Music Video #76 (Day 16 of 2009)

Yesterday's video is Stolen Car by Beth Orton. Do you trust people named Beth? Beth. Beth Beth Beth. Hmm.




So is Beth so popular that she's now at the point where people are sticking mics into her face all the time?

The entire video is like that. It starts with her sitting down at a couch. Three boom mics cover her head. This entire video has a mostly white background. Beth starts singing about how her guy entered her house. Her house, huh? There relationship has been over for a while but now there's a "light" that's burning strong. Lita doesn't like sappy love songs. Beth says that her guy's fingers were like fuses and his eyes were like cinnamon. Look out, anonymous guy, or she'll eat your eyes!

Ex knows he's screwed up in the past, so he declares that he'll be a hero to the weak and protect all! Except when he himself is attacked. He'll just shrug that off because revenge is bad. Beth buys into this because she's not very bright and that's how bad relationships go. She even tells us that she knows the relationship is messed up but she's comfortable with it. Meanwhile one of the boom mic holders is constantly readjusting mic's position. I feel bad for Beth's teeth, but I bet the outtakes are funny anyway.

Beth tells us that some people sing the wrong words to the wrong songs and little stuff like that bug her. And that's why your boyfriend left, you controlling nag! Then she says other people want to stand up for the little guy, similar to what her ex said a few moments ago. So people can either be neglectful to others or they can have messiah complexes.

Beth is now outside in front of a dirty stone wall. She sings that ex told her that he was a champion to all, which he should know better about. Ouch, slapped him down. She further tells him that while he said the write words, he still left her feeling that he didn't really want her. To let this sink in, she stops singing while "Do not belong" echoes in the background. Beth picks up a flower which pricks her finger. She drops a little blood into a glass of water just to show that she would rather bleed than accept that this guy is the real deal.

The song changes tone slightly as the mics appear again. Beth is now talking about a prank gone wrong. I don't really think she's being literal here. She compares a face to a stolen car, and how it's hard for it to hide itself. I guess she's talking about ex's face and how he is not doing a good job of showing his discomfort with her, or something. Makes more sense to me than any literal car or drunken prank.

She ends the song by singing about how she gets that ex is no good but ex doesn't get that it's over.





This video does a good job of being a haunting song about a bad relationship and the bad memories resurfacing. Beth has a good voice for this song. Wish she didn't remind me of my sister, though.

The video portrays loneliness but it also has people constantly shoving microphones in Beth's face. Maybe it's a symbol for Beth having things done for her by her boyfriend, but that's probably not it. She didn't hint at that.

The awesome part of this video happens at 3:35 when she opens up her coat and reveals that she has wiring in her body. She's really a cyborg!