Analysis of 3 music videos

Dodie Clarke- 6/10

Song meaning

The general meaning of this song is feeling insecure. She conveys this throughout lyrical meaning along with the pace of the instrumental. 

"I feel like a 6/10, I've gotta get up early tomorrow again"- my interpretation of this lyric is whilst she doesn't feel ugly, she also doesn't feel attractive. Dodie has conveyed this the through a rating to possibly link to the way society views peoples looks as people often rate people looks out of 10 as if it is a competion. She furthers her views of her feeling unremarkable by saying she has to get up early again, this could mean that she feels, like how she views herself, her life is repetitive and un-extrodinary. Later in the song she repeatedly says "what goes on behind the words? is there pity for the plain girl".  This suggest that she is anxious about how people view her and furthers her thoughts on herself being "plain". Later in the song she repeats "I know that you don't want me here" after saying "can you see the panic inside". These lyrics combined with the general vibe of the song shows the listener that she feels anxiety stemming from her insecurity of who she is and how she looks.

How does the video represent the song?

Right at the beginning of the video there is  diegetic sound used to set up the narrative helping the viewer to understand the setting, this is a typical convention of singer-songwriter music videos. Another convention this video follows is the use of simple locations such as bedrooms and streets, this not only links to her feelings of being "plain" but it also helps to not draw focus away from the icon presented in the video .The video starts in a cafe, showing dodie with no makeup, in plain black clothes, this shows her feelings of being plain and how she feels she doesn't stand out in a crowd. This is further shown as she walks around the cafe serving people, going un noticed. Throughout the video she is shown using dance to convey coping mechanisms for anxiety, this links to the overall feeling of anxiety throughout the song. As the video goes on emphasis is further put onto her coping mechanisms through dance. She is shown entering her apartment and looking in her mirror. During this scene, she continues this form of dance, however it becomes to seem like more of a way for her to express herself in the comfort of her own home, this shows that she feels uncomfortable in herself and her mental health, feeling as though she needs to keep her true feelings to herself. This links to the lyric repeated through the song "I'll close my mouth I wont say a word" and furthers the message to the audience, potentially helping them relate to her negative feelings towards herself. Later in the video dodie is shown in the waiting room for what looks like an audition for something, she looks around and feels like she isn't good enough. As she is leaving people begin to notice her and it shows how they feel exactly the same. This is where the video goes to the polar opposite of the song. In the song she is further feeling insecure where as the video shows that she is infact not alone and people do notice her. Throughout the video, her facial expression is consistently the same  melancholy expression, furthering the painful feelings she conveys in this song. 

Stray heart- Green Day

Song analysis

The songs general meaning is from the perspective of a man who constantly cheats on his partner, he is asking for her forgiveness throughout the song and showing through lyrics that his words don't hold meaning and therefore she wont accept him.

The lyric "I lost my way oh baby this stray heart went to another can you recover" this is the man openly admitting he has cheated on his partner and asking if they can forgive him. The use of the phrase "stray heart" shows him saying he can't tame his heart, meaning he feels as though he can't stay faithful to his partner. He repeatedly says things such as "youre the only one that im dreaming of" this indicates that whilst the man is incapable of staying faithful, he expresses that his now ex partner is the only one he has feelings for. He then goes on to say "your precious heart was torn apart by me and you" this is him saying their relationship broke his exs heart, presumably by his cheating, begging for forgiveness and saying "a thousand times and now a thousand and one" that it wouldn't happen again. Because he has proved to his ex that he is incapable of being monogamous he repeats throughout the song "but I just can't have you". The lyric "this dog is destined for a home to your heart" links to the title stray heart. This animalises the man being depicted throughout the song, comparing him to a stray dog, asking his now ex partner to tame him. The use of the noun dog further suggests that the depicted male through the song is trying to convince his ex partner that he can change and be loyal (dogs are known for being loyal to their owner).

 How does the video represent the song?

At the start of the video, the protagonist is wearing black clothes and eyeliner, this is typical for rock/punk music videos because it helps the audience relate to the visuals they are seeing. Another convention the video follows is throughout the video is the simple editing style, using mostly just cuts. The video begins in a music shop where the male protagonist is buying Green day albums whilst promiscuously exchanging looks with various women, creating a sexual tension between them, giving off a sleazy vibe from the beginning. It then goes to him knocking on his girlfriends door to give her the albums, she is happy at first until she notices he has a hole where his heart should be she gets mad at him and slams the door in his face. This is a literal depiction of the phrase used throughout the song "stray heart" this helps to emphasise the impact of him cheating and that he can't commit to monogamy as well as create an interesting narrative to instantly hook the viewer in. For the remainder of the chorus, he walks through the street receiving dirty looks off of every passerby as he has visibly done his partner wrong by the bloodied hole in his chest as he follows the trail of blood left by his "stray heart". The video then cuts to a personified version of his heart lying in bed in its underwear smoking. This links to the video genre (showing smoking links to the rebelious stereotype behind rock/punk). The protagonist knocks on the door to find his heart has been with a new woman, as he realises this, his heart runs away and he chases it into a bar. This links to the song because it shows that whilst he wants to be faithful and says he'll change, he can't bring himself to be monogamous. When he goes into the bar, he asks the bar staff if theyve seen his heart and notices posters calling him a womaniser. All whilst this is happening, the video show his ex partner dealing with the breakup, this links to the song because it shows that even if he says "everything that I want, I want from you" he has gone too far, preventing her from forgiving him, leading him to saying "but I just can't have you". He then chases his heart into a strip club where he is recognised for sleeping around and his presence is met with a slap to the face. This links to the lyric "iv'e said a thousand times and now a thousand and one" because it shows the sheer amount of times he has cheated because he is now becoming almost famous for his promiscuity. Then he is shown looking at the poster of him as someone throws rubbish through his chest hole. Whilst this adds comedic value, it holds the meaning that without his heart he feels worthless and he then begins to show signs of remorse on his face as well as his heart longingly looking up at his ex. Finally he is shown outside his exs apartment with his heart finally by his side, as he asks for forgiveness, she throws his gifts back in his face and he is left alone. As this is happening Billie-joe Armstrong sings the final "but I just can't have you".

Hysteria - Muse

Song analysis

The song Hysteria is about the obsession over something you want but you can't have. With the lyrics beginning with "its bugging me grating me and twisting me around yeah i'm endlessly caving in and turning inside out" This depicts that the obsession is creating such harsh negative feelings that it is causing mental and physical pain for the man obsessed. The chorus goes on to say "cause I want it now, I want it now give me your heart and your soul, i'm breaking out, i'm breaking out, last chance to lose control" this here depicts the mans thought process as he is going through hysteria due to his obsession with what we have now learned is a person. He goes on to say "it's holding me, morphing me and forcing me to strive to be endlessly cold within and dreaming i'm alive"  From this I understand that he recognises the things he does because of his obsession as wrong, and yet he still does them because the only thing he now cares about is getting the person he is obsessed with. The use of the bass guitar/electric guitar solo gives the audience time to reflect on the perspective of the man and the lyrics they were presented with and creates an almost angry feeling. The final lyric "I'm breaking out escaping now I feel my faith errode" can be interpreted in many different ways, however the way I interpreted it was that is losing hope of getting what he is obsessed with and his hysteria is worsening due to that.

How does the video relate to the song? 

Through this video, the lighting is dark and grungy, this relates to the codes and conventions of rock music videos, this helps appeal to the target audience. Another convention this video follows is the fast paced editing to match the speed of the music and further the feeling of chaos created throughout the video. The video starts with a maid at a hotel trying to get into the protagonists room to clean but he slams the door in her face and reveals that he has destroyed the room the previous night. This makes the audience question why this has happened and indicates towards the state of hysteria he may have gone into the previous night. All whilst this is happening he is visually showing he is distressed, he is drenched in sweat and his eyes are red from crying. This further suggests his decaying mental state. It then shows him viewing footage he has taken of the woman he is obsessed with, indicating to the audience that he has stalked this woman. As he continues to view this footage he realises that she is a prostitute and becomes increasingly upset, and attempts to make phone calls, presumably to her, with no luck. This links to the music video because it shows his descent into hysteria as he wants her "heart and soul" but can never have it. He finally loses control and throws the phone, from here footage from the previous day and that point in time are played side by side, adding to the growing chaos of the video and seemingly adding to the portrayal of his deteriorating mental health. The speed of the editing increases between time periods as he attacks her in his hotel room until the instrumental breakdown begins and we are shown him completely destroying his hotel room. This is to symbolise the man being mid hysteria, claiming hes "not breaking down, i'm breaking out". It then jumps between footage of him, whilst still destroying things, also showing his distraught state through facial expressions and footage of the woman. This further suggests shes all he wants and all he cares about and because hes now realised she is not his he has lost control. Finally after he has calmed down, the situation that became the catalyst to the hysteria began again, indicating that he is in a vicious cycle and can't escape his obsession.