Song Lyric Analysis
Below are the lyrics for the track 'Nightcall' by Kavinsky, the track I will most likely be making a music video for. In this post I will be analysing the lyrics of the song, in terms of what they express about the song as well as how I will relate them to my own video. I have colour coded the most interesting lyrics, as this will make it easier for me to reference them in my analysis.
I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel
I want to drive you through the night, down the hills
I'm gonna tell you something you don't want to hear
I'm gonna show you where it's dark, but have no fear
There's something inside you
It's hard to explain
They're talking about you boy
But you're still the same
There's something inside you
It’s hard to explain
They're talking about you boy
But you're still the same
I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel
I want to drive you through the night, down the hills
I'm gonna tell you something you don't want to hear
I'm gonna show you where it's dark, but have no fear
There's something inside you
It's hard to explain
They're talking about you boy
But you're still the same
There's something inside you
It's hard to explain
They're talking about you boy
But you're still the same
There's something inside you (there's something inside you)
It's hard to explain (it's hard to explain)
They're talking about you boy (they're talking about you boy)
But you're still the same
The
track actually only features eight lines, however they are repeated to extend
the song to its 4 minutes 19 seconds length. In a mainstream 'pop' song, this
repetition would likely be viewed as forcefully lengthening the song, and would
likely be rejected by listeners. However, for Nightcall, I believe this is
beneficial in establishing the songs sense of rhythm and routine, the verses
acting like a rally between the two singers. I believe that this would actually
suit my music video, as it would help to strengthen the narrative of the video
- allowing the viewer to make sense of the various scenes and locations that
will be featured in the video.
The verses beginning with "I'm giving you
a night call to tell you how I feel"
would take place at night, with the "There's
something inside you" taking place
in the daytime. Therefore, I think that the repetition of the lyrics will
actually benefit me in portraying my narrative on screen, as the ability to
show each location twice will inform the audience that the video does follow
some form of story, and that the scenes shown are not completely random.
The opening line of the song, "I'm giving
you a night call to tell you how I feel"
immediately sets the tone of the track, with the processed singing-style of
Kavinsky acting as a preview to the rest of the songs eerie sounds and style.
The singer in the opening line addresses the listener as "you",
suggesting he has some sort of relationship with the other 'caller' or the
actual listener themselves. The specific inclusion of the modification 'night'
to call is highly interesting, as people would typically phrase this simply as
a call. Therefore, the unusual inclusion of 'night' could suggest that the
speaker perhaps feels more comfortable at night, allowing him to be more
emotionally open to the listener. The line itself could suggest that the singer
has some form of relationship with the listener, as the line almost resembles a
child 'checking in' with a parent.
The
following line, "I want to drive you through
the night, down the hills" furthers
my suggestion that the singer takes comfort at night. The reference to
"the" hills, also conveys that the singer assumes the listener to
know what he is referring to, thereby giving more evidence to my thoughts that
he has some sort of relationship with the listener.
After this, the line "I'm gonna tell you
something you don't want to hear" can be heard. This
suggests a sense of danger to the listener, given that the singer even knows
the "something" will be unpleasant. The listener never actually
discovers what this "something" is, making the line even more
sinister.
"I'm gonna show you where
it's dark, but have no fear", adds to my idea of the
singer taking comfort at night, as he even tells the listener not to be afraid
of where the singer is taking them. This clearly shows that the singer has some
desire to also comfort the listener, as he is clearly concerned with the
listener's feelings.
The
next verse is where the female singer is introduced to the track, with her
lyrics taking on a much more positive and joyous style. Her first lyrics are “There’s
something inside you
you - It's hard to explain". This reference to the 'something' inside the singe is kept incredibly vague, allowing the listener to question what the female singer is referencing. The 'something' could refer to some form of characteristic, or something more supernatural or sinister. This lack of detail in the lyrics works well in my opinion, as the audience are left to interpret the lyrics for themselves, without the need for explicit detail or explanation.
"They're talking about you boy - But you're still the same" are the following lines for the singer, with the lyrics remaining incredibly vague for the listener. The reference to whoever it is talking about the 'boy' is kept, similarly to the previous lyrics, incredibly ambiguous - meaning the listener has to interpret the lyrics completely for themselves. Again, I believe this benefits the song, as it helps to develop the mysterious tones already established earlier in the song.
After this verse, the opening verse can be heard again, with the female singer's verse being featured twice after before the song ends. As I mentioned earlier, the repetition of lyrics in the song will actually serve to enhance the narrative of my music video, as it will help to give my audience a sense of how the narrative functions.
Summary:
By analysing the lyrics of 'Nightcall', I believe I have gained a greater understanding of how I will be able to fit my narrative around the song. As mentioned, the overall structure will also benefit me (and in turn, my video) as the repetition of the verses will help to develop the day and night aspect of the video - the main 'unique' aspect of my video.
After recently reviewing my progress alongside the brief, I noticed that one of the pieces of criteria states "ALL images must be taken by you". Whilst all my shots have been taken by me so far, I feel it is necassary to clarify how this has been made possible. While filming my music video, I have regularly used a remote control for the camera I have been using - a Canon 700D. This has given me the ability to angle and construct my desired shot(s), before I step into shot, with the remote often being concelaed in my pocket or hand etc. 
