Starring Role

Starring Role
Standard album artwork
General Information
Title	Starring Role
Recorded	2010
Released	27 Apr 2012
Album	Electra Heart
Type	Album only
Length	3:27
Key + BPM	C# / D♭ Minor • 144
Format	Digital download • Streaming • CD • Vinyl
Credits
Artist	Marina and the Diamonds
Writer(s)	Marina Diamandis Greg Kurstin
Producer(s)	Greg Kurstin
Label	679 • Atlantic
Electra Heart Tracklist
Homewrecker
Starring Role
The State of Dreaming

Starring Role is a song by Marina Diamandis, released under her previous stage name 'Marina and the Diamonds'. Appearing on her second studio album, Electra Heart, it is the 5th track on the album.

The song was written by Marina and Greg Kurstin, who produced the track.

Background

In August 2010, Marina tweeted the lyrics "you never sing for love, you never have a heart to mend, because before the start begins, you always see the end".

During this time, Marina's second studio album was a "dark electronic pop record" produced by Greg Kurstin, which would see her become "less commercial", potentially releasing it with no singles. This project was titled die Life, however, as early as May 2010, Marina stated she was working on two albums, and initially wanted to do Electra Heart as a "side project" under a different artistic name.

Although produced by Kurstin, the song was an early Electra Heart song and rather than part of die Life despite the timing. In the Electra Heart track-by-track interview, Marina stated:

❝ Starring Role was quite a ground-breaking song for me as it was one of the first written for the new record and it signalled the direction I was going sonically. It's kind of a cold and emotive song and production, and I think that style followed on the rest of the album. ❞

However, Living Dead was the first to be written for die Life, and signalled the direction for that album.

Trivia

• In 2012, Marina stated Starring Role was "probably" her favourite song on the record, alongside Lies.
  • It is one of approximately three to be inspired by a specific person, also along with Lies.
• In a May 2012 interview, she called Starring Role her favourite track alongside Power & Control and Bubblegum Bitch.
• However in 2012, Marina also said about the song: "Oh, I cringe so much when I think of people hearing Starring Role. It's really terrifying to let people know that you were unwanted or unlovable to someone."
• The demo version of the song was released on YouTube by Marina months before the official album release. It is theorized by fans to have been released early to avoid a leak of the track happening, however this is speculation and not confirmed.

Connections

• Starring Role does not have an assigned 'Archetype', along with Living Dead, Hypocrates, Sex Yeah, Lonely Hearts Club and Buy the Stars.

Videos

• Demo Version
• Acoustic Video

Video	Credits
	Title	Starring Role (Demo)
	Premiere	20 Nov 2011
	Length	3:31

Video	Credits
	Title	Starring Role (Acoustic)
	Premiere	23 Apr 2012
	Length	3:55

Official Versions

	Version	Released on	Date	Length
▶	Album [Stems] [Inst.]	Electra Heart	27 Apr 2012	3:27
Acoustic/Live
▶	Acoustic	Primadonna (Acoustic) • YouTube	23 Apr 2012	4:00
Demos
	Demo/Album Sampler	YouTube	20 Nov 2011	3:31

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
You're hard to hug, tough to talk to
And I never fall asleep
When you're in my bed
All you give me is a heartbeat
I've turned into a statue
And it makes me feel depressed
'Cause the only time you open up
Is when we get undressed

[Pre-Chorus 1]
You don't love me, big fucking deal
I'll never tell you how I feel
You don't love me, not a big deal
I'll never tell you how I feel

[Chorus]
It almost feels like a joke to play out a part
When you are not the starring role in someone else's heart
You know I'd rather walk alone than play a supporting role
If I can't get the starring role

[Verse 2]
Sometimes I ignore you so I feel in control
'Cause really, I adore you and I can't leave you alone
Fed up with the fantasies that cover what is wrong
Come on, baby, let's just get drunk, forget we don't get on

[Pre-Chorus 2]
You're like my dad, you get on well
I send my best regards from Hell

[Chorus]
It almost feels like a joke to play out a part
When you are not the starring role in someone else's heart
You know I'd rather walk alone, than play a supporting role
If I can't get the starring role

[Bridge]
I never sang for love, I never had a heart to mend
Because before the start began, I always saw the end
Yeah, I wait for you to open up, to give yourself to me
But nothing's ever gonna give, I'll never set you free

Yeah, I'll never set you free

[Chorus]
It almost feels like a joke to play out a part
When you are not the starring role in someone else's heart
You know I'd rather walk alone than play a supporting role
If I can't get the starring role

The starring role

Credits

Personnel

• Vocals - Marina Diamandis
• Keyboards, piano - Greg Kurstin

Technical

• Writers - Marina Diamandis, Greg Kurstin
• Producer - Greg Kurstin at Echo Studio, Los Angeles, CA
• Programmer - Greg Kurstin
• Engineers - Greg Kurstin, John Hanes
• Additional engineer - Jesse Shatkin
• Mixer - Serban Ghenea
• Mixed at - MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, VA
• Assistants - Tim Roberts, Phil Seaford
• Master - Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, New York
• Publishers - Warner Chappell Music Ltd (PRS), EMI April Music, Inc. o/b/o itself, Kurstin Music (ASCAP)