"Mrs. Potato Head" was something that I had in my head for a long time. I liked the visual of being able to pull apart pieces off of a toy’s face. It’s interesting how that can double as a metaphor for plastic surgery. It took a while to put on paper, though. That was the most challenging song to write, but it was worth it.
Melanie Martinez about "Mrs. Potato Head"
"Mrs. Potato Head" is a song by Melanie Martinez featured as the twelfth track on her debut album, Cry Baby.
Melanie first confirmed this song would be on the album during a live stream via Periscope on June 1, 2015, mentioning that it was the most fun to write. Melanie then posted a snippet of the song on her Instagram on August 10, 2015.
The music video was released on December 1, 2016.
Background and theme[]
During her passage in Los Angeles, while taking care of the EP and album productions, Melanie took notice and realized how influential the branch of plastic surgery is in Hollywood. She sees people who succumb to the pressures of Hollywood's ideas of perfection by forcing plastic surgery onto themselves as them being a real-life version of "Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head," a famous American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body.
This song deals with plastic surgery, its consequences, the struggle for beauty in the modern world itself, and people who succumb to these pressures. Melanie also explained in an interview that Cry Baby was becoming more confident in her skin, and she is beginning to form her own individual opinions. Melanie said that this song was not about bashing women who get plastic surgery, but more like "Why are you doing this when you're beautiful without it?"[2]
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
[Verse 1]
If you weren't born with it
You can buy a couple ornaments
Just be sure to read the warning, kids
'Cause pretty soon you'll be bored of it, ha-ha
Sexual, hey girl, if you wanna feel sexual
You can always call up a professional
They stick pins in you like a vegetable, ha-ha
[Refrain]
Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic
No one will love you if you're unattractive
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
[Post-chorus]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
(Even if her face don't stay together)
[Verse 2]
If you want a little more confidence
Potatoes turn to french fries, yeah it's common sense
All you need's a couple more condiments
And a hundred thousand dollars for some compliments, ha-ha
It's such a waste
When little girls grow into their mother's face
But little girls are learning how to cut and paste
And pucker up their lips until they suffocate, ha-ha
[Refrain]
Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic
No one will love you if you're unattractive
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
[Post-chorus]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever?
[Breakdown]
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
[Outro]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
[Intro]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
[Verse 1]
If you weren't born with it
You can buy a couple ornaments
Just be sure to read the warning, kids
'Cause pretty soon you'll be bored of it, ha-ha
Sexual, hey girl, if you wanna feel sexual
You can always call up a professional
They stick pins in you like a vegetable, ha-ha
[Refrain]
Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic
No one will love you if you're unattractive
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
[Post-chorus]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
(Even if her face don't stay together)
[Verse 2]
If you want a little more confidence
Potatoes turn to french fries, yeah it's common sense
All you need's a couple more condiments
And a hundred thousand dollars for some compliments, ha-ha
It's such a waste
When little girls grow into their mother's face
But little girls are learning how to cut and paste
And pucker up their lips until they suffocate, ha-ha
[Refrain]
Kids forever, kids forever
Baby soft skin turns into leather
Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic
No one will love you if you're unattractive
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together?
[Post-chorus]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
[Chorus]
Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me
Is it true that pain is beauty?
Does a new face come with a warranty?
Will a pretty face make it better?
Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me
How did you afford her surgery?
Do you swear you'll stay forever?
[Breakdown]
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
Stay forever, stay forever
Even if her face don't stay together
[Outro]
(Ooh, ahh)
(Ooh, ahh)
Official versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Final | Cry Baby | August 14, 2015 | One Love | 2014 | 3:37 |
| Instrumental | Unreleased | June 15, 2016 (leaked) | One Love | 2014 | 3:37 | |
| Demos | ||||||
| "mrs. potato head 01" (demo 1) | Unreleased | August 15, 2023 (leaked) | One Love | August 28, 2014 | 3:36 | |
| "mrs. potato head 02" (demo 2) | Unreleased | May 17, 2021 (leaked) | One Love | 2014 | 3:36 | |
| "mrs. potato head 03" (demo 3) | Unreleased | May 17, 2021 (leaked) | One Love | 2014 | 3:38 | |
Gallery[]
|
To view the gallery of Mrs. Potato Head (song), click here.
|
Music video[]
The video begins with Cry Baby watching television in her house while brushing her doll's hair and eating cookies. She sees an advertisement for diet pills and begins to believe she needs to be skinnier and stops eating her cookies. An advertisement for blonde wigs comes up, which makes a tearful Cry Baby go to the bathroom. She stuffs tissues in her bra to make it look like she has larger breasts, referencing the events in "Pacify Her." She then puts on red lipstick, and a blonde wig, and swallows a diet pill.
Cry Baby walks back to the living room and changes the channel, showing Mrs. Potato Head greeting her husband. He gives her flowers, a necklace, and a note that says she has a face-lift scheduled. She tries to act happy, but, in reality, she is very nervous. On the day of the appointment, Mr. Potato Head shows the doctors what he would like done to his wife by drawing surgical lines on her face. Then, the surgery is shown. The Bunny Doctor attempts to give Mrs. Potato Head larger breasts and a face-lift but is shown numerous times completely cutting out the surgical lines and stuffing the inside of her breasts with tissues. After being discharged and sent home, Mr. Potato Head cuts Mrs. Potato Head's hair shorter while she is asleep, much to her horror when she looks at herself in the mirror later on. Mr. Potato Head then runs in and comforts his wife, and then removes her bandages. To his surprise, the surgery went horribly wrong and Mrs. Potato Head's face is now ruined he instructs her to wear a blonde wig and wear makeup to hopefully cover up the damage. However, because she is now ugly in his eyes, Mr. Potato Head leaves his wife for another woman, and a devastated Mrs. Potato Head; who was secretly watching this happening outside from an upstairs window; breaks down in tears and the film ends.
Affected by what she has seen, Cry Baby takes off the wig and removes the tissues from her bra. She realizes that she is perfect the way she is and that she doesn't need to change for anyone else.
Cast[]
- Mrs. Potato Head: Nora Hall
- Mr. Potato Head: Justin Berti
- Cry Baby: Melanie Martinez
- Mr. Potato Head's mistress: Brittany Williams
- Bunny Doctor: Dan Fleming
- Wig Spokesperson: Lauren Anderson
- Diet Pills Spokesperson: Elizabeth Ferrara
Errors[]
- At the beginning of the music video, when Mr. Potato Head gives Mrs. Potato Head the box containing the pearl necklace, the box is flat, long, and rectangular. However, after the surgery, during her flashbacks, the box she is holding is small and shaped like a cube; almost like a ring box. In Nora's "Mrs. Potato Head" Q&A video, she explained that there were more presents.
- When Cry Baby first walks into the bathroom, she goes over the mirror, and her face is seen. She is not crying, and her makeup looks fine. In the next shot, she has started crying, and her makeup is smeared all over her face, especially her eye makeup, like she was rubbing her eyes and wiping tears away, however she has not yet grabbed the tissues to do this with, her makeup having become smeared without reason.
Trivia[]
- This song was nominated for "Best Film or Music Video" at the 2017 Music Society Awards.
- On July 19, 2014, Melanie posted a tweet with emojis representing some songs intended to appear in the album, with the "🍟" emoji, possibly representing this song.[citation needed]
- During a Q&A on Tumblr on July 27, 2015, Melanie answered a fan's question saying that this is her favorite song on Cry Baby.[3]
- In an interview with Billboard, Melanie stated that "Mrs. Potato Head" was "the most challenging song to write, but it was worth it". She wanted to send the message that you don't need plastic surgery to be beautiful, but she didn't want to offend or target the people who have done plastic surgery.[4]
- Melanie wrote this song because she wanted to write a song that helps people get over their insecurities.[5]
- Melanie stated that the song's music video was the hardest to film and write because she had to be careful to not portray a misunderstanding message on this song.[6]
- Previously, in the physical storybook page for this song, a woman is shown on the TV. However, in the digital storybook, the toy Mrs. Potato Head was shown. This was later fixed, and the digital version now shows the woman as well.
- Melanie once said on Twitter, while she was answering fans' questions, that directing the music video for "Mrs. Potato Head" was going to be the hardest.[citation needed]
- This is the only music video from Cry Baby was where Cry Baby does not appear singing.
- It is Melanie's sixth music video to reach over 100 million views on YouTube.
- The music video was shot in September of 2016.
- Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are credited as "Rich Husband" and "Wife" in the description of the music video.
- A song can be heard playing faintly in the background of the bathroom scene in the music video for the song. It's unknown if it's Melanie's song or another song she used for the music video. The audio's supposed lyrics are fully inaudible, but the song, if Melanie's, seems to be a mumble demo without intent of having actual lyrics written to it.
- When the music video was released it reached #12 on YouTube's top trending page.
- In the music video, Mrs. Potato Head's surgery was scheduled for October 31, the day which Halloween is celebrated in many countries.
- When marking Mrs. Potato Head's face, the doctor uses a black Crayola marker.
- The music video was filmed in the same room and on the same day as in the Cry Baby Perfume commercial.
- It is also believed that Melanie shot the "Pacify Her" music video and at the same location as this music video, due to a similar set and her pink pigtail hairstyle and makeup.
- Many images from the music video were leaked before it was released, some of which were deleted scenes.
- The song was recorded a day before "Sippy Cup" was.
- "Mrs. Potato Head" was certified gold on July 31, 2017.
- Melanie's voice was pitched up on the song.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CSN1IJssoah/
- ↑ https://www.vice.com/en/article/stream-melanie-martinezs-debut-lp-cry-baby/
- ↑ http://melaniemartinezmusic.tumblr.com/post/125195993443/whats-your-favourite-song-from-the-album
- ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/videos/interviews/6685879/melanie-martinez-cry-baby-role-model-the-voice
- ↑ http://www.theaquarian.com/2016/03/23/an-interview-with-melanie-martinez-its-her-party/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/3DeZytjd1CQ?si=VfhzJzSaLKtU81hq&t=397
