"High School Sweethearts" is a song by Melanie Martinez that is featured as the twelfth track on her sophomore album, K-12. The music video was released as part of the film on September 6, 2019 and was later separately released on February 6, 2020.
Background[]
On April 13, 2016, Melanie posted a photo on Instagram with a caption of song lyrics.[1] She later replied to a fan on Instagram confirming that they were for a new song on her sophomore album.[2]
In April 2017, Melanie collaborated with photographer Emily Soto on a photoshoot to create visual imagery for each track on K-12. In the visual imagery for "High School Sweethearts", it is shown that Johnny's head is decapitated in Cry Baby's locker, although this was scrapped for the final film.
On July 22, 2019, a snippet of this track was released exclusively in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as an assignment before being officially released worldwide.
In an interview on Melanie's October 2019 issue for Alternative Press Magazine, she revealed more of the background behind the song:
"I wanted to write a song that expressed those volatile emotions we experience when we're first falling in love and the depth of anger and sorrow that happens when we get hurt in love at that age. It can make us jaded over time and lead us to go into new relationships with a wall up. I have way more significant [other] requirements than what I listed in this song, but I think at that age it's important to learn the basics of what you'll accept and won't in a partnership. Accepting the person for who they are mentally, emotionally and physically, long-term commitment, providing passion, not judging someone for their style, matching the other person's energy and effort so there's a balanced give and take, understanding the other person's love language, loyalty, etc."
Melanie Martinez
Theme[]
This song is about Cry Baby wanting a lover who is honest and truly loves her, among other requirements. She doesn't just want a fling, she wishes to have a long-term relationship with someone who is committed to her and accepts her for who she truly is. At one point, she cheekily threatens to kill her potential partner if they were to ever cheat on her.
Story-wise, this song is about Cry Baby setting her standards and telling herself what she wants in a relationship upon receiving an anonymous love letter from Ben, whom she doesn't know was the one who sent her the letter just yet. She uses her past experiences in relationships as a tool to determine what she would now allow and what she wouldn't in a romantic relationship with her future partner.
Track list[]
Physical track listing - K-12 Pink Heart-Shaped Vinyl
- 🅴 indicates the song is explicit, but also has a clean version.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High School Sweethearts 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Michael Keenan | Keenan | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Strawberry Shortcake 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Keenan | Keenan | 3:04 |
Total length: |
8:15 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "High School Sweethearts 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Michael Keenan | Keenan | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Strawberry Shortcake 🅴" | Melanie Martinez, Keenan | Keenan | 3:04 |
Total length: |
8:15 | |||
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Verse 1]
Step one
You must accept that I'm a little out my mind
Step two
This is a waste if you can't walk me down the finish line
Step three
Give me passion, don't make fun of my fashion
Step four
Give me more, give me more, more
[Pre-chorus]
If you can't handle a heart like mine
Don't waste your time with me
If you're not down to bleed, no, oh
If you can't handle the choking, the biting
The loving, the smothering
'Til you can't handle it no more, no more
Go home
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
[Verse 2]
Step five
You can't be scared to show me off and hold my hand
Step six
If you can't put in work, I don't know what you think this fucking is
Step seven, this one goes to eleven
If you cheat, you will die, die
[Pre-chorus]
If you can't handle a heart like mine
Don't waste your time with me
If you're not down to bleed, no, oh
If you can't handle the choking, the biting
The loving, the smothering
'Til you can't handle it no more, no more
Go home
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
[Bridge]
Could you hold me through the night?
Put your lips all over my
Salty face when I start crying
Could you be my first time?
Eat me up like apple pie
Make me not wanna die
Love me rough and let me fly
Get me up, yeah, get me high
Tie me down, don't leave my side
Don't be a waste of my time
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
[Intro]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Verse 1]
Step one
You must accept that I'm a little out my mind
Step two
This is a waste if you can't walk me down the finish line
Step three
Give me passion, don't make fun of my fashion
Step four
Give me more, give me more, more
[Pre-chorus]
If you can't handle a heart like mine
Don't waste your time with me
If you're not down to bleed, no, oh
If you can't handle the choking, the biting
The loving, the smothering
'Til you can't handle it no more, no more
Go home
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
[Verse 2]
Step five
You can't be scared to show me off and hold my hand
Step six
If you can't put in work, I don't know what you think this fucking is
Step seven, this one goes to eleven
If you cheat, you will die, die
[Pre-chorus]
If you can't handle a heart like mine
Don't waste your time with me
If you're not down to bleed, no, oh
If you can't handle the choking, the biting
The loving, the smothering
'Til you can't handle it no more, no more
Go home
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
[Bridge]
Could you hold me through the night?
Put your lips all over my
Salty face when I start crying
Could you be my first time?
Eat me up like apple pie
Make me not wanna die
Love me rough and let me fly
Get me up, yeah, get me high
Tie me down, don't leave my side
Don't be a waste of my time
[Chorus]
Can we just be honest?
These are the requirements
If you think you can be my one and only true love
You must promise to love me
And damn it, if you fuck me over
I will rip your fucking face apart
[Hook]
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
High school sweethearts, line up
Not trying to waste my time
High school sweethearts, shut up
If you're not my type
Official versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Final | K-12 | September 6, 2019 | Michael Keenan | ~April 13, 2016 | 5:11 |
| ▶ | Clean version | K-12 | September 6, 2019 | Michael Keenan | ~April 13, 2016 | 5:11 |
| Instrumental | Unreleased | September 9, 2020 (leaked) | Michael Keenan | ~April 13, 2016 | 5:11 |
Gallery[]
|
To view the gallery of High School Sweethearts, click here.
|
Music video[]
The music video opens with a closeup of Cry Baby's face as she is laying down on the bottom part of a bunk bed, singing the acapella intro to the song. The scene is lit entirely in blue, with the moon shown in the background. As the shot pans out, it appears that the scene is actually a set in a play, as all of the other surroundings seem to be fake. Cry Baby sits up and continues singing the song, before the scene changes to Cry Baby dancing and singing along in an empty room. This continues for the majority of the video, with Cry Baby using items around the room such as a chair, a mirror, etc. as props for her dance.
For the last minute or so, the video returns to the scene of Cry Baby in the bunk bed, as she finishes the song. Two fake swans enter the scene towards the end of the song. During the last lines, Cry Baby lays back down and pulls out a pink piece of paper, which is the love letter given to her by Ben. As she reads the letter, the camera pans back out and the video cuts to black, ending.
Cast[]
Errors[]
- In the video's intro, the tattoo on the inside of Melanie's arm can be seen, which is supposed to be covered when playing the role of Cry Baby.
Trivia[]
- In the original version of the booklet that comes with physical copies of the album, "sweethearts" was misspelled as "sweathearts". This has since been fixed in newly printed versions.
- "High School Sweethearts" is the longest song on K-12, with a duration of five minutes, and eleven seconds. While the shortest song is "Class Fight", with a duration of two minutes, and forty-one seconds.
- "High School Sweethearts" was one of the first songs from K-12 to be performed live, along with "Recess" and "Strawberry Shortcake". The three songs were first performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 16, 2019.
- All of them are now taken down now due to unknown reasons.
- Each song on K-12 represents a different grade level in school, from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
- "High School Sweethearts" represents eleventh grade.
- Lockers opening and shutting, someone writing on a chalkboard, whispers, and a school bell ringing can be heard throughout the song.
- During the performance of this song at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Melanie shouted "I WILL NOT STAND FOR A SHITTY RELATIONSHIP!", and had the audience repeat it with her.
- In 2018, Melanie told her fans she was making a song about Pride for K-12, she may have been reference this song. [citation needed]
- This is the only music video from K-12 that does not feature any other characters besides Cry Baby.
- However, Elita Harkov, who plays Angelita, is mistakenly credited in the description of the music video.
- This was the final music video that was shot for K-12. [citation needed]
- This is the most explicit song on K-12, having a total of 9 swear words.
- Melanie has a love song or a song about love in general on each of her albums, with "High School Sweethearts" being the love song on K-12.
- "Training Wheels" is the love song on Cry Baby and "LIGHT SHOWER" is the love song on PORTALS.
- On May 1, 2024, "High School Sweethearts" surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify.
