Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos: Alt-J (∆) - Breezeblocks & Massive Attack - Inertia Creeps




Artist/Band: Alt-J (∆)
Track: Breezeblocks
Release Date: 18th of May, 2012
Genre: Indie Rock, Art Rock, Experimental Rock
Budget for Video: £5000
Awards: UK Music Video Award "Best Alternative Music Video" 2012
Lyrics:

 [Verse 1]
She may contain the urge to run away
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breeze blocks
Cetirizine your fever's gripped me again
Never kisses all you ever send is full stops (la la la la)
Do you know where the wild things go
They go along to take your honey (la la la la)
Break down now weep build up breakfast now
Let's eat my love my love love love (la la la la)

[Hook]
Muscle to muscle and toe to toe
The fear has gripped my but here I go
My heart sinks as I jump up
Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut
Ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah - ahhh ahhh ahhh ah ah

[Verse 2]
Do you know where the wild things go
They go along to take your honey (la la la la)
Break down now sleep build up breakfast now
Let's eat my love my love love love (la la la la)
She bruises coughs she splutters pistol shots
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breeze blocks
She's morphine queen of my vaccine my love my love love love (la la la la)

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
She may contain the urge to run away
But hold her down with soggy clothes and breeze blocks
Germolene disinfect the scene my love my love love love
Please don't go, I love you so...My lovely

[Refrain] (x2)
Please don't go, please don't go
I love you so, I love you so
Please don't go, please don't go
I love you so, I love you so
Please break my heart

[Outro]
Please don't go, I'll eat you whole
I love you so (repeated)













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1 comment:

  1. vmb11 November 2013 at 12:55

    Your case study on Media Language (specifically linking your analysis to Goodwin's Theory) is intelligent, perceptive and consistently interesting. You have chosen quite challenging/sophisticated music videos as examples and identify aspects within the music videos which don't neatly fit into Goodwin's Theory. Well done for identifying the way indie music videos do not always rely on voyeuristic shots, nevertheless I think the shot of the artist in the bath is voyeuristic and erotic.
    This is perhaps this shot ironically references "Ophelia" an iconic painting by the Pre Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais, You may want to upload the painting and compare with the establishing shot in the music video. The model Millais used was his muse Elizabeth Siddal, then 19 years old. She caught a cold during the hours she lay in the bath as Millais worked on the painting and this may have destroyed her health.

    There has been debate about the manner of which the erotic image in this painting caused suffering to Siddal. The image of the woman in the bath also has tragic connotations. Lizzie Siddal (married to Dante Gabrielle Rossetti) died of an overdose of laudanum at the age of 32 not long after the death of her still born daughter. You may want to do a little research into this iconic model and aspiring artist of the mid 19 century .

    Try: http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/lizzie-siddal-victorian-supermodel.ht

    or other websites. She was in a sense the iconic face 160 years ago and definitely part of our artistic culture.

    Thus the establishing shot in Breezeblocks music video has another layer of meaning further reinforced by the subject of Ophelia who in Shakespeare's Hamlet goes mad and drowns herself. Think about the image of the woman in the bath in the music video which brings to mind Millais' painting and his muse Lizzie Siddal whilst also referencing the subject of Millais' painting the tragic character Ophelia. Interesting.

    You may wish to add to the post.

    Keep up the good work - if time is short then add another slide and upload an image of the painting as a further inter textual reference.

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