The Archetypes

This article is about the song. To see alternate articles, check out the multi-media project with the same name.

The Archetypes
Unofficial cover art
General Information
Title	The Archetypes
Recorded	2011
Released	15 Dec 2011
Type	Interlude for The Archetypes
Length	1:11
Key + BPM	C Major • 124
Format	Streaming [YouTube]
Credits
Artist	Marina and the Diamonds
Writer(s)	Marina Diamandis
Producer(s)	Marina Diamandis Instrumental Rick Nowels Devrim Karaoğlu

The Archetypes is an interlude by Marina Diamandis, released under her previous stage name 'Marina and the Diamonds'.

The song was written and created by Marina, though uses the original instrumental of The State of Dreaming.

The Archetypes was used as Part 3 of 'The Archetypes'.

Background

On December 15, 2011, the interlude premiered as the third part of The Archetypes video series, featuring the text-to-speech Mac voice "Junior" along with Marina's own vocals.

In June 2012, Marina explained the background behind the interludes:

❝ If I'm honest I'm not really sure what they are, or why I do them. [laughs] But I do them and I like doing them, and they say something else that the record doesn't. So that's the aim of those clips. There will probably be like five of those, and fifteen parts in total. I don't know, I just really enjoy doing them. [What do they say that the album doesn't say?] Well I think they focus on the two themes a little bit more, which is identity, which is what the archetypes is focusing on. And I suppose explaining why I have an attraction to the visual side of the things and why it's really important. ❞

Two months prior, Marina stated there would be more "homemade" videos, as "that's what builds up the bulk of the message, and the whole vision, because sometimes I'm just crap at saying what I mean. So it's much easier for me to do it in the form of a photograph or a video". It can be assumed the unreleased other three mini-videos would be for the missing archetypes, Homewrecker, Teen Idle and Primadonna.

Trivia

• The Archetypes' lyrics were referenced on the Electra Heart blog:
  • July 19, 2011: "♡ R E A L  F A K E ♡" under the Su-Barbie-A archetype.
  • December 5, 2011: ♡  O D E  T O  C I N D Y  ♡" under the Teen Idle archetype.
• The lyric "an ode to Cindy" is a reference to Cindy Sherman. Marina was inspired by Cindy after being introduced to her by Stargate, mirroring shots from "Untitled Film Stills" in visuals for the Electra Heart album.
  • "Queen of no identity" is also a reference to Sherman.
• The lyrics "the ugly years of being a fool. Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?" are taken from the song Teen Idle.

Video

Video	Credits
	Title	The Archetypes
	Premiere	15 Dec 2011
	Length	1:11
	Location	Los Angeles, California, USA
	Filmed	27 Oct 2011
	Editor	Marina Diamandis
	Notes	Used footage was shot on set of the Electra Heart photoshoot

Lyrics

Housewife, Beauty Queen
Homewrecker, Idle Teen
The ugly years of being a fool
Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?

Queen of no identity
I always feel like someone else
A living myth

I grew up in a lie
I can be anyone (Anyone)
A study in identity and illusion
An Ode to Cindy (Anyone)
A living film
A real fake

And you'll never know
And you'll never know
Love

Electra Heart, are you faux? Real?

"Through others, we become ourselves"
- The Archetypes