Happy is a single by Marina Diamandis, released under her previous stage name 'Marina and the Diamonds'. Appearing on her third studio album, FROOT, it is the 1st track on the album, and was released as the 2nd single.
The song was written by Marina alone and produced by David Kosten.
Happy was represented with a lemon
in the 'Froot of the Month' campaign, and paired alongside Better Than That on Marina's website during the era.[1]
Background[]
Marina described the song as difficult to write, taking over three months to complete the lyrics. After initially writing a verse, she was unsure of what emotion the chorus should express.[2] In response to a fan asking how she got to the point she could write the song, Marina stated:[3]
❝ Being 100% honest with yourself. ❞
Meaning[]
In a 2015 interview with Edge Media Network, Marina stated:[4]
❝ With the song, 'Happy' I think people think, 'Oh, she's happy now!' It's more about everything around you and your response to everything that happens around you. It's more about that... as opposed to getting up every day and feeling really happy. It's like, no, that's not realistic. You can't feel happy all the time. That's abnormal. But, it is nice to be in an emotional state where you are stable and you are welcoming of being happy. ❞
She went onto say in DIY magazine:[5]
❝ I feel like, after 'Happy', people go like, "So, Marina, what is the key to happiness?!" and I'm like, "I don't know, I'm not the Dalai Lama!" Listen to the lyrics, they're actually quite depressing! [...] I had felt the same way for almost ten years of my life, since I was eighteen. Now I'm 29 and that's kind of what led to writing that song. It just came from being emotionally static for a long time. Especially post-Electra. It was such an extreme and stressful two-year period, not just in terms of music, but with my health and voice. I had loads of problems and things go wrong, and I just didn't wanna be like that anymore. It certainly wasn't a thing where I was like, "I'm not gonna do this anymore. Tomorrow I'm gonna wake up happy." I think it was more about having realisations about what you like and what you don't like. ❞
In an interview with BBC, when asked if the song had any religious meaning to her, Diamandis said:[6]
❝ My songwriting's always been peppered with stuff that could be connected with Christianity but I don't know why because I wasn't brought up Christian. I don't believe there's a God. Happy is more about spiritual topics than religious ones. It's thinking of loved ones that have passed away. We all hope there are loved ones looking after us. ❞
Trivia[]
- For unknown reasons, on the vinyl, Happy is paired with Froot and represented by a grapevine, contradicting the 'Froot of the Month' campaign.
Artwork[]
 Credits
Photographer
Charlotte Rutherford
Designer
Sam Coldy
|
Photoshoot _2-001.jpg "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-001.jpg (385 KB)") Uncropped _2-001-unedited.png "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-001-unedited.png (321 KB)") Unedited _2-002.jpg "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-002.jpg (6.78 MB)") _2-003.jpg "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-003.jpg (1.74 MB)") _2-004.jpg "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-004.jpg (849 KB)") _2-005.jpg "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-005.jpg (5.4 MB)") _2-006.png "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-006.png (324 KB)") Outtake _2-007.png "Charlotte Rutherford (15 Aug 2014) 2-007.png (334 KB)") Outtake Media  Single artwork _-_Lemon.jpg "Happy (fanpack) - Lemon.jpg (140 KB)") Official fanpack _-_FROOT_logo.jpg "Happy (fanpack) - FROOT logo.jpg (175 KB)"){kind=logo} _-_Lyrics.jpg "Happy (fanpack) - Lyrics.jpg (78 KB)") _-_Cocktail.gif "Happy (fanpack) - Cocktail.gif (81 KB)") _-_Lemon.png "Happy (fanpack) - Lemon.png (14 KB)") _-_FROOT_logo.png "Happy (fanpack) - FROOT logo.png (177 KB)"){kind=logo} _-_Chords.png "Happy (fanpack) - Chords.png (149 KB)") Happy Chords |
Videos[]
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Happy (Acoustic) | |
| Premiere | 16 Dec 2014 | |
| Length | 4:28 | |
| Director | Paul Caslin | |
| Production company | Untitled Films | |
Behind the Scenes
_1-001.jpg "Tumblr (16 Dec 2014) 1-001.jpg (94 KB)")
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Single/Album [Inst.]
|
Happy • FROOT | Single: 12 Dec 2014 | 4:03 |
| Acoustic/Live | ||||
| ▶ | Acoustic | YouTube • FROOT Acoustic EP | EP: 08 Jun 2015 | 4:32 |
| Demos | ||||
| Demo | N/A - Demo | Leaked: 15 Mar 2021 | 4:16 | |
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Couldn't relax, couldn't sit back
And let the sunlight in my lap
I sang a hymn to bring me peace
And then it came, a melody
[Verse 2]
It felt so sweet, it felt so strong
It made me feel like I belonged
And all the sadness inside me
Melted away like I was free
[Chorus]
I found what I'd been looking for in myself
Found a life worth living for someone else
Never thought that I could be, I could be
Happy, happy
[Verse 3]
Don't go out much at all
I've never been the type to call
I realise to be happy
Maybe I need a little company
[Verse 4]
So now you know, you know it all
That I've been des-desperately alone
I haven't found the one for me
But I believe in divinity
[Chorus]
I found what I'd been looking for in myself
Found a life worth living for someone else
Never thought that I could be, I could be
Happy, happy
[Alt. Chorus]
I believe (I believe) in possibility
I believe (I believe) someone's watching over me
And finally (Finally) I have found a way to be
Happy, happy
[Bridge]
From the concrete to the coast
I was looking for a holy ghost
Like the land joining the sea
Happiness, it followed me
[Alt. Chorus]
I believe (I believe) in possibility
I believe (I believe) someone's watching over me
And finally (Finally) I have found a way to be
Happy, happy, happy
Credits[]
Personnel[]
- Marina Diamandis — Keyboards, Lead vocal, Backing vocals
- David Kosten — Keyboards, Percussion
- Jason Cooper — Drums
- Jeremy Pritchard — Bass
- Fyfe Dangerfield — Piano
- Alexander Robertshaw — Guitar
Technical[]
- Written by Marina Diamandis
- Produced by David Kosten and Marina Diamandis
- Programming by David Kosten
- Recorded at Muttley Ranch, London
- Drums recorded at Kore Studios, London and Assault's Battery Two, London
- Engineered by David Kosten
- Additional engineering by Mo Hausler
- Assistant drum recording engineers Al Lawson and Drew Smith
- Mixed by David Kosten
- Mastered by Lewis Hopkin at Star Delta Mastering
- Published by Warner / Chappell Music Publishing Ltd
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20151104012658/http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com
- ↑ "Track by track of Froot - Marina And The Diamonds." YouTube. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ↑ https://planetfroot.tumblr.com/post/122264288673/when-i-heard-your-new-song-happy-i-felt-so
- ↑ https://boston.edgemedianetwork.com/story.php?ch=entertainment&sc=music&sc2=news&id=175776&marina_and_the_diamonds:_ripe_with_new_%2527froot
- ↑ https://issuu.com/diymagazine/docs/diy__april_2015/42?ff
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31838270
 | |
|---|---|
| Tour • Merch • Froot of the Month • Photography • Tumblr • Collaborators | |
| Discography | |
| Releases | FROOT • FROOT Acoustic EP |
| Tracklist | Happy • Froot • I'm a Ruin • Blue • Forget • Gold • Can't Pin Me Down • Solitaire • Better Than That • Weeds • Savages • Immortal |
| Non-Album | |
| Outtakes | I'm Not Hungry Anymore • Saviour • When You Take Away Control |
| Misc | Disconnect • True Colours • Unknown Song (by Little Mix) |
| Other Eras | |
| Mermaid vs. Sailor • The Family Jewels • Electra Heart • FROOT • LOVE + FEAR • Ancient Dreams • Sixth Studio Album (Upcoming) | |