Lyrics Analysis: Birdy

The song begins with verse one ‘come on skinny love, just last year’. The phrase ‘skinny love’ can represent a person with an unhealthy love to food or can represent a relationship that lacks in love. She then wants to ‘pour a little salt’ which is used as a healing agent on some wounds. This suggests that the relationship, the wound, can be healed in Birdy’s eyes. However, when she says ‘we were never here’, it is a link to the old saying ‘salting the earth’ which said pouring salt on the ground eradicated cities etc. This could be referring to the fact that if the wound isn’t healed she wants to eradicate everything, life isn’t worth living. As the verse continues, emotive language is used to create a vivid image in the listener’s head. ‘staring at the sing of blood and crushed veneer’ creates an uncomfortable image in the listener’s heads. ‘Veneer’ is used in walls so the fact there is some in the sink accompanied with blood can be associated with someone punching a wall out of frustration or anger; to highlight the frustration she is feeling towards the relationship. She continues to say ‘cut out all the roped and let me fall’ as her way of saying don’t keep me hanging, just do it. The ‘fall’ representing the grief and feeling of being lost she will feel after he does. However, this could also be a form of cowardice, she’s asking to be freed from the pain instead of fighting for it.

As the chorus begins, the lyrics say ‘and I told you to be patient and I told you to be fine’, these lyrics continue through the whole of the chorus beginning each line with ‘and I told you’. The fact there is the use of anaphora emphasises how much she wants this but suggests they weren’t followed through. She is also asking something that is almost impossible, she says 'and I told you to be fine'. The fact she is saying something that can’t be fulfilled with one simple action makes her requests seem like a desperate plea. As the chorus continues, she completes a story that is almost a consequence of these requests not being answered. she says 'and in the morning I’ll be with you, but it will be a different kind'. The fact she says it will be a different kind suggest that the feelings will no longer be the same. Also the fact she uses 'morning' can be a metaphor for a dark period of time. It could also be ambiguous as a listener could interpret that as 'mourning' instead. She has come to the realisation the relationship is unfixable. As she continues she uses 'tickets' and 'fines' as a symbol of her time that he has wasted. However, because a fine has to be repaid, it’s as if she still has a slight ounce of hope that there will still be some sort of connection between them which she is relying on.

In verse two, he asks him 'what happened here?', whilst referring to him as 'skinny love' which is ironic as she has almost answered her own question. She is asking why the relationship is over almost as if she doesn’t want to accept it which is a continuation of what she said previously. She also began the song with 'skinny love' which suggests she has the answers to why the relationship wouldn’t last as soon as it started.

As the chorus starts again, she asks the same questions as previously. However, in this chorus the anaphora continues as she also sings, 'and now your love is wasted, and then who the hell was I? and I’m breaking at the britches, at the end of all your lines.' Here she is beginning to regret her time with her partner.' and now your love is wasted' suggests that she is regretting asking and expecting so much of him as it’s all been for nothing. She finishes the chorus by saying, ' and I’m breaking at the britches and at the end of all your lines'. Here she is creating the imagery of the relationship being held together by 'lines', as if she is saying she is keeping him from falling; if he doesn’t do anything to fix it, hell fall despite her efforts to save him.

Overall this song explores personal experience of an emotional breakup. Although this is what it seems like on the surface, this could also be interpreted as a cry for help for someone suffering from the mental illness anorexia.

how will this help me?
Researching these song lyrics has helped me because it has confirmed, again, my previous findings from other music video lyrics. It also makes it clear to me that when I create my music video I will have to choose a song with a deep meaning and be careful on how I represent the lyrics within the visuals so I don’t make any representational issues.

Lyrics Analysis: Hozier

To help me continue my lyric analysis further, I have decided to analyse Hoziers ‘Angels Of Small Death and the Codeine Scene’.

Hozier’s first verse begins with ‘I watch the work of my kin bold and boyful’. This song, similar to the previous Lorde song I analysed’ is again using personal pronouns from the offset. The pronoun ‘I’ tells the listener straight away that this song will be from a personal point of view. As Hozier continues, he says ‘kin’ creating connotations that whoever he is ‘watching’ is of close relativity. The fact he has used the word ‘watched’ as well, creates a physical closeness of the two characters too. This is emphasised by him calling them ‘bold and boyfull’ as it makes it clear that he is admiring them and has a level of affection for them. However, the fact ‘boyful’ isn’t a word, can also suggest that something isn’t quite right here. The next line, ‘toying somewhere between love and abuse’ sets the tone for the rest of the song. These lyrics create a juxtaposition of oppression and darkness (‘abuse’) and putiry and devotion (‘love’). This is also seen throughout the rest of the album suggesting it is something Hozier is fascinated with or struggles with himself.

When hozier says ‘calling to join them the wretched and joyfull’ it again explores the idea that there is a juxtaposition in the person that is ‘calling’ to him. This also has connotations of peer pressure suggesting he is being lured into something. ‘Shaking the wings of their terrible youths’ is a intertextual reference to James Joyces portrait of ‘A Young Man’ which conforms to the theory that all music videos have intertextual references. As he continues ‘frozen devotion’ suggests he has just come out of a relationship in which th love was unrequited. Now he feels ‘alone’ and he would rather be with anyone else but by ‘himself’. Therefroe he ‘lurched’ into the only arms that were ‘open’ for him. However, this could also be symbolism for the ‘codeine he references in the title of the song.

As the chorus begins, you could argue that symbolism is used again as the whole chorus is an extended metaphor for the drug he is using. He talks about ‘her sweetened breath and her tongue so mean’ which could be a personification of the drug. The drug is responsible for speaking nastily towards him but also being so ‘sweet’ at times which is the irresistible aspect of it. When he refers to the angel of ‘small death’ this is a phrase in French which refers to an orgasm, he is suggesting that the drug is the bringer of joy and happiness. As he continues to describe a female with’ straw blonde hair’ and her ‘arms so lean’, he is conforming to the stereotypes of an attractive Hollywood female. Typically, tall, thin and blonde females are used as a sexual appeal. Also, the word ‘lean’ is often used as a slang term for codeine syrup which is continuing the theme of drug abuse. This could again be personifying the drug. However, this chorus could be interpreted in two different ways; he could be personifying the drug itself, or he could be referring to a woman abusing the drug.

In the second verse the listener hears a tonal shift. Hozier shifts from admiration to defeat. He says ‘feeling more human and hooked on her flesh, lay my heart down with the rest at her feet’, he is giving into temptation. When he says ‘lay my heart down with the rest’ it’s like he is acknowledging that drugs take lives and he is fully aware and maybe has even experienced this happening. However, he chooses to follow suit despite this. As he says, ‘fresh from the fields, all feeder and fertile, its bloody and raw but I sweat is it sweet’ he is saying the relationship is flourishing and growing out of control like crops in a field. However, he could also be seen to try to excuse it as he is comparing it with something natural.

In the final verse, he begins it with ‘leash-less confusion, ill wander the concrete’ showing his confusion towards the relationship he has either with the female or the drug. This also creates the visual image of a lost soul wandering the streets which can have dangerous connotations. As he says ‘wonder it better now having survived’ he begins to question if this is the best life to live. He is beginning to regret giving into temptation as it is only the ‘sweet heat of her breath in my mouth’ that is keeping him ‘alive’.

Overall Hozier uses enigma codes throughout his song to create more than one impression of the song. This suggests to me that his writing si more for a target audience who are more intellectual and enjoy hidden meanings. Also, people who are more world aware will understand different references. However, the song also explores a serious issue of drug abuse and controlling relationships in turn. He uses symbolism throughout to represent both issues which creates a moral message conforming to Deborah Holsteins theory that artists are social speakers. Finally, these issues are represented in a serious manner as Todorovs theory is applied throughout of the initial order, the disorder when he is defeated however never finishes with order. This means the narrative theory is purposely incomplete to highlight that abusive relationships (with drugs or people) can have disastrous consequences.

How has this helped me?
This has helped me as there are multiple aspects of the lyrics that conform to Lordes lyrics. This helps me to recognise trends throughout. For example, both artists have explored serious current moral issues and have done it from a personal point of view. This helped the listener to emphasise with the story and has a more personal effect. Also certain theories including intertextual references and the artist being used as a social commentator have been applied.

Lyrics Analysis: Lana Del Rey

How has this helped me:

This has helped me as a realise that she is discussing personal topics. Not only this but topics that other genres eg. Pop would not explore as they are too ‘deep’ for an audience to hear. Not only this but I have learnt that she has written this song intentionally to get a reaction from a listener, if she wanted everyone to agree with her, she would have told the story in a different way. She wants people to know she isn’t perfect and is ‘damaged’ as it makes her a more relatable person to the indie target audience.

Narrative Theories Analysis

Prop Analysis

To help me decide what props I will use in my music video, I decided to analyse Hozier's ‘Take me to church’.

In the beginning of the video the first prop the audience see is a fire. The symbolism of a fire as the first thing the audience see foreshadows danger throughout the rest of the video. Also, because the song is related to religion not accepting sexuality, the fire has symbolic meaning (in terms of Barthes' theory) of religion; it can connote fire burning, a religious ceremony in which sinners burn their sins away. This can foreshadow that sins will be explored through the rest of the video.

When the camera cuts to show the character, of which the omniscient audience know to be gay, the lyrics ‘everybody’s disapproval’ accompany him scrabbling to get a box. The prop of the box is used throughout the video as a symbol for the character’s sexuality creating deeper meaning, conforming to Barthes' theory again. The character uses a key and a chain to lock the box. The box can be a representation of withholding the character’s sexuality and hiding it away. This along with the lyrics suggests that sexuality should be something to be ashamed of as its not socially acceptable.

As the lyrics continue to say ‘every Sunday's getting more bleak, fresh poison each week’ the characters are seen to be using the prop of a shovel and a wheelbarrow to bury the box underground. This semiotic meaning of the lyrics shows the desperation to keep his sexuality a secret and is almost like he’s trying to forget about it. This is because of the 'poison' that is spoken to other people turning them against homosexuality. This creates the representational issue that sexuality is a choice. Furthermore, the fact the camera has become physically closer to the fire can suggest that the danger is increasing as the secret (symbolised by the prop of the box) has been brought to the audience’s attention.

When the camera cuts, a deep focus shot is used to show character A’s boyfriend walking through a field to come and find him. The use of the chain and railings as a prop can suggest how trapped and segregated the gay couple are. Also, the fact the camera is on the other side of these railings can force the audience to relate to their situation as it makes them feel like they are adding to the problem and discrimination; they are the ones trapping the gay couple. This is assisted by the black birds in the sky that are the symbolism of death. It suggests that the gay couple are doing something that warrants the punishment of death; again, an old religious belief. 

As the camera cuts to a two shot of the gay couple smoking, the prop of the cigarette conforms to the codes and conventions of the indie genre. It 'normalises' smoking and has no consequences suggesting that smoking is okay and good. This is followed by the prop of the box being shown again as character A continues to bury it. This high angle shot of him covering it with soil again has connotations of death. This can make it seem like this is a final decision and the sexuality has no hope to survive and thrive.

As the camera cuts again, it reveals an anti-gay group who are carrying weapons. The weapons emphasise the hate there is towards homosexuality. This is contrasted with the small pebbles the gay couple are holding when the camera cuts. It creates binary opposition of good Vs evil which conforms to Sven E Carlsson's theory that music videos are driven by binary opposition (also conforming to Levi Straus' theory). In this case the narrative is being driven by homosexuals (good) vs heterosexuals (evil). The contrast helps to suggest to the audience that it is not the homosexual couple that are causing harm it’s the heterosexuals.

When the camera cuts to a low angle point of view shot of the aeroplane in the sky, the plane is a symbolism of freedom that the gay couple desire but cannot achieve, as shown by the distance between the two. 

Overall the props in this music video are used as symbolism for thoughts, feelings and social views which conforms to Deborah Holstein's theory that suggests the artist is a political commentator and mediator. In this case, the props help to suggests to the audience that homophobia isn’t acceptable and helps to visually illustrate current social issues. Barthes' narrative theory is also feature consistently throughout the create deeper meaning of the props, allowing the artist to discuss a sensitive subject in an acceptable manner.

How will this help me?

This music video will help me as I understand I have to use props carefully to help emphasise certain representations and connotations. I also understand that the significance of props is utilised much more in artistic narrative videos (Sven E Carlsson's theory) to help create a deeper meaning. It has also taught me that props can be used to challenge stereotypes. For example, a homosexual stereotype can be that they're feminine and not violent (as that is considered a hetrosexual trate). however, in this music video, props eg. cigarettes, rocks, guns etc have been used, which challenge these representations.

Location Analysis

To help me decide what location I should use to film my music video, I decided to analyse existing music videos to see if there are any common locations within the indie genre.

female artists:
When I analysed female indie artists (Lana Del Ray, Birdie and Lorde) there were two common locations. The first common location I found in female artists was a grand house. The houses typically had gold and white props to connote wealth. The houses were also typically high key lit. this helps the artists appeal to mainstreamers and aspirers who wish to have a ‘celebrity’ lifestyle. This also makes the artists themselves, along with their brand identity, look more sophisticated and wealthy. It suggests they live a royal lifestyle.

Another location in female artists was a ‘party’ location. This was more outside in natural locations. Eg. Two were outside in a garden/forest. Although these locations don’t have locations of wealth, the white/gold lights used make it seem almost fairy-tale like. Not only this but the bokeh effect on the lights are very aesthetically pleasing to see and intrigue the audience as it is not the norm.

Male artists:

When I was analysing male artists, it became apparent that indie male artists appeal more to the lad culture. For example, The Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and The Smiths all include themes of drugs, violence, betting and alcohol within their videos. Not only this but the common locations include bars, casinos and cars. These locations represent the artists as conforming to male stereotypes. It also creates the representational issue that they are violent and don’t care. However, this appeals to male audiences as the lifestyle is represented as something that is desirable. 

Other locations:

Furthermore, throughout both male and female artist’s videos, there is a consistency of lights and fire used. The fire is used to appeal to audiences who aspire to have a dangerous and thrill seeking lifestyle.  The fire is also used as a representation linked to the lyrics in many of the videos. The only difference is that in female videos the fire is represented as calm and under control and in males its represented as being angry and violent.

How has this helped me?

Overall this research has helped me as I understand what locations are typically used and I can see the clear divide between conventions of female and male indie artists locations. It has also helped me as I have a clearer idea of what aesthetic I would like to recreate. for example the lights with the bukeh effect and the outside location. to challenge stereotypes, you could place a female artist into a location that has male connotations eg a bar or pub or alternatively for males put them into a calm and quiet environment, this could suggest a moral desire for either gender or be used to represent other emotions. 

lighting Analysis

To help me gain an understanding of how to utilise lighting effectively in my music video, I decided to analyse James Bays’ ‘Let It Go’.


At the beginning of the music video, low key lighting is used to create an instantly dark tone in the music video. As there is no audio accompanying this first low key image, it makes the audience focus on the image and the low key and almost lack of lighting is blatantly obvious. As the music starts, the camera reveals the artists (James Bay) sat in a room that the camera begins to track towards. The fact the music seems quite upbeat and binary opposition is used (conforming to Sven E Carlssons theory) with the high key contrasting the low, the lighting suggests that Bay has hope. As the camera continues to track and the shot gradually changes from a long shot to a close up, more high key lighting is revealed. Natural lighting through the window is almost used as a spotlight highlighting to the audience that the song and lyrics are about Bay himself. Also, the assistance of lyrics like ‘walking home and talking loads’ and ‘seeing shows in evening clothes with you’ makes the light seem like ‘you’ was providing the light in his life. It could also imply that he still has hope for the relationship that the audience assume has ended because of the low key lighting, which takes up the larger proportion of the frame, having connotations of doom.

As the audience realise through the lyrics that Bay is talking about a relationship through lyrics like ‘sleeping in our bed holding something we don’t need’ the high key lighting takes up more of the screen due to the tracking to reveal more of Bays face on which the spotlight is focused on. The fact the lighting is more high key when he begins using personal pronouns like ‘we and our’ the audience realise he is beginning to open up to them and let them understand his feelings towards the relationship more. It suggests he viewed the relationship as something to celebrate and be happy about but now it has changed.

As the lyrics say ‘so come on let it go’ the camera begins to track to the left around Bay revealing more low key lighting with Bay himself as a block to the high key lighting. This can suggest to the audience that he sees himself as the reason the relationship didn’t have hope and that he wasn’t happy about the relationship ending.

When the camera zooms in and out using a graphic match with the black screen, it reveals a mid-shot of Bay sat foregrounded in front of a window. The fact that the horizon/landscape is in the background of Bays head and the sky, which is producing the high key lighting, is above his head. This can symbolise the potential and hope of Bay for the relationship to have worked but as it is visually not in connection with him, it can suggest how it is out of his reach.

As the camera continues to arc around Bay, it also continues to move further away and closer again. This can symbolise how repetitive and cyclical the relationship was and considering he is talking about a breakup; this could be reference for the arguments. As the camera moves physically closer to Bay again (continuing the arc) to a close up of his face, a fire is revealed in the background. The lyrics ‘I’m throwing clothes across the floor’ assisted with the fire can symbolise his passion he used to have for the relationship and how he was fighting to keep it going. However, as the arc continues the fire is visually moved through the foreground and out of shot as the audience hear the lyrics ‘why are we doing, doing, doing it anymore’ which is assisted with the fire leaving the frame which can symbolise the loss of that passion. This is also assisted with the introduction of past tense words like ‘I used to’ and the change of personal pronouns from ‘We’ and ‘Our’ to ‘I’ and ‘myself’ suggesting the breakup was in the past and he has moved on.

As the camera uses the same transition as previously, a mid-shot of Bay is used with a reflective mirror in the background. This can suggest that he is beginning to see and find himself again after everything that has happened in the past. Also, the change in lighting in the background, outside of the window that has been consistent throughout every location is significant. The lighting outside becoming consistently more low key can be a representation for the realisation Bay has around hope for the relationship; he has come to the realisation he doesn’t need to dwell on the relationship anymore. This can also be reflected through the lyrics ‘I think I better walk away’.

As Bay begins to walk away, the fire that was initially represented as the hope Bay had for the relationship, is now replaced by a fire which is destroying the house. This can suggest that the relationship was destructive and he is realising he needs to walk away from it. When he reaches outside, the fire lets of big flames but Bay is foregrounded in front of it with his back facing it as he walks away. This can again represent his realisation that he needs to walk away from the destructive relationship that is no longer being represented as something he desired.

Overall the lighting throughout this video is used as a representation of something that is referred to in the lyrics. This conforms to Goodwin’s’ theory. The lighting is used to help the artist tell a story and has been utilised to create an artistic video.

How will this help me?
After analysing this video, I realise that lighting can be used as a symbolism to portray an artist’s emotions. Not only this, but it can be used in artistic videos with deeper meaning to have subtle connotations to an audience rather than the lyrics and audio directly telling the audience how the artist is feeling. I also realise that lighting can be used as a subtle way to challenge stereotypes whilst keeping up with an artists brand identity. For example, James Bay has a cool and calm aura and conforms to the stereotypes that males are emotionless. Therefore, using lighting to represent an artist emotions challenges this stereotype without changing their image.