Handmade Heaven is a single by Marina Diamandis, released under her current stage name 'MARINA'. Appearing on her fourth studio album, LOVE + FEAR, it is the 1st track on the album, and was released as the 1st and lead single.
The song was written by Marina alone, and produced by Joel Little.
Handmade Heaven is a 'LOVE' track. The emoji used to promote Handmade Heaven was a dove 🕊️.
Background[]
On February 24, 2018, Marina first teased the song, tweeting "Handmade Heaven"[1] and "Birds of a Feather"[2].
It's been widely speculated that "Handmade Heaven" was actually going to be the original name for the album, as the single was delayed, scrapped artwork was posted by the designer[3] (then deleted, likely due to copyright), and Marina said in several interviews it was a late decision to name the album "Love + Fear". Specifically when she had completed all of the songs (the album was mixed in December 2018[4]) and realised she couldn't make a 12 track album.[5]
On November 5, during a Q&A on Clean Bandit's Instagram Marina sang a snippet of the song when asked about her fourth studio album.[6]
Full deciphered title on Spotify.
On February 5, 2019, several of her songs on Spotify had multiple different letters with the hashtag "#MARINA4" as the cover art. Fans deciphered the letters to reveal the title "Handmade Heaven". On the 8th the song was released as a single, along with a music video.
On April 4, Handmade Heaven was rereleased digitally with the other LOVE tracks. Marina explained why on social media:[7]
❝ I created "LOVE + FEAR" as 2 separate records to be listened to individually. I'm releasing "LOVE" today so you can listen to it in full before we move onto "FEAR". Enjoy it here! ❞
Additionally sharing a quote from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross:[8]
❝ "There are only two emotions: Love and Fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. We cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They're opposites" - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross ❞
However, on the 26th, when LOVE + FEAR was released in full, the "LOVE" portion was no longer available to stream separately. At an unknown date, it was made available to stream again.[9]
Meaning[]
After the song's release Marina posted to her social media:[10]
❝ Thanks for your love on Handmade Heaven. I wrote the song at a time when I felt very out of sync and lost in the world. One thing that helped me at that time was taking time to look closely at nature everyday.
In someways we live in a very unnatural world - our brains are constantly trying to adjust and adapt to a lot of social and technological change - and I think that can cause a lot of suffering. So many people have anxiety now + the natural world has less of a role in our lives. That’s why this song is important to me. It’s about the sadness of feeling separate from nature. Handmade Heaven is an imagined paradise.
The song is also about a connection with people who are on the same wavelength as you - and how special that feels when that happens.🕊 ❞
Affirming this on her track-by-track:[11]
❝ Because of climate change conversation and how we all become more and more digitally attached, I think people are suddenly becoming more aware of the natural world. And I think that's quite odd and intense. I've had a feeling of longing, or regret that nature isn't a larger part of my life. ❞
Artwork[]
 Credits
Photographer
Zoey Grossman
Designer
Andy Renton
|
Photoshoot _(B%26W)_2-001_(Watermarked,_cropped).jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) (B&W) 2-001 (Watermarked, cropped).jpg (275 KB)") Alt. crop, tagged _2-001_(B%26W)_(Watermarked).jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 2-001 (B&W) (Watermarked).jpg (1.12 MB)") Uncropped, tagged _2-002_(B%26W)_(Watermarked).jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 2-002 (B&W) (Watermarked).jpg (1.24 MB)") Tagged _2-003_(B%26W)_(Watermarked).jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 2-003 (B&W) (Watermarked).jpg (1.17 MB)") Tagged _2-001_-_(Scan).png "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 2-001 - (Scan).png (916 KB)") Scan _2-004_(B%26W)_(Watermarked).jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 2-004 (B&W) (Watermarked).jpg (1.21 MB)") Tagged Media  Single artwork  Krystal Klear Remix |
_3-002.jpg "Zoey Grossman (18 Oct 2018) 3-002.jpg (2.21 MB)")
_000.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 000.jpg (86 KB)")
_001.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 001.jpg (3.42 MB)")
_002.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 002.jpg (3.58 MB)")
_003.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 003.jpg (3.47 MB)")
_004.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 004.jpg (2.59 MB)")
_005.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 005.jpg (2.79 MB)")
_006.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 006.jpg (2.61 MB)")
_007.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 007.jpg (4.08 MB)")
_008.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 008.jpg (2.76 MB)")
_009.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 009.jpg (2.63 MB)")
_010.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 010.jpg (7.9 MB)")
_011.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 011.jpg (8.66 MB)")
_012.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 012.jpg (7.94 MB)")
_013.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 013.jpg (2.7 MB)")
_014.jpg "Handmade Heaven (Scrapped Artwork) 014.jpg (2.73 MB)")
Videos[]
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Handmade Heaven | |
| Premiere | 08 Feb 2019 | |
| Length | 3:38 | |
| Location | Tallinn, Estonia | |
| Filmed | 21 Jan 2019 | |
| Director | Sophie Muller | |
| Producer | Sophie Brooks | |
| Production company | PRETTYBIRD UK | |
| Executive producer | Juliette Larthe | |
Behind the Scenes
![[12]](/wiki/File:Handmade_Heaven_BTS_005.jpg "Handmade Heaven BTS 005.jpg (476 KB)")
Background
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Handmade Heaven (Vertical Video) | |
| Premiere | February 19th, 2019 | |
| Length | 3:29 | |
| Director | Sophie Muller | |
| Production company | PRETTYBIRD UK | |
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Single/Album [Stems] [Inst.]
|
Handmade Heaven • LOVE + FEAR | Single: 08 Feb 2019 | 3:30 |
| Remixes | ||||
| Krystal Klear Remix | Handmade Heaven (Krystal Klear Remix) | 08 Mar 2019 | 6:58 | |
| Demos | ||||
| Home Demo | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 29 Nov 2019 | 3:14 | |
| [13] | Demo | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 15 Mar 2021 | 3:33 |
Lyrics[]
Lyrical Differences[]
In the home demo version of the song, the lyric "And I can no longer ignore the ivy growing tall" is changed to "And I can no longer ignore the roses growing tall".
[Verse 1]
I envy the birds, high up in the trees
They live out their lives, so purposefully
I envy the spiders, the squirrels and seeds
They all find their way, automatically
[Chorus]
But in this handmade Heaven, I come alive
Bluebirds forever
Colour the sky
In this handmade Heaven
We forget the time
'Cause birds of a feather fly together
[Verse 2]
I carry along a feel of unease, I want to belong
Like the birds in the trees
I sit on my own, look over the town
The skyscrapers glow, like they'll never fall down
[Chorus]
But in this handmade Heaven, it's paradise
Bluebirds forever
Colour the sky
In this handmade Heaven
We forget the time
'Cause birds of a feather fly together
In this handmade Heaven, I come alive
Bluebirds forever
Colour the sky
In this handmade Heaven, handmade Heaven
handmade Heaven, handmade Heaven
[Bridge]
And I can no longer ignore
The ivy growing tall
This life don't suit me anymore
The writing's on the wall
[Chorus]
In this handmade Heaven, I come alive
Blue birds forever
Colour the sky
In this handmade Heaven, handmade Heaven
Handmade Heaven, handmade Heaven
(Bluebirds forever) Birds of a feather
(Bluebirds forever) Fly together
(Bluebirds forever) In this strange, strange weather
(Bluebirds forever) In this handmade Heaven
In this handmade Heaven, in this handmade Heaven
In this handmade Heaven, in this handmade Heaven
Credits[]
Personnel[]
- Marina Diamandis - Vocals
- Joel Little - Keyboards, Synths, Percussion, Drum programming
Technical[]
- Written by Marina Diamandis
- Produced by Joel Little
- Recorded at Golden Age, Los Angeles
- Engineered by Joel Little
- Mixed and additional programming by Dan Grech-Marguerat for Solar Management Ltd
- Mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, NYC
- Published by Warner / Chappell Music Publishing Ltd
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/967595058999390209
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/967599218088067072
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BtxWe5GlYx4/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/1073286566259380226
- ↑ https://youtu.be/7TPFbRuSSLA?t=2542
- ↑ https://twitter.com/marinadnation/status/1059522552547160066
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/1113820307389919232
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/1113820893887836160
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/4Rm0jYGkzILeJxt2uzMe09
- ↑ https://marinaupdates.tumblr.com/post/182749636289/marinadiamandis-thanks-for-your-love-on-handmade
- ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/love-fear/1451645560
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MarinaDiamandis/status/1094003558951804929
- ↑ https://dbree.org/v/c4449b
 | |
|---|---|
| Tour ♢ Merch ♢ Photography ♢ Collaborators | |
| Discography | |
| Releases | LOVE + FEAR ♢ LOVE + FEAR (Acoustic) |
| Tracklist | Handmade Heaven ♢ Superstar ♢ Orange Trees ♢ Baby ♢ Enjoy Your Life ♢ True ♢ To Be Human ♢ End of the Earth ♢ Believe in Love ♢ Life Is Strange ♢ You ♢ Karma ♢ Emotional Machine ♢ Too Afraid ♢ No More Suckers ♢ Soft to Be Strong |
| Non-Album | |
| Pre-Break | Holiday ♢ Absent Love ♢ Cause I'm A Woman ♢ Cruel ♢ Doubt Your Love ♢ Worth It ♢ The Art of Letting Go ♢ There's Nothing Wrong With You |
| Post-Break | If It's Worth It ♢ Demons and Angels ♢ Please Don't Call Me ♢ Water Under the Bridge ♢ What I Wanna Do |
| Unleaked | Beautiful World ♢ Unknown Song ♢ Unknown Song (w/ Lizzo and James Flannigan) |
| Misc | If I Left The World ♢ About Love ♢ Etsi Einai I Zoi ♢ Only Want You ♢ With a Little Help from My Friends |
| Other Eras | |
| Mermaid vs. Sailor • The Family Jewels • Electra Heart • FROOT • LOVE + FEAR • Ancient Dreams • Sixth Studio Album (Upcoming) | |