"Manicure" (stylized as "MANiCURE") is a song written by Lady Gaga and produced by DJ White Shadow in 2012 from her fourth studio album, ARTPOP. She revealed the song title via Instagram on August 29, 2013, and the lyrics almost a year before revealing what it was called on Little Monsters.com. The song was registered on Gaga's BMI on December 15, 2013. An early demo version of the song leaked June 4, 2017 and included an alternate intro, bridge, chorus, and instrumentals. A week later second demo of the song, identical to the SwineFest live version surfaced online along with third demo of "Applause".
Background
It was revealed on July 24, 2012, that Douglas Aldrich, the guitarist of Whitesnake, was recorded playing guitar on a track in Los Angeles. He tweeted twice about it, with the tweets being deleted later.
"Just got home from playing guitar on a killer track from one of our most popular female artists. Miss Lady Gaga. [She is] very sweet and great singer." He added, "I say she's sweet but she's a badass. . . [It was a] real fun day. I understand why she is mega. Super talented!"
Gaga also talked about the meaning of the song in the track-by-track ARTPOP commentary on Sirius XM.
| “ | This song is written, actually, in a couple of different ways. It’s written on the album as “MANiCURE:” capital M,A,N; lower case I; capital C,U,R,E. So, it’s either: “manicure,” “man I cure,” or [like in a song] “MANiCURE!” And this song is about getting ready to go out and catch a man, or catch a girl, you know, to fool around with; and so, while I’m singin’ all about, you know, [lyric from the song] “Put some lipstick on, perfume y’neck, and slip y’high heels on…” this record’s all about gettin’ ready to go out, and your manicuring your body, and your manicuring your spirit, and your mind, and then the chorus hits, and it’s all about being really shooken by this person that you run into; and how you need it, you want it, you have to have it. And it’s just sort of a mantra that repeats back and forth, about how you’re gonna get laid tonight. | ” |
Performances
| Dates | Location | City | 
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| 2013 | |||
| Sep 1 | iTunes Festival | London | 
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| Nov 10 | artRave | Brooklyn, NY | 
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| 2014 | |||
| Mar 13 | South by Southwest (SXSW) | Austin, TX |
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Lyrics
Put some lipstick on
Perfume your neck and slip your high heels on
Rinse and curl your hair
Loosen your hips and get a dress to wear.
I’m the one who's
Been coming 'round lookin' to love in you
You’re the medicine
I need to heal the way you make me feel.
I’m gon’ be MANiCURED
You wanna be MAN CURED
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURED
She wanna be MAN CURED!
Salon’s enough for her
Not to feel so insecure
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She want be take care’n of.
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
I’m addicted to the love that you garner
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
Looking serial killer, man is a goner.
Touch me in the dark
Put your hands all over my body parts
Throw me on the bed
Squeeze, tease me, please me
That’s what I said!
'Cuz I'm the
Trick who’s
Been coming 'round lookin' to love in you
You’re the, the medicine
I need to heal the way, the way, the way
You make me feel!
I’m gon’ be MANiCURED
You wanna be MAN CURED
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURED
She wanna be MAN CURED!
Salon’s enough for her
Not to feel so insecure
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She want be take care’n of.
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
I’m addicted to the love that you garner
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
Looking serial killer, man is a goner.
MAN CURE!
MAN CURE!
Heal me!
'Cuz I'm addicted to love!
Save me!
'Cuz I'm addicted to love!
I’m gon’ be MANiCURED
You wanna be MAN CURED
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURED
She wanna be MAN CURED!
Salon’s enough for her
Not to feel so insecure
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She want be take care’n of.
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
I’m addicted to the love that you garner
Can you feel it, can you feel it, can you feel it?
Looking serial killer, man is a goner.
[Intro]
Get out, don't shout
I'm gonna have sex for sure
Get out, get out, don't shout
I need a man cure
[Verse 1]
Put some lipstick on
Perfume your neck and slip your high heels on
Rinse and curl your hair
Plump up your lips and get a dress to wear
I'm the one who's been coming 'round
Looking to love in you
You're the medicine, I need to heal
The way you make me feel
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
She wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wan' be take care'n of
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
Im addicted to love
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
[Verse 2]
Touch me in the dark
Put your hands all over my body parts
Throw me on the bed
Squeeze, tease me, please me, that's what I said!
I'm the chick who's been coming 'round
Looking to love in you
You're the medicine
I need to heal the way, way you make me feel
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
She wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wan' be take care'n of
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
I'm addicted to love
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
[Bridge]
I want expensive things including diamond rings
And travel overseas (goodbye!)
Have sex with celebrities (nice try)
Of the rich and pretty life (cha-ching!)
Make the money, lookin' right (bling, bling)
Of the rich and pretty life (oh, share)
Makin' bank as pop's wife (I quit)
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
She wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wan' be take care'n of
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
I'm addicted to love
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She gonna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
[Verse 1]
Put some lipstick on
Perfume your neck and slip your high heels on
Rinse and curl your hair
Plump up your lips and get a dress to wear
I'm the one who's been coming 'round
Looking to love in you
You're the medicine, I need to heal
The way you make me feel
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be man cured
Salon’s enough for her not to feel so insecure
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be take care'n of
[Post-Chorus]
Feel me, cause I'm addicted to love (Manicure)
Save me, cause I'm addicted to love (Manicure)
[Verse 2]
Touch me in the dark
Put your hands all over my body parts
Throw me on the bed
Squeeze, tease me, please me, that's what I said!
'Cause I'm the chick who's been coming 'round
Lovin' you
You're the medicine
I need to heal the way, the way, the way you make me feel
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be man cured
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be take care'n of
Heal me, cause I'm addicted to love (Manicure)
Save me, cause I'm addicted to love
I'm addicted to love
[Bridge]
Man cure
Man cure
Man cure
[Chorus]
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be man cured
Salon’s enough for her
I'm gon' be MANiCURED
You wanna be man cured
Ma-ma-ma-MANiCURE
She wanna be man cured
[Outro]
Heal me, cause I'm addicted to love (Manicure)
Save me, cause I'm addicted to love
I'm addicted (Manicure)
I, I, I, I
I, I, I, I
"G.U.Y." Music video
An extended version of "Manicure" is used during the credits of the "G.U.Y." music video.
Credits
| Writers | Lady Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Nick Monson and Dino Zisis |
| Producers | Lady Gaga and DJ White Shadow |
| Additional production | Nick Monson and Dino Zisis |
| Recording by | Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA and CRC Studios, Chicago, IL
|
| Assistant recording | Benjamin Rice and Andrew Robertson |
| Additional recording | Bill Malina at Thom Thom Club, Santa Monica, CA and Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
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| Guitars |
Doug Aldrich and Tim Stewart for Haus of Gaga |
| Horns | Bijon S. Watson (trumpet) and The Regiment Horns (Leon H. Silva, Kevin Williams and Sean C. Erick) |
| Instrumentation and arrangement by | Joanne Tominaga |
| Additional programing | Rick Pearl |
| Union contract administration | Ivy Skoff |
| Mixed by | Dave Russell at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA and Heard IT! Studios, North Hollywood, CA
|
| Additional Mixing by | Bill Malina at Record Plant, Hollywood, CA
|
| Assistant mixers | Benjamin Rice and Ghazi Hourani |
| Mastering | Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering, Burbank, CA
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| Published by |
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References
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