollhouse Tour |
v • e | |
---|---|
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) |
v • e Remix EPs | |
---|---|
EPs | Dollhouse (The Remixes) • Carousel (The Remixes) • Pity Party (Remixes) • Soap (Remixes) |
Remixed songs | Dollhouse • Carousel • Pity Party • Soap |
Producers | One Love • CJ Baran • Kyle Shearer • Daniel Weber • Hippie Sabotage • Kiely Rich • Jai Wolf • Treasure Fingers H.O.U.S.E • Bobby Green • Bleep Bloop • Eric Sharp • SNBRN • Hoxton Whores • Larse • XVII • K Theory • The Feels • Myles Travitz • Kassiano • Madison Mars • Kayliox • Steve James • Gladiator • Stooki Sound • Luxxury • Sailors • Jerome Price |