"Rough Love" is an unreleased song by Melanie Martinez. The song was written for her 2013 EP. However, the project was later scrapped. It was later re-recorded in February 2014 for Cry Baby, but was scrapped from the album.
Two acoustic worktapes of the song recorded and produced by Melanie on her laptop were uploaded by Melanie's manager, Ron Shapiro, to his SoundCloud account in 2013.[1] The Cry Baby version leaked on May 17, 2021 and the 2013 EP version leaked on June 4, 2021.
Theme[]
This song was written about a girl going through an abusive relationship. During her performance at 1x5 Songwriters Showcase in April 2013, Melanie stated that she did not go through domestic abuse herself, but that the song is inspired by various episodes of American crime TV series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[2]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time, not this time
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
And what is love? Does it push and shove?
And does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
Not this time, not this time, no
Not this time, not this time
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time, not this time
Not this time, not this time
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
And what is love? Does it push and shove?
And does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time, no
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
All your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
What is love? Does it push and shove?
Does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
All your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
What is love? Does it push and shove?
Does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
Suddenly all the boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time, not this time
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
And what is love? Does it push and shove?
And does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
Not this time, not this time, no
Not this time, not this time
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time, not this time
Not this time, not this time
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
And what is love? Does it push and shove?
And does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time, no
Not this time (Not this time)
Not this time
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
All your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
What is love? Does it push and shove?
Does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
All your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Verse 1]
Pulling teeth straight out of my mouth reeks
Of insecurities you poured into me
If these walls talked they'd tell you to stop
Stop with the murdering of my dignity
[Chorus]
All the other boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
[Verse 2]
Look at me, what have I become?
I'm just a toy you played and destroyed
What is love? Does it push and shove?
Does it haunt you? Make you feel like a fool?
[Chorus]
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
[Bridge]
Every tear that falls from me
Is the last one you will see
Tell myself this all the time
I don't know what changes my mind
[Chorus]
Suddenly all the boys wanted was
To gaze in my eyes
And all your sick little brain craved was
To see me cry
All the other boys left me 'cause
I wasn't good enough
Now I'm stuck with these nightmares of me
Accepting rough love
Official versions[]
| Version | Associated project | Leak date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worktape 1 | 2013 EP | 2013 [note 1] | Melanie Martinez | 2013 | 3:40 |
| Worktape 2 | 2013 EP | 2013 [note 2] | Melanie Martinez | 2013 | 3:38 |
| "ROUGH LOVE 1.5.mp3" (2013 EP version) | 2013 EP | June 4, 2021 | John Feldmann | May 7, 2013 | 4:05 |
| "ROUGHLOVE RLDEMOapr.mp3" (Cry Baby version) | Cry Baby | May 17, 2021 | Redd Lights | February 2014 | 3:55 |
| "mmrl-melaniemartinezreddlights.mp3" (instrumental) | Cry Baby | Undocumented | Redd Lights | February 2014 | 3:46 |
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- This song is one of Jose Martinez's favorite songs from Melanie,[3] along with "Curly Cue".
- In some live performances, Melanie performed the second verse first, it's unknown if this was intentional.
- The 2013 EP version of the song was recorded in the same session as "A Thousand Words" and "Last Chapter (Never Stayed for Love)".
- It took two days to be finished.[4][5]
- This 2013 EP version includes Neon Hitch doing harmonies in the second verse, bridge and some choruses.
- This song is registered on Warner Chappell Music. [6]
Notes[]
- ↑ This version was uploaded on SoundCloud by her account manager, Ron Shapiro, in 2013. However, the track is now unavailable.
- ↑ This version was uploaded on SoundCloud by her account manager, Ron Shapiro, in 2013. However, the track is now unavailable.
References[]
- ↑ File:Roughlovesoundcloudcoverartisaglitch.jpg
- ↑ https://youtu.be/7RsSVtP2hAU
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JMartinezNYCPR/status/364646260235444224
- ↑ https://twitter.com/hayalou/status/331788134612357120
- ↑ https://twitter.com/JMartinezNYCPR/status/332164026824003584
- ↑ https://warnerchappell.com/browse-our-songs/?mode=track&trackId=f633672e-ae8c-4a24-bce8-f640951234d7&sourceUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwarnerchappell.com%2Fbrowse-our-songs%2F%3Fmode%3Dsearch%26query%3DMartinez%2BMelanie%26sort%3D%26refiners%3D%257B%257D
[]
| v • e 2013 EP | |
|---|---|
| Featured 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 |