August 2025 marks the ten-year anniversary of the release, “Cry Baby” by Melanie Martinez. This album is a creative project like no other – and has been highly misunderstood by the masses.
Melanie Martinez shot into the spotlight as a contestant on “The Voice,” a singing competition TV show. While she did not win, she made it far enough to create a fanbase. She proved herself to have a voice like no other. Beyond simply being a “good singer,” she showed a uniqueness to her voice that just feels scrumptious, delightful, and captivating.
“Cry Baby” is Melanie Martinez’s debut – an album in which she steps into a fantasy world as a character named Cry Baby.
The inner-child reacting to the adult-self.
The artist has said that she does not relate to every single song here. This is not necessarily her personal experience. But she is taking her own experiences and pouring them into a piece of fantasy fiction. The record can be treated more as folklore, rather than a personal biography.
Cry Baby is a made-up character who is living through a fantasy world as an infant. But there are very real, very adult themes woven into these lyrics. Ultimately, this is about the adult world seen through the eyes of the inner-child. And it’s true – there’s an inner child who lives inside all of us, witnessing our lives from the perspective of naiveness and innocence.
Each song incorporates elements of children’s lullabies through heavy use of the xylophone, violin, kazoo, tambourine, banjo, harp, harmonica, and programmer synthesizers. The melody of each track pulls you into another world – images of pink and purple walls, a crib with a mobile hanging above, a ballerina music box, a bottle of milk, and scary clowns chasing after you.
Cry Baby
You seem to replace your brain with your heart
You take things so hard, and then you fall apart
In the first track, which is also the title track, we meet Cry Baby for the first time. It seems that Melanie is speaking to Cry Baby from an outsider’s perspective. And this is equivalent to an adult who is speaking to their inner child, or the version of who they were as an infant.
The singer observes Cry Baby – a highly sensitive girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s 100% emotional and 0% logical or rational. She lives through her emotions. And it’s very easy to hurt her feelings or make her cry.
For the first part of the song, Melanie sings as if she is speaking to somebody outside of herself. But everything changes in the bridge, when she says, “I look at you and I see myself.” This is a turning point in which the lyrics change from third-person to first-person. And for the rest of the album, the story will be told in first-person. It’s like Melanie is meeting her inner child – and then becoming her inner child.
When I first heard this song, I felt very seen, because I could relate to it so much. I’ve always felt a very strong connection with my inner child, and in many ways, felt like I never completely grew up. I’m highly sensitive and I live through my emotions, often struggling to see the world in an objective way. And yes, I cry all the time – uncontrollably and unexpectedly. This song helps me come to peace with the way that I am.
Dollhouse
Everyone thinks that we’re perfect,
Please don’t let them look through the curtains.
This is a song about family. It’s about a family that presents themselves to the world as picture-perfect. In this family specifically, the mother has a drinking problem, the father is having an affair with another woman, the son is smoking weed, and the daughter is watching it all happen behind closed doors.
I think that every family can relate to this song, certainly not those specific examples, and some families to a more extreme level than others. It’s easy to look at a family from an outsider’s perspective and believe that it’s all rainbows and unicorns – that they are the perfect family. But I think that all families have toxic dynamics in some way or another.
From Cry Baby’s perspective, she feels isolated and misjudged. People are probably jealous of her, making these assumptions that her family is so wholesome and pure. Her parents, worried about protecting their image, have created an entire illusion.
Children grow up with the impression that their home life was normal. This song is the moment when an adult, who is now fully matured and immersed in the real world, looks back at their childhood and suddenly realizes that it actually wasn’t normal at all. It was all a facade. This is the inner-child telling the adult-self, “please help, please save me from this toxic household!”
Sippy Cup
Kids are still depressed when you dress them up
And syrup is still syrup in a sippy cup
I find these song lyrics to have very similar themes as Dollhouse. More specifically, Cry Baby is speaking to her mother, who has a lot of issues – alcoholism, drug addiction, an eating disorder, cosmetic surgery obsession… and her husband’s a drug dealer. But her mother is living in denial and attempting to create an illusion that everything is okay.
While the story is about a daughter who is speaking to her mother, metaphorically, I see this as the inner-child speaking to the adult-self. The adult has grown up, and she’s gotten herself into some dangerous habits that aren’t so kid-friendly. And truthfully, most women can relate – experiencing anything from substance abuse to body dysmorphia.
I see the adult-self who is popping pills, or having one-too-many drinks, or picking apart her body in the mirror, or starving herself, or telling herself that she is ugly. And in the background, is the inner-child who is witnessing this, absolutely horrified. Imagine the shock that your inner-child would feel when she sees you living such an indecent and corrupted life. The adult-self uses these illusions to appease the inner-child.
Carousel
This horse is too slow
We’re always this close
Almost, almost
We’re a freak show
Now, we are moving away from family dynamics, and getting into relationship issues. I see this track as a turning point in which Cry Baby is getting out of her house, and now meeting people beyond her own family – whether that’s daycare or pre-school.
The music brings vibes of a carnival – and of course, a carousel. The accordion is the perfect instrument to set the scene.
This is about having romantic feelings for someone, and they show back enough interest to keep you hooked, but it never reaches the point of establishing a committed relationship. It feels like you’re chasing after them. When you come towards them, they run away – but when you try to move on, they come back to you. It’s an endless cycle.
It’s the imagery of being on a carousel. You feel like you’re moving forward and making progress with this person – but you’re actually not going anywhere. It’s just a carnival game.
Alphabet Boy
I’m not a little kid now, watch me get big now
Spell my name on a fridge now with all your alphabet toys
I find this song to be fun and much more lighthearted than the previous tracks. Alphabet Boy is the boy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone. We all know those type of men – condescending, arrogant, and full of themselves.
Cry Baby is gaining confidence and standing up against the know-it-all boy. This is the first time in the story that she’s not scared or crying out for help. It makes a point that the inner-child inside of us is not constantly living in fear. The inner-child has a type of assurance that can be blended with the adult-self.
It’s a lesson – sometimes you need to just stick out your tongue and say na-na-na-na to your enemies. When people take themselves too seriously, the inner-child can bring out the joyful silliness that we lose in adulthood.
Soap
Should’ve never said the word “love”
Threw a toaster in the bathtub
I’m sick of all the games I have to play
This song incorporates the sound of bubbles blowing up and popping. It’s such a treat for the ears.
You know when parents threaten to wash their kid’s mouth out with soap for saying a bad word? Taking that concept, the bad word here is “love.” Cry Baby has accidentally confessed her feelings to someone, and now she regrets it. She wants to wash her mouth out with soap.
It’s like when you’re falling in love for the first time, yet there is this pressure to hide your feelings. It’s the games we have to play. You are worried of coming on too strong or scaring them away. But it’s painful to hide your emotions.
Training Wheels
Letting go, letting go
Telling you things you already know
I explode, I explode
Asking you where you want us to go
It’s very sweet without being cheesy. It’s a metaphor of riding your bicycle and taking off the training wheels. This relates to the moment of fully letting down your guard in a relationship.
This expresses the act of vulnerability. It’s natural to keep your guard up – fear of getting hurt or taken advantage of. But it’s a beautiful thing when you love someone so much that you are willing to open up completely to them. It means that you trust them to be careful with your heart.
Pity Party
I’ll cry until the candles burn down this place
I’ll cry until my pity party’s in flames
“It’s My Party” is a classic song from the 1960’s, with the lyrics, “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.” While this song has completely different verses, it takes inspiration from the original version.
Cry Baby feels like she has lost all of her friends. She sent out invitations for her party and nobody showed up. Nobody wants to come to her party.
A natural part of growing up is outgrowing old friends. Most of the time, it’s not personal, as you go on to live your own life. It happens when you graduate school, when you get a new job, or when you move to a new home. Although, sometimes it is intentional, when you have a disagreement or you feel like you can’t connect with this person anymore.
This is the inner-child’s reaction to the adult-self who does not have the same friends anymore. There is that part of yourself that feels abandoned, disliked, and misunderstood. Even though losing friends is a natural part of aging, it can still feel painful, and this song expresses that.
Tag, You’re It
Running through the parking lot
He chased me and he wouldn’t stop
Tag, you’re it, tag, tag, you’re it
This is possibly the darkest song on the record. It’s about being stalked and harassed by a predator. Using childlike analogy is not a way of making light of it, but rather, a coping mechanism to protect oneself.
This can apply to any type of abusive situation or relationship. The inner-child can come out as a form of protection. She sees a dark situation with innocent eyes. Shielding yourself from reality, it’s just a game of tag.
In the music video, the abuser is presented as Big Bad Wolf – a man with the head of a wolf.
Milk and Cookies
Ashes, ashes, time to go down
Ooh, honey, do you want me now?
Can’t take it anymore, need to put you to bed
Sing you a lullaby where you die at the end
“Milk and Cookies” is a direct response to the prior song, “Tag, You’re It.” In the prior song, Cry Baby is being attacked and abused. In the next, she seeks revenge by striking back. Cry Baby poisons Big Bad Wolf with laced milk and cookies. By watching the music video, you can clearly see the story that she is trying to convey.
Pacify Her
Pacify her
She’s getting on my nerves
You don’t love her
Stop lying with those words
There’s a love triangle going on. Cry Baby has feelings for Blue Boy (who literally has blue skin in the video.) But Blue Boy is in a relationship with another girl.
Cry Baby believes that Blue Boy does not truly love his girlfriend. Blue Boy is described as tired and blue – he’s stuck with this other girl, and she’s exhausting him, but he doesn’t have the energy to break away from her. Yet, he’s shown that he’s clearly interested in Cry Baby, which makes her believe that she is the true one for him.
We can see delusional thinking from Cry Baby. She believes that she has the right to break up their relationship because Blue Boy is secretly in love with her. But the truth is, Blue Boy is just playing them both. He likely has feelings for both of them – and if he really wanted to be with Cry Baby, then he wouldn’t be with someone else.
Mrs. Potato Head
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
The concept of “Mrs. Potato Head” is a woman who gets cosmetic surgery and turns into a potato. It also mentions Mr. Potato Head, her husband, and questions if he would still love his wife if she wasn’t so beautiful. And it’s not natural beauty – it’s plastic.
This goes beyond plastic surgery. It’s about body dysmorphia, insecurity, and the pressure to look perfect. Society conditions women to believe that beauty is their most desirable trait. They’re trained to believe that love is earned through good looks, that their appearance is more important than their personality.
Cosmetic procedures are routinely done by those who can afford it – and it’s becoming increasingly accessible. So many women are getting botox, lip injections, boob jobs, and butt lifts. It’s not just celebrities anymore – it’s more common than you’d think. And it’s very sad.
It gets to the point when you must realize that you’re destroying yourself. No amount of procedures are ever enough to satisfy. It doesn’t secure a happy marriage. Eventually, you’ve turned yourself into a potato.
Mad Hatter
You think I’m crazy
You think I’m gone
So what if I’m crazy?
All the best people are
This Alice In Wonderland themed song is about embracing your crazy side. It’s the alternative, the people who don’t fit in, and the ones who question reality. It’s for those who take the road less traveled.
Bonus songs:
Play Date
You never share your toys or communicate
I guess I’m just a play date to you
This is about a casual relationship – when you want a deeper connection, but it feels like this person is just using you. Cry Baby is trying hard to pretend that she doesn’t care. But it’s clear that she’s hiding her feelings just because it seems like they can’t be returned.
Teddy Bear
Everything was so sweet
until you tried to kill me.
Click here for a full song analysis from a previous blog post.
Cake
If I am just a piece of cake
I am just a piece of cake (cake)
Then you’re just a piece of meat
You’re just a piece of meat to me
The instrumental totally references Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cake,” with a remixed version of classical piano.
The lyrics are about feeling used. You’re with a man who seems to only want you for your body. He keeps his emotions detached, always leaving with wanting you more, because he refuses to open up emotionally.
But this is also a moment of awakening. It’s time to stop giving so much of yourself to someone who gives nothing back in return – and walk away.
This concludes the album. In four years, Melanie Martinez would go on to release “K-12” in 2019. While her debut album follows Cry Baby in her infant years, “K-12” takes us through Cry Baby’s school years up into adulthood. Cry Baby dies and is reincarnated as an alien-goblin-like creature in the third album, “Portals.”
It’s hard to say where Melanie Martinez will take her creative direction for her forthcoming album, but it will surely be incredibly imaginative. I would love to see a revival of Cry Baby, but it seems that Melanie has outgrown this character and is ready to take on something new. And if she follows her timeline, we may not see this next album until the year 2027.
Crystal Aura Gaze 
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