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Scab and Plaster is an unreleased song by Marina Diamandis, intended for her scrapped second album, die Life.

It was written by Marina and Greg Kurstin, who also produced the track.

Background[]

On July 16, 2010, Diamandis tweeted a line from the song, anticipating a track from her then new project:[1] "You keep picking the scab and i'll keep selling the plaster."

On February 16, 2012 the final version was exported,[2] and in March 2012, Marina told PlanetNotion:[3]

I really don't know. [In response to releasing Scab and Plaster] I actually don't feel like it was part of the concept at all. It seemed like a throw-back from The Family Jewels... We'll see what we can do with it.

In 2022, during the Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land Tour, Marina joked about setlist requests with the audience, specifically mentioning E.V.O.L and Scab and Plaster as popular requests, adding she would play them "one day, maybe".[4] However this did not occur.

Registration[]

Scab and Plaster was once registered on ASCAP/BMI,[5] and four times on registry site GEMA,[6] the first three times under the title "Scab & Plaster", and under the status "2", which indicates a work not yet distributable. Greg Kurstin was credited as a co-writer of the second and third demos, and the final version.

"Scab and Plaster" was last registered under the status "1", which indicates a distributable work, and given an ISWC number.[7]

Trivia[]

  • The song shares similar melodies with Like the Other Girls.
  • Scab and Plaster is possibly the only leaked unreleased song by Marina to have nearly two million views on YouTube.[8]

Official Versions[]

Note:
Originally the final was leaked in low quality, leading it to be labelled Demo 4. In older masterposts, Demo 3 and "4" tend to be switched, the legitimate demo 3 features a fade-out outro.
Version Released on Date Length
[9] Final N/A - Unreleased Leaked: ~Sept 2011
OG File: 15 Jan 2023
4:38
Demos
[10] Demo 1 N/A - Demo Leaked: ~Sept 2011 2:25
[11] Demo 2 N/A - Demo Leaked: ~Mar 2011 4:48
Demo 3 N/A - Demo Leaked: 4:34

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
I stepped into a room of clocks
That all told different times
I stepped into a mirrored world
That mirrored all our crimes

You keep picking at the scab
And I keep selling the plaster
You keep telling me that I'm bad
But I keep on getting better faster

[Pre-Chorus 1]
You hold me down and you hold me up
You can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Verse 2]
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Heaven
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Hell
If nobody could see
I'd hold my hand out to be held

[Pre-Chorus 2]
You hold me down and you hold me up
I can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Bridge]
You keep picking at the scab
So I'll keep on settling the plaster
And you, you think I'm bad
So I keep on getting better faster

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Chorus 2]
I've lost, I've lost my confidence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I sailed a thousand seas

[Post-Chorus 2]
You tell me what to say and wear
You say that it's because you care
But I prefer to be alone
Than live a life that's not my own

Oh, oh, oh
(Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone)
(Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone)
(Alone)

[Verse 1]
I stepped into a room of clocks
That all told different times
I stepped into a mirrored world
That mirrored all our crimes

[Chorus]
You keep picking at the scab
And I keep selling the plaster
Keep telling me that I'm bad
And I'll keep on getting better faster

[Post-Chorus 1]
You hold me down and you hold me up
You can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Verse 2]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And from the cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Verse 3]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh Daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up to bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

Hm, oh, ah, ah

[Verse 4]
I'm goin', I'm goin' to heaven
I'm goin', I'm goin' to hell
I walk around like a child
Hold my hand out to be held

Chorus
You keep picking at the scab
And I keep selling the plaster
You keep telling me that I'm bad
And I keep on getting better faster

[Post Chorus]
You hold me down and you hold me up
You can't communicate
Brought me up but you bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Verse 1]
I stepped into a room of clocks
That all told different times
I stepped into a mirrored world
That mirrored all our crimes

You keep picking at the scab
And I keep selling the plaster
You keep telling me that I'm bad
But I keep on getting better faster

[Pre-Chorus]
You hold me down and you hold me up
You can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Verse 2]
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Heaven
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Hell
If nobody could see
I'd hold my hand out to be held

I wish that you could just admit
That you did bad things too
Instead of criticising me
So I don't look at you

[Pre-Chorus]
You hold me down and you hold me up
I can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Bridge]
You keep picking at the scab
So I'll keep on selling the plaster
And you, you think I'm bad
So I keep on getting better faster

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Chorus 2]
I've lost, I've lost my confidence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus 2]
You tell me what to say and wear
You say that it's because you care
But I prefer to be alone
Than live a life that's not my own

Oh, oh, oh

[Verse 1]
I stepped into a room of clocks
That all told different times
I stepped into a mirrored world
That mirrored all our crimes

You keep picking at the scab
And I keep selling the plaster
You keep telling me that I'm bad
But I keep on getting better faster

[Pre-Chorus]
You hold me down and you hold me up
You can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Verse 2]
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Heaven
I'm goin', I'm goin' to Hell
If nobody could see
I'd hold my hand out to be held

[Pre-Chorus]
You hold me down and you hold me up
I can't communicate
You brought me up just to bring me down
I've nothing left to say

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Bridge]
You keep picking at the scab
So I'll keep on selling the plaster
And you, you think I'm bad
So I'll keep on getting better faster

[Chorus]
I've lost, I've lost my innocence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I've found instant relief

[Post-Chorus]
You hold me down, you hold me up
Oh daddy, are we out of luck?
You brought me up, you bring me down
You shut me in, you shut me out

[Chorus 2]
I've lost, I've lost my confidence
I've found my self-belief
And in a cup of loneliness
I sailed a thousand seas

[Post-Chorus 2]
You tell me what to say and wear
You say that it's because you care
But I prefer to be alone
Than live a life that's not my own

Oh, oh, oh

References[]

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