Diamandis' musical style ranges from keyboard-based ballads to more up-tempo new wave-style songs with full band backing. She has cited a wide range of influences such as Daniel Johnston, Blondie, Patti Smith, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Elliott Smith, Dolly Parton, Britney Spears and Madonna.
Valley of the Dolls
Marina & the Diamonds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a hole inside of me, of me
Born with a void, hard to destroy with love or hope
Built with a heart, broken from the start and now
I die slow
In the valley of the dolls, we sleep
Living with identities
That do not belong to me
In my life, I got this far
Now I'm ready for the last hoorah
Dying like a shooting star
In the valley
In the valley
In the valley
Pick a personality for free
When you feel like nobody, body
Born with a void, hard to destroy with love or hope
Built with a heart, broken from the start and now
I die slow
In the valley of the dolls, we sleep
Got a hole inside of me
Living with identities
That do not belong to me
In my life, I got this far
Now I'm ready for the last hoorah
Dying like a shooting star
In the valley
In the valley
In the valley
Back to zero, here we go again, again
Racing down into oblivion
Back to zero, here we go
I can feel it coming to the end
The end
In the valley of the dolls, we sleep
Got a hole inside of me
Living with identities
That do not belong to me
In my life, I got this far
Now I'm ready for the last hoorah
Dying like a shooting star
In the valley
In the valley
In the valley
In the valley
In the valley
The lyrics of Marina & the Diamonds's "Valley of the Dolls" describe a sense of emptiness and a search for identity in a world where it seems like everyone is trying to fit into a mold. The "valley of the dolls" represents a kind of escapist fantasy where people can pick and choose different personalities to try on for size, but ultimately it leaves the singer feeling hollow and lost.
The first verse sets the tone with the repeated refrain of "got a hole inside of me," emphasizing the idea that something is missing or broken within. The singer acknowledges that they were "born with a void" that can't be filled by traditional sources of comfort like love or hope. Instead, they feel like they've been "built with a heart, broken from the start," implying that they were set up to fail from the beginning. The use of the phrase "now I die slow" also suggests a sense of hopelessness or resignation.
The second verse dives deeper into the idea of wearing different identities like costumes, describing it as a way to escape feelings of inadequacy or invisibility. But even as the singer tries on different personalities, they don't feel like any of them quite fit. They're "living with identities that do not belong to me," and have hit a point in their life where they're "ready for the last hoorah," implying that they feel like they're running out of time to figure out who they really are. The final lines of the song, which repeat the phrase "in the valley" over and over, emphasize the feeling of being stuck in a particular place or mindset.
Line by Line Meaning
In the valley of the dolls we sleep, we sleep
Marina and the Diamonds is referring to the physical location of the dolls in the valley as a metaphor for a state of self-delusion or a dissonance from reality where she is resting and avoiding her problems.
Got a hole inside of me, of me
Marina has an inner void or emptiness that she cannot seem to fill, despite trying various methods.
Born with a void, hard to destroy with love or hope
Marina feels helpless and destined to stay unhappy due to her inability to feel fulfilled, despite trying to use love and hope to do so.
Built with a heart, broken from the start and now I die slow
Marina started off with a broken, wounded heart and feels like she is slowly dying now due to her inability to heal it.
Living with identities that do not belong to me
Marina feels a sense of disassociation from her true self and the identities she carries, as if they do not fit her personality or desire to be seen a certain way.
In my life, I got this far. Now I'm ready for the last hoorah
Marina has experienced everything she needs to in life and is ready to move on or exit life with a bang.
Dying like a shooting star
Marina wants to die in a way where she is remembered fondly, like a shooting star that everyone notices and admires.
Pick a personality for free when you feel like nobody, body
Marina feels like she can adopt any personality or identity for free because she feels like nobody or like she does not have a strong sense of self.
Back to zero, here we go again, again
Marina feels like she is back to square one and experiencing the same problems or feelings she always has.
Racing down into oblivion
Marina feels like she is quickly approaching an end or oblivion.
I can feel it coming to the end, the end
Marina senses that her life or story is reaching its finale.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marina Diamandis, Devrim Karaoglu, Rick Nowels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind