Oh No! is a single by Marina Diamandis, released under her previous stage name 'Marina and the Diamonds'. Appearing on her first studio album, The Family Jewels, it is the 10th track on the standard album, and was released as the 5th single.
The song was written by Marina and Greg Kurstin, and produced by Kurstin.
The B-side to Oh No!'s vinyl release was a cover of Starstrukk, originally by 3OH!3, featuring Katy Perry.
Background[]
The song was written after The Family Jewels was mastered, making it the final track to complete the album.[1] She told WalesOnline:[2]
❝ I was neurotic for a while, especially before Christmas. Everything was getting to me and I went to LA and New York and got away, and when I was in New York, I wrote this song for the album called Oh No. It’s about the fear of failing, because for weeks I literally couldn’t sleep and I kept thinking I was going to be this massive failure so I wrote this song and it was brilliant and it’s probably going to be a big single. ❞
Marina said of Greg Kurstin, who produced the song:[3]
❝ I had really admired his work for a long time. Seeing as I was in LA, I asked if he wanted to write together and [the song] came out really well. He's great actually, very easy to work with. I really like his production style as well. ❞
On July 19, 2021, the official music video was renamed to "MARINA - Oh No! (I Feel Like I'm The Worst So I Always Act like I'm The Best) [Official Music Video]". This was in response to the popularity it has gained from TikTok, and is currently the only video prior to the LOVE + FEAR era that has Marina's new stage name in its title.
Registration[]
The song was registered once on ASCAP/BMI,[4] and GEMA,[5] both listing Greg Kurstin as a co-writer.
On ASCAP the song is registered as Oh No, with the alternate title of Oh No!
Trivia[]
- The instrumental was used to advertise the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory on E4 in the United Kingdom.
- On July 25, 2010, Diamandis performed the track on Channel 4's Big Brother's Little Brother, a spin-off show of the reality television series Big Brother in the UK and Ireland.
- The song was used in a promo for the third season of the MTV series Awkward in 2013.
- Oh No! is included in the 2012 video game Just Dance 4.
- The song is also included for the main tracklist for the Virtual Reality video game "Beat Saber".
Meaning[]
Marina explained:[6]
❝ [Oh No!] was written in response to be terrified of not achieving what I say I want to achieve every time I open my big mouth. It's my part ii to Mowgli's Road. I was paralysed by fear before my trip to the states and couldn't stop thinking about being a failure "etc" and was convinced that I'd become a self-fulfilling prophecy if my brain didn't shut up and stop being so negative. So I put it in a song. Mowgli's [Road] questioned who I want to be, Oh No! confirms it. It made me feel confident again after a shaky 6 months. Life is just a barrel of laughs at end of day, anyway! ❞
Artwork[]
|
Photoshoot .png "Oh No! (Textless Artwork).png (389 KB)") Untagged Media  Single artwork  CD cover  Remixes cover #1  Remixes cover #2  Camp America remix cover |
Videos[]
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Oh No! | |
| Premiere | 28 Jun 2010 | |
| Length | 3:09 | |
| Filmed | 10 Jun 2010 | |
| Director | Kinga Burza | |
| Choreographer | David Leighton | |
| Notes | Stylist: Celestine Cooney | |
Behind the Scenes
 |
|
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Oh No! (Behind the Scenes) | |
| Premiere | 28 Jun 2010 | |
| Length | 4:07 | |
| Filmed | 10 Jun 2010 | |
| Director | Kinga Burza | |
| Choreographer | David Leighton | |
| Video | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| Title | Oh No! (Alt. Version) | |
| Premiere | 28 Jun 2010 | |
| Length | 3:09 | |
| Filmed | 10 Jun 2010 | |
| Director | Kinga Burza | |
| Choreographer | David Leighton | |
| Notes | Likely a demo/director's cut, never released. | |
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▶ | Album/Single [Stems] [Inst.]
|
The Family Jewels • Oh No! | Single: 02 Aug 2010 | 3:02 |
| Remixes | ||||
| ▶ | Active Child Remix | Oh No! - EP | 19 Jul 2010 | 3:53 |
| ▶ | Grum Remix | Oh No! - EP | 19 Jul 2010 | 4:22 |
| ▶ | Steve Pitron and Max Senna Remix | Oh No! - EP | 19 Jul 2010 | 7:28 |
| ▶ | Jaymo & Andy George's Moda Mix | Oh No! - EP | 19 Jul 2010 | 4:02 |
| ▶ | Camp America Remix | Oh No! (Camp America Remix) | 02 Aug 2010 | 3:45 |
| ▶ | David's Lyre Remix (Promo remix) | Oh No! (David's Lyre Remix) | 25 Jun 2010 | 2:40 |
| Acoustic/Live | ||||
| Acoustic | 4:01 | |||
Lyrics[]
Differences between the original and acoustic version have been italicised.
[Verse 1]
Don't do love, don't do friends
I'm only after success
Don't need a relationship
I'll never soften my grip
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Don't want cash, don't want card
Want it fast, want it hard
Don't need money, don't need fame
I just want to make a change
I just wanna change, I just wanna change
I just wanna change, I just wanna change!
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
[Verse 2]
One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I'll fall apart
Maybe it is all a test
'Cause I feel like I'm the worst
So I always act like I'm the best
[Pre-Chorus 2]
If you are not very careful
Your possessions will possess you
TV taught me how to feel
Now real life has no appeal
It has no appeal, it has no appeal
It has no appeal, it has no appeal
It has no appeal!
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
[Bridge]
I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly
I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die
I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly
I'm gonna fail, gonna die-die-die-die
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be
I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
[Outro]
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh!
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want
and who I want to be
I know exactly why
I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no
[Verse 1]
Don't do love, don't do friends
I'm only after success
Don't need a relationship
I'll never soften my grip
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Don't want cash don't want card
want it fast, want it hard
don't need money, don't need fame
I just wanna make a
I just wanna change, I just wanna change
I just wanna change, I just wanna change
I just wanna change!
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want
and who I want to be
I know exactly why
I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no
[Verse 2]
One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I'll fall apart
Well maybe it is all a test
'Cause I feel like I'm the worst
So I always act like I'm the best
[Pre-Chorus 2]
If you are not very careful
Your possessions will possess you
TV taught me how to feel
Now real life has no appeal
It has no appeal, it has no appeal
It has no appeal, it has no appeal
It has no appeal!
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want
and who I want to be
I know exactly why
I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no
[Bridge]
I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly
I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna die
I'm gonna live, I'm gonna fly
I'm gonna fail, gonna die-die-die-die
[Chorus]
I know exactly what I want
and who I want to be
I know exactly why
I walk and talk like a machine
I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no
[Outro]
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Da-da-dum, da-da-dum
Da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh-oh-oh-oh
Credits[]
Personnel
- Greg Kurstin — Keyboards, Guitars
Technical
- Produced by Greg Kurstin for SK 1 Productions
- Mixed by Greg Kurstin
- Programming played and recorded by Greg Kurstin at Kingsize Soundlabs, Los Angeles
- Written by Marina Diamandis and Greg Kurstin
- Published by Warner Chappell Music Publishing Ltd / Kurstin Music (ASCAP) / EMI April Music / Inc.
- Mastered by Dave Turner at 360 Mastering, London
References[]
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20111107180353/https://www.atlanticrecords.com/artists/marina-and-the-diamonds/#Biography
- ↑ https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/knew-id-famous---marina-1933260
- ↑ https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marina-and-the-diamonds/id360980220
- ↑ https://www.ascap.com/repertory#
ISWC: T9021497472 Work ID: 313778339 - ↑ https://online.gema.de/werke/search.faces?lang=en
GEMA work no.: 11212989-001 - ↑ http://atlanticrecords.com/artists/marina-and-the-diamonds/#Biography
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| Discography | |
| Releases | The Family Jewels • The Crown Jewels • The American Jewels • iTunes Live: '09 • iTunes Live: '10 |
| Tracklist | Are You Satisfied? • Shampain • I Am Not a Robot • Girls • Mowgli's Road • Obsessions • Hollywood • The Outsider • Hermit the Frog • Oh No! • Rootless • Numb • Guilty • The Family Jewels • Seventeen |
| Non-Album | Happy Meal • Simplify • Blindfold Me • Bad Kidz • Starlight • Sinful • Not That Ugly • Jealousy • Like the Other Girls • Dirty Sheets |
| Misc | Porn Does Good • What You Waiting For? • Space and the Woods • Sweet Dreams • Many of Horror • Candy • Starstrukk • Perfect Stranger |
| Other Eras | |
| Mermaid vs. Sailor • The Family Jewels • Electra Heart • FROOT • LOVE + FEAR • Ancient Dreams | |