Ok, this is going to be an interesting video.
We start with St. Vincent (I assume that's what she goes by and it's not a band name) walking down a street. She walks up to a door and inside there are a few kids sleeping on the floor. They awake to see the door (doors now?) part and we see St. Vincent enter. St., huh? Is it too early to detect a messianic streak? She sings that while Jesus saves people, she spends not money, but her time doing stuff in the background. Said background has quotes of famous saints on them. The kids run up and give her a hug. We see someone set up lights and she takes off her coat to sing the next part. Not to be mean, but while she's not unattractive, there's something ...off about her. Like she's too skinny and it's causing a bug-eyed effect. File that under, "Just an observation."
She sings that while other's are having a darn good time on Christmas, she's just alone with "another absentee." Who's that? Come on, song. Help me out. I'm kind of slow with musical lyrics. Is it the devil? Nah, the video sets her up as a positive thing. Anyway, it turns out that the kids she hangs out with are boy scouts. One of the poor guys is stuck in a tied up sleeping bag. Look out for mutant bears. The scouts start dragging lights around and they also drag the poor sleeping bag kid. One of the kids makes a fire. One of them prays on a rock. One of them is indoors and thinking about a suddenly appearing sandwich. He wins a patch for a "mind sandwich." Say, they didn't mention mind sandwiches when they tried pitching the boy scouts to me. The lady sings about while other people sit on their duffs watching tv and drinking beer, she spends her time sculpting art. At least that's what I gather from the second verse.
More badges are handed out. Sleeping bag kids gets one for escape. Another kid gets one for eating books. Add boy scouts to things people will now bitch about for being dumbed down. One kid captures a caterpillar that hums to the "Bum bum bum bum"s that we hear throughout the song.
Next we see kids looking at the sky and reading science magazines. St. Vincent mentions the absentee again. Is it a boyfriend? Give more hints! She really believes in this absentee and declares that he will be the one who saves her. HEY KID! Don't look into that sudden eclipse!!! These kids are a handful. Next up St. Vincent is reading a story to the kids. She sings about how she's setting up a play. I think. It could be a metaphor but I'll take literal interpretation for the moment. The audience loves the play but meh, she thought it was a waste of her time. The audience threw a bunch of flowers and she ignores it.
Meanwhile in the video one of the kids REALLY likes our protagonist. Then we see the kids play the special guest star, Swamp Thing. That's the absentee? Suddenly a war breaks out between the kids. At least that's how it looks as they push over a few plants and toss sticks. The video ends with the kids sleeping on the floor of whatever building St. Vincent locks them up in. And one of the kids got a badge for the hat he wore.
I was worried going into this that it was a "Screw religion and or Christianity!" video, but now I'm getting more of a "You guys might like this Christianity stuff, but I'm not feeling it" vibe. Or maybe I'm completely not getting it. She does seem to feel isolated, probably from more showy Christians.
I don't hate this song and video, but I'm just kind of shrugging at it.
The awesome thing about this video is the caterpillar. Hum it, little guy!
4 comments:
I find it kind of hilarious that the chick in this video was too bugeyed for you when you were the one who sent me those youtube videos of that bugeyed creepy chick with the mental disability all like, "Isn't she cute???" No, Tork, she wasn't cute. She was creepy.
Speaking of bugeyed and creepy, here is your next video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s
Leave ooolalaa out of this.
Magic sandwiches, neat hats, fighting Swamp Thing, weird sleeping bag bondage games, and a decent looking chick who looks like she's about to go all naughty scoutmaster?
SIGN. ME. UP.
This song was my pick, and while I normally dislike female singers I do like Annie Clark (stage name St. Vincent). She has sung and played guitar with the Polyphonic Spree, a band I admire greatly.
St. Vincent's greatest appeal to me are her lyrics, kind of funny and smart. I also like her voice, which is a rarity -- female voices generally are like nails on a chalkboard for me.
And you're right about the awesome thing. That little caterpillar is just the cutest. :3
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