Marina and the Diamonds - Radioactive Lyrics Meaning

To me this song is about being afraid of falling in love, maybe because your heart has been broken before, and what happens when you fall in love again.

Perhaps this relationship is moving slowly and/or is unclear; Marina feels confused. She's not sure if the relationship is "real", therefore its comparison to a "fake beach", and when she sings "you'll never get a tan" she means that it seems like they're not going anywhere and, perhaps, that they'll never fall in love like this.

Marina needs her lover to show her that he truly cares for her. She doesn't want to give herself away too easily, or without precaution, so she won't get her heart broken again. She basically is saying that she won't demonstrate how much she likes him ("I'm gonna leave you drowning") until he proves to her that he feels the same ("until you reach for my hand").

The next lines could either mean that her lover is mostly using her for sex ("in the night your heart is full") and doesn't want a relationship ("and by the morning empty"); or simply that he's "hot n cold".

"But, baby, I'm the one who left you
You're not the one who left me"

Marina is keeping up the "heartbreaker" façade in case things take a turn for the worst. She can't let others know if she feels down; they won't catch her vulnerable. She'll deny it and "play it cool" even if she’s the one getting “dumped”.

"When you're around me, I'm radioactive
My blood is burning, radioactive
I'm turning radioactive
My blood is radioactive"

Like I mentioned before, Marina is falling in love with said lover.

"My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I fear"

Her feelings are strong and, perhaps, even destructive ("nuclear"). Probably due to previous heartbreak Marina is afraid of falling in love and/or of love itself.

"Waiting for the nightfall
For my heart to light up"

Marina feels "alive" during the night-time. This is contrast. Basically she "burns bright" when it's "dark".

"Oh, baby, I want you to die for
For you to die for my love"

Since "Greek tragedy" is a part of Electra Heart this fits rather well. It's as if Marina wishes her lover to go to extreme lengths to show her his affection is true; but it's probably just an exaggeration. It's common when a songwriter wants to show how "grand" his feelings are. This might be a reference to Romeo and Juliet.

"My heart is nuclear
Love is all that I feel
Ready to be let down
Now I'm heading for a meltdown"

Most say that she sings "love is all that I fear" throughout the whole song, others say that it's "feel"; I myself always hear "fear" except for in this particular line. Either way, Marina is afraid of love, and even if she feels it, she's prepared to be disappointed (due to previous experience). As her love life "darkens" she is in a downward spiral.

"Tonight I feel like neon gold
I take one look at you and I grow cold"

She's starting to feel quite good until suddenly she grows "numb" and/or "afraid" again.

You can hear her chant "love" in the background throughout most of the song. Knowing Marina's work this might be intentionally "cheesy" to mock today's pop music.

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