1950

## Music Video

"**1950**" is the debut single of King Princess. It is also the lead single of her debut EP, *Make My Bed*, on which it is featured as the fifth and final track. It was released on February 23, 2018 through Zelig Recordings, becoming the first track to be released from that record label.

A few weeks after its release, the song gained a huge boost after Harry Styles tweeted out a lyric from the song and has gone on to chart on multiple charts, most notably #17 on the US Alternative Charts and #30 on the Australian ARIA Charts. The song was certified platinum by ARIA.

The song was also named the 16th best song of 2018 on *Billboard's* "Best Songs of 2018". *Rolling Stones* named it the 42nd best song of 2018.

## Background

"1950" is not only King Princess' debut single but also the debut release of her label, Zelig Recordings.

The song was written in 2017 alongside Nick Long and produced alongside Mike Malchicoff . It was first hinted at on January 12 and 13, 2018 and officially announced on February 21, 2018. It was then released on February 23, 2018 along with its music video.

The song was written in Los Angeles, California.

On the day of the song's, and visual's, release, King Princess spoke to *The Line Of Best Fit* about the inspiration of the track:

"*Queer love was only able to exist privately for a long time, expressed in society through coded art forms. I wrote this song as a story of unrequited love in my own life, doing my best to acknowledge and pay homage to that part of history.*"
—King Princess

As stated above the song draws inspiration from the decade it was named after. The part of history King Princess might be referring to is the 1950 Lavender scare which refers to a "witch hunt" of homosexual people in the 1950s from the US government. In 1950, Senator McCarthy claimed the LGBTQ+ community posed a "communist threat to national security" and called to remove them from state employment. Three years later, President Eisenhower signed an executive order banning the employment of anyone with a "sexual perversion" (which is what he uses to describe members of the LGBTQ+ community). The order cost nearly 5,000 people their jobs and was not officially revoked until 1995.

The song is also a tribute to the 1952 novel *The Price of Salt* by Patricia Highsmith, which is one of King Princess' favorite novels and depicts a lesbian love story, to the LGBTQ Community and to queer love.

King Princess also explained the inspiration behind the song in an interview with *Genius*:

"*The light bulb went off when I was in the shower. I was humming that melody ,and I kind of raced out of the shower. I was like, 'Oh fuck!' I picked up a guitar and went back and recorded on my phone. I sat down with it and was like, 'Oh shit, this is good.' I wrote down those lines, just kind of came out. I wanted the first line to make a statement.
 I wanted it to be something about gender and sexuality and throw the listener directly into it from line one. It was the shower.*"
—King Princess

In the same interview, she also broke down the lyrical content of the song:

"*Somebody really smart once said something like, “When you really feel something, and you’re somebody who makes art, makes anything, you’re just a maker of things. You use those feelings and you ride that wave for as long as possible, and you try to get as much out of it.” You try to squeeze all the shit you can out of it so you can get the best material.
 I was definitely riding a wave of sadness and heartbreak. The result was a body of work that I feel encapsulates that whole time period of my life. I feel really fortunate for those experiences. It’s nice to be able to have a token from that point. These songs will end up being these little tokens that remind me of what I felt like. I love that. I love that about music and I hope that I’m giving people some of that.*"
—King Princess

King Princess also confirmed that this song is about a real person.

Moreover, the song also reflects on King Princess moving from New York to Los Angeles.

A live version of this song which also includes "Took A Minute" was released on August 5, 2019 as part of the live EP, *Up Next Live from Apple Williamsburg*.

## Music video

The music video was released on February 23, 2018 which is the same day the single was released. The video was directed by Clare Gillen who also went on to direct Straus' other music video for "Talia" and "Pussy Is God".

## Official versions

* *Make My Bed* version — 3:27
* Live version — 7:40

## Lyrics

### *Make My Bed* version

**[Verse 1]**

I hate it when dudes try to chase me

But I love it when you try to save me

'Cause I'm just a lady

I love it when we play 1950

It's so cold that your stare's 'bout to kill me

I'm surprised when you kiss me

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

**[Verse 2]**

Did you mean it when you said I was pretty?

That you didn't wanna live in a city

Where the people are shitty?

I like it when we play 1950

So bold, make them know that you're with me

Stone cold, will you miss me?

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

**[Bridge]**

I hope that you're happy with me in your life

I hope that you won't slip away in the night

I hope that you're happy with me in your life

I hope that you won't slip away

I hate it when dudes try to chase me

I love it when you try to save me

'Cause I'm just a lady

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So, so, so I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

(For your love, for your love, for your love)

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

### Live version

**Do You Wanna See Me Crying?:**

**[Intro]**

Do you wanna see me cry for you?

Do you wanna see me cry for you?

Do you wanna see me cry for you? (No)

Do you wanna see me cry for you? (No)

**[Chorus]**

It's cuter when I dance now

I'm nicer to my friends now

I'm working through the stress now

I wanna put a million songs out, babe

I keep my money in my hands now

And I feel better with my heart out

And you're probably just a fan now

It took a minute but I found out

And now I wanna see you cry for me

**[Guitar solo]**

Do you wanna see me cry for you?

**[Chorus]**

It's cuter when I dance now

I'm nicer to my friends now

I'm working through the stress now

I wanna put a million songs out

I keep my money in my hands now

And I feel better with my heart out

And you're probably just a fan now

It took a minute but I found out

It took a minute but I found out

**[Spoken:]**

What's up Miss Apple Store?

Miss Apple Store Williamsburg?

Alright, we're just gonna fucking give it to y'all

**1950:**

**[Verse 1]**

I hate it when dudes try to chase me

But I love it when you try to save me

'Cause I'm just a lady

I love it when we play 1950

It's so cold that your stare's 'bout to kill me

I'm surprised when you kiss me

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

**[Verse 2]**

Did you mean it when you said I was pretty?

That you didn't wanna live in a city

Where the people are shitty?

I like it when we play 1950

So bold, make them know that you're with me

Stone cold, will you miss me?

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

**[Bridge]**

I hope that you're happy with me in your life

I hope that you won't slip away in the night

I hope that you're happy with me in your life

I hope that you won't slip away

I hate it when dudes try to chase me

I love it when you try to save me

'Cause I'm just a lady

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So tell me why my gods look like you

And tell me why it's wrong

**[Chorus]**

So, so, so I'll wait for you, I'll pray

I will keep on waiting for your love

(For your love, for your love, for your love)

For you, I'll wait

I will keep on waiting for your

## Gallery

King Princess "1950" Official Lyrics & Meaning Verified
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Instagram* - Writing Process
2. ↑ *Twitter* - Mark Ronson announcing it is the first track from the label
3. ↑ *Twitter* - Harry Styles tweeting lyrics from "1950"
4. ↑ *NZ Top 40* - Chart Peak Retrieved June 22, 2018.
5. ↑ *ARIA Charts* - ARIA Chart Peak
6. ↑ *ARIA* - Platinum Certification
7. ↑ *Billboard* - Best Songs of 2018
8. ↑ *Rolling Stones* - 50 Best Songs of 2018
9. ↑ *Twitter* - Mark Ronson promoting "1950"
10. ↑ *Instagram* - Clare Gillen teases 'King Princess'
11. ↑ *Instagram* - "1950" Tease
12. ↑ *Twitter* - Song's Announcement
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 *YouTube* - Music video
14. ↑ *Billboard* - "King Princess On Working With Mark Ronson and Finishing Her Debut Album Within the Year"
15. ↑ *The Line Of Best Fit* - "1950" Inspiration
16. ↑ *Press* - "An interview with David K. Johnson author of The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government"
17. ↑ *Vice* - "who is king princess? get to know the teen behind hit song 1950"
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 *YouTube* - Interview with Genius
19. ↑ *YouTube* - MTV Interview
20. ↑ The live version from *Up Up Next Live from Apple Williamsburg* also includes "Do You Wanna See Me Crying?".

 Released