So YouTube/music has taken over my life… again.

It all started the other day when someone posted the YouTube video for The Cab “Bounce”. I watched it and got totally hooked. It’s a very poppy and almost boy bandish but so awesome it was hard to turn it off. I played it over and over and over, couldn’t get enough of it. Then Miss Ryker Beck posted the following video

“Apologize” by One Republic:

There goes my night. Over and over and over it was played- for well over 3 hours. I have this OCD addiction with music, and it usually only happens when I’m in a funk and this one song is just making me feel better. I repeat it hundreds of time getting myself totally absorbed in the music. It gets to the point where I get this awful feeling in my stomach if I turn it off and I’m not mentally ready to let it go. Like last night people on plurk were sending me other amazing videos/songs and I would go and watch them and inside I was like nooooooooo go back to the other!!! Weird, I know, but everyone has their own problems.

The thing is- I’m not in a real funk. This song isn’t relevant to my life right now (goddamn though I wish I had this in the past to throw at aholes though) and theoretically I shouldn’t be enraptured in it like I am. Not only is the song fantastic- but the video is just WOW. There are so many little details in this video it’s not even funny- so here’s my little dissection of song/video.

The lyrics (posted at the bottom) plus the background music really gives you an overall feeling of the situation. The lyrics are very simple- no need to think about them- you can just sit and listen and understand completely. They are almost like anyone could have written them- it’s real and to the point. I know I’ve said many times to various ex’s “It’s too late to appologize” and telling them that I’ve given my all and they continued to mistreat me. It really makes the song more relatable and the music behind it dress it up with the sounds of the violin and the piano. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Now for the video:

One of the first things I noticed is that it isn’t like your normal video. You never see the full face of the male in it (most music videos have the artist plastered everywhere) but then I saw it wasn’t the “official” video (which is bull- this is amazing) but it made sense on why they didn’t focus on singer- since it’s not the real one. The video is also very simple- but powerful- and it was obvious that they spent loads of time making sure everythign was perfect.

There are two characters in the video- a girl and boy. After watching it a hundred some odd times I get the feeling they are both in the same boat. They both have a significant other that is treating them like crap. In some ways I can see that the boy is telling this to his girlfriend since the girl is reading it- but that could also be taken as the girl is reading the letter over and over waiting to send it to her boyfriend. She does lipsynch the song- which can be taken as either she means it and wants to tell her boof or she’s trying to digest that the boy is super angry at her. I honestly think of it the first way-  both boy character and girl are in the same boat and not in a reship with each other.

The male in the video was perfect (for me at least). He was in total character, and even though you never see his full face, you still get so much emotion and energy coming from him. Usually you see him singing into the telephone or playing the violin, but you only see his lips really. Doesn’t matter. You can still totally read that he’s angry and frustrated. There is one shot in it with the phone hanging and he is hunched over and depressed (like any normal person would be given the situation) but when he’s singing it’s obvious he’s angry.

The girl in the video I’m not the biggest fan of. It seemed in some shots of her (like when she’s laying on the glass) it’s taking energy to get in the role of the hurt girl, it’s almost unconvincing. You can, however, still get what they were trying to portray emotion wise. In the beginning of the video when she’s first lipsyncing I got this feeling of frustration and anger- and by the end of it she’s like most girls and crying and depressed, it’s totally sinking in for her that this re’ship is not going to work.

The images in this video are so detailed and vivid and give you instant memories of many things.

The violin and piano are cool- tieing the music into the rest of the video.

I love that they used old school parchment and pens with ink wells. All the lyrics are written on this parchment and you see clips of it through the length. They also use the ink droplets all over- including tears on the girl towards the end. It really ties the letter in- the girl reading it and just having it go over and over and over in her head. Having the ink destroying many objects that can be related to relationships (and marriage) really shows that the letter ended things. The ring was worthless, the doves will not be flying at that wedding, the cake topper of the bride and groom is not going to be needed, and there is no need for the fancy mirror that could be found in a bridal room all because of the letter. Oh and a little cool sidenote- all the ink droplets on the various objects fall in perfect synch with the rhythm. How cool is that? That’s the kind of detail I *love* seeing. I can’t imagine what it took to make sure all those drops came down in perfect harmony.

Having him singing into a telephone rather than a mic is also way cool. Almost as if he’s telling the girl or whatever via telephone. This is another reason why I think the two characters are not connected- he is singing and “telling” his girlfriend via phone whereas she is writing a letter. 

There are flowers through the whole video- which are almost always connected to relationships of any way shape or form. How many times does your significant other try sending flowers to make up for whatever stupid thing they did? They bloom at the beginning which reminds me that there is hope- but by the end they burn up.

They also show the purple flowers a couple times. One is already in the vase and the other comes crashing down upsidedown.  Another image that shows that hey, relationship is over- one of us tried- but the other, well they suck *drowns them*

A mask is used too, as if one of the people were hiding something. They were fake- they wore a mask over their true personality and refused to fess up and change thinking “sorry” was going to cut it.

Many images that come in two- the flowers, doves, bride and groom, two glasses, the feathers. All of these things eventually getting destroyed in one way shape or form.

The end of the video is very dramatic. The clips of objects become faster and faster and everything either exploding, crushed, or going up in flames. A lightbulb is smashed- showing that there is no way in hell it will ever work again. All the images together is extremely powerful and definitely gets the point across that things are over. The letter is also burned and the very last clip it shows “love you” with the fire slowly taking over even that spot. 

I could probably talk more about it- but this is basically everything I think of when watching a video that I adore- I rip it apart and find meaning in everything. I do this especially in videos of this nature because you know that they put these specific objects together for a reason- and it is your job (the viewer) to find meaning in those objects.

So there’s a little glimpse into my mind when it comes to music. Hope you enjoyed the stay! Here’s a pic I made today that reminded me of the video- and the lyrics to the song underneath that! If this post seems disjointed and all over the place it’s because that’s how my mind works

One Republic “Apologize”

I’m holding on your rope, 
Got me ten feet off the ground
I’m hearin what you say but I just can’t make a sound
You tell me that you need me 
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you’re sorry
Didn’t think I’d turn around, and say…

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

I’d take another chance, take a fall 
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat 
But it’s nothin new
I loved you with a fire red-
Now it’s turning blue, and you say…
“Sorry” like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I’m afraid…

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late

Bridge (guitar/piano)

It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
I said it’s too late to apologize, it’s too late
It’s too late to apologize, yeah
I said it’s too late to apologize, yeah-
I’m holdin on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground…