Teen Idle
Marina & the Diamonds Lyrics


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I wanna be a bottle blonde
I don't know why but I feel conned
I wanna be an idle teen
I wish I hadn't been so clean

I wanna stay inside all day
I want the world to go away
I want blood, guts, and chocolate cake
I wanna be a real fake

Yeah, I wish I'd been, I wish I'd been, a teen, teen idle
Wish I'd been a prom queen, fighting for the title
Instead of being sixteen and burning up a bible
Feeling super, super, super suicidal

The wasted years, the wasted youth
The pretty lies, the ugly truth
And the day has come where I have died
Only to find, I've come alive

I wanna be a virgin pure
A twenty-first century whore
I want back my virginity
So I can feel infinity

I wanna drink until I ache
I wanna make a big mistake
I want blood, guts, and angel cake
I'm gonna puke it anyway

Yeah, I wish I'd been, I wish I'd been, a teen, teen idle
Wish I'd been a prom queen, fighting for the title
Instead of being sixteen and burning up a bible
Feeling super, super, super suicidal

The wasted years, the wasted youth
The pretty lies, the ugly truth
And the day has come where I have died
Only to find, I've come alive

Come alive, I've come alive
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh, oh oh

I wish I wasn't such a narcissist
I wish I didn't really kiss
The mirror when I'm on my own
Oh God, I'm gonna die alone

Adolescence didn't make sense
A little loss of innocence
The ugliness of being a fool
Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?

Yeah, I wish I'd been, I wish I'd been, a teen, teen idle
Wish I'd been a prom queen, fighting for the title
Instead of being sixteen and burning up a bible
Feeling super, super, super suicidal

The wasted years, the wasted youth
The pretty lies, the ugly truth
And the day has come where I have died
Only to find, I've come alive

Only to find, I've come alive
Only to find, I've come alive

All our lives
(Feeling super, super, super)
(Feeling super, super, super)




(Feeling super, super, super)
All our lives

Overall Meaning

Marina & the Diamonds's song "Teen Idle" is a reflection of the singer's teenage years and the regrets she has about certain aspects of it. The opening lines, "I wanna be a bottle blonde, I don't know why but I feel conned", speak to the societal pressure to conform to certain beauty standards. The desire to be an idle teen and stay inside all day is a yearning for escape from the pressures and expectations of the outside world. The wish to be a real fake and a prom queen fighting for the title represent the empty desires that society has conditioned the singer to have.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "I wish I'd been a teen, teen idle" three times, expressing the singer's longing for a different teenage experience. The regret and suicidal feelings mentioned in the lyrics stem from the pressure to fit in and conform to societal norms. The fourth verse is a cry for help, as the singer reveals her insecurities and fears of dying alone. The repetition of "feeling super, super, super" intensifies the emotions she is feeling and highlights the urgency of the situation.


Overall, "Teen Idle" is a powerful and poignant song that speaks to the struggles and insecurities of adolescence. Marina & the Diamonds's candid lyrics and emotive vocal delivery make this song an anthem for those who feel overwhelmed by the expectations placed upon them by society.


Line by Line Meaning

I wanna be a bottle blonde
I want to change my appearance drastically.


I don't know why but I feel conned
I don't understand why I feel deceived.


I wanna be an idle teen
I want to have a carefree teenage lifestyle.


I wish I hadn't been so clean
I regret not having taken more risks and made more mistakes.


I wanna stay inside all day
I want to isolate myself from the outside world.


I want the world to go away
I wish the world didn't have to exist.


I want blood, guts, and chocolate cake
I want excitement, intensity, and indulgence.


I wanna be a real fake
I want to be someone who appears authentic but is actually just pretending.


Yeah, I wish I'd been, I wish I'd been, a teen, teen idle
I regret not having enjoyed the freedom and carelessness of teenage life.


Wish I'd been a prom queen, fighting for the title
I wish I had been more popular and had more social status when I was younger.


Instead of being sixteen and burning up a bible
Instead of being overly religious and self-destructive at a young age.


Feeling super, super, super suicidal
Being overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and wanting to die.


The wasted years, the wasted youth
The time spent making mistakes and taking risks in the younger years of life.


The pretty lies, the ugly truth
The difference between how life is portrayed and how it actually is.


And the day has come where I have died
The end of a previous way of life.


Only to find, I've come alive
A realization that life can be lived differently and more fully.


I wanna be a virgin pure
I want to be innocent and pure again, free from mistakes.


A twenty-first century whore
A contradiction between sexual desire and social expectation to be pure.


I want back my virginity
I want a chance to do things differently and make better choices.


So I can feel infinity
Regaining a sense of limitless potential and possibility.


I wanna drink until I ache
Wanting to drink to excess, to experience more intense feeling.


I wanna make a big mistake
Intentionally making bad decisions to feel something different.


I want blood, guts, and angel cake
Craving intensity and contrast, a mix of pleasure and pain.


I'm gonna puke it anyway
The realization that indulgence has its limits, and it isn't all it's cracked up to be.


I wish I wasn't such a narcissist
Regretting being too focused on oneself at the expense of others.


I wish I didn't really kiss
Referring to self-love and the harmful cycle of seeking perfection and validation.


The mirror when I'm on my own
A symbol of self-reflection and self-absorption.


Oh God, I'm gonna die alone
A fear of dying without ever having truly connected with another person.


Adolescence didn't make sense
Feeling like the teenage years were confusing and hard to navigate.


A little loss of innocence
A natural progression from being wide-eyed and naive to hardened and disillusioned.


The ugliness of being a fool
The humiliating realization of having acted foolishly in the past.


Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?
Questioning the romanticized idea of the beauty of youth that isn't always accurate.


All our lives
Referring to the experiences that all people go through.


(Feeling super, super, super)
Emphasizing the intensity of emotions being felt.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marina Lambrini Diamandis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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