“MARILYN” by Kelsea Ballerini: The Skeletons of Fame

Kelsea Ballerini has been one of my favorite songwriters for years. Although I don’t think her 2022 album SUBJECT TO CHANGE is her best work (I wrote an article explaining why), there is one song that leaves me speechless every time I hear it: “MARILYN.” This song is like a letter to Marilyn Monroe from Kelsea Ballerini. Marilyn Monroe was a famous sex symbol of the 50s and 60s who had a cultural impact still felt today. From what it seemed, Marilyn Monroe had the perfect life. But, it’s well known that this wasn’t the case at all. Marilyn Monroe struggled with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Monroe is one of the best examples of the seemingly perfect person who’s actually miserable on the inside. That is exactly what Ballerini explores in this song. In the song “MARILYN,” Ballerini uses Marilyn Monroe to explore fame as it relates to loneliness, identity, insecurity, fulfillment, and Ballerini herself. Ballerini utilizes juxtaposition, metaphor, rhetorical questions, and other devices in order to communicate her message. Through this, Ballerini shines a vulnerable light on emotional struggles that we all experience, not just famous people. 

Ballerini first explores the theme of loneliness through juxtaposition and metaphor, demonstrating that fame doesn't lead to strong interpersonal connections. In the opening verse, Ballerini sings, “Got your name up in lights and in every home / But were you still alone at the party?” This line beautifully juxtaposes Monroe’s enormous fame with her still feeling alone. This line is especially impactful when connected to other Ballerini songs, such as “la:” “I wonder if I’ll get invited to the party…If I go, will I know somebody/I’m on my third glass of wine trying to find conversation in a room of bigger names.” In recognizing the similarity of themes across these two songs, one autobiographical, the other a historical allusion, the listener can see that Ballerini is likely exploring her own experiences with loneliness through a one-sided conversation with Monroe. In the chorus of the song, Ballerini sings, “Was it lonely / Show pony,” which again shows how Ballerini wishes she could know if Monroe felt lonely in the midst of the fame. Ballerini utilizes a metaphor when addressing Monroe as a “show pony,” which presents Monroe as someone trained for fame and performance. But the truth is, that is all just an act. We have all felt lonely, and I think most of us have thought that if we were more popular, we wouldn’t feel this way. That just isn’t the reality. No matter who you are or how “popular” you are, you can still fall victim to loneliness. What really matters is that you develop genuine relationships with people that have nothing to do with your status.

The second aspect of fame explored in “MARILYN” is identity, and this is done through rhetorical questions. It makes sense how fame could confuse your identity because of how many people project an identity onto you, and it is possible Monroe felt this. Marilyn Monroe wasn’t actually Monroe’s real name. Her given name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. In the chorus, Ballerini asks, “Did you miss Norma Jeane / Or did you always wanna be Marilyn?” By alluding to Marylin Monroe's original name, Ballerini is not only acknowledging the humanity within Monroe by recognizing her original identity, but she also poses a question to Monroe to further emphasize her desire to connect with the person behind the persona. At the end of the song’s bridge, Ballerini sings “‘Cause everybody wanted to be you, but did you?” Ballerini wonders if Monroe even wanted to be “Marilyn Monroe,” or if she missed her true self, Norma Jeane, hidden underneath all the fame. The use of rhetorical questions throughout this song is a revealing use of irony; even though Monroe could never answer the questions, Ballerini desperately wishes for her perspective. This all shows how important it is to stay grounded in your true identity, outside of your ever-changing circumstances and image. If you ever feel like you don’t know who you really are, think back to who you were as a child, what you love to do, and who you love. Even if you aren’t famous, it’s easy to lose sight of your true identity. That’s why I love this song so much: it’s about fame and Marilyn Monroe, but we can all relate to the feelings explored.

When talking about Marilyn Monroe, it’s impossible to not talk about beauty. This is true of many celebrities, who are often famous because of their beauty. We have all wished that we could be as beautiful as certain celebrities, and I’m sure so many have looked at Monroe and thought that about her. In “MARILYN,” Ballerini talks about Monroe’s beauty: “Everybody wanted to see you/Lips red, eyes blue.” As Ballerini puts it, everybody just wanted to see Monroe’s breathtaking beauty. The truth is, no amount of beauty saves you from insecurity. In the chorus, Ballerini asks, “Was it worth it to seem so perfect? / Blonde and curves didn’t keep you from your skeletons.” In this line, Ballerini uses synecdoche by describing Monroe as “blonde and curves,” which mirrors the way society has defined her. Also, the use of metaphor in “skeletons” explains that Monroe’s outward beauty couldn’t keep her from the pain inside of her. “Skeletons” is also an allusion to the idiom of “keeping skeletons in your closet,” which further emphasizes that “skeletons” describes Monroe’s deepest demons. Really, all the aspects of fame explored in “MARILYN” are like the skeletons underneath outward beauty. It just goes to show how external beauty isn’t fixing anything; it’s only covering up your skeleton.

The last point, and what I see as the main point of the song, is that fame does not equal happiness and fulfillment. All the points I’ve already talked about show how fame, popularity, and beauty aren’t what they seem. Overall, no matter how famous and beautiful you are, you will never be guaranteed fulfillment. In the song, Ballerini asks, “Once you got through the doors was it glamorous/Or did you think you’d feel more fulfilled?” Here, Ballerini wonders if fame wasn’t all Monroe thought it would be and uses “the doors” as a metaphor for entering into fame from a normal life. So many of us think that if we achieve a certain goal or reach a certain status, we will be fulfilled, but this isn’t the case. There is always going to be another standard to reach. “MARILYN” ends with a use of mixed media through a chilling interview clip of Monroe Monroe: “Uh, do I feel happy in life? Um, um, let’s see.” Because of her hesitant, unsure tone, it can be gathered that although Monroe had everything in the world, she wasn’t fulfilled. It shows how things of the world are ultimately meaningless, despite how glamorous they may seem. Internal struggles can exist no matter what your outward circumstances are. So, instead of always chasing fulfillment, we should work to find fulfillment with exactly who we are and what we have. Ballerini actually has a song on SUBJECT TO CHANGE called “WHAT I HAVE” that explores this topic: “Plenty to want/Nothing wrong with that/But I’m happy with what I have.” Through this, we can see how important Ballerini believes the idea of fulfillment with what you have to be. Fame can never fill you up; you need to be content with exactly what you have.

It’s clear that fame is thoroughly explored throughout “MARILYN.” But, to me, the most interesting part of the song is what it says about Kelsea Ballerini, the girl who wrote it. Ballerini isn’t quite at Marilyn Monroe’s level of fame, but she is still a famous person. Maybe my favorite Kelsea Ballerini lyric ever is in the second verse of “MARILYN:” “‘Cause I can see how it seemed through an LA silver screen/But I can also see how it’d drive me to pills.” This line is so compelling because it’s the only time Ballerini references herself. In this line, Ballerini is saying that she’s seen how glamorous fame looks from the outside, but she’s also had a taste of the dark side: the side that drove Monroe to pills. So, everything Ballerini asks Monroe about fame can also be seen as things Ballerini has struggled with as a famous person. Exploring a personal struggle through the more familiar struggle of someone else is truly brilliant. So, even though this song is about Marilyn, it’s entirely about Ballerini, too. 

To conclude, “MARILYN” is a powerful song that explores the “skeletons” of fame through Marilyn Monroe. Because the song is written by Ballerini, a famous person, we learn a lot about her relationship with fame as well. But, even if you aren’t famous, the emotions explored in this song are things we all experience. No matter how famous, beautiful, or popular you seem on the outside, you still can have internal pain. The lesson to learn is that you shouldn’t spend your life chasing the next thing because it won’t leave you fulfilled; it’s all about finding fulfillment in your innermost identity.

Thanks for reading!