http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR6iYWJxHqsGot that done? No? Ok. I'll wait.
How about now? Still not? It's cool. I've got all day. I won't start until you've watched it.
You watched it yet? Ok. Awesome. Took you long enough. ;)
My first impression of this song is that it was silly. What good would any of those things do? Throwing your hand on a blade is really just stupid. Jumping in front of a train really can't possibly do anything for anyone. And catching a grenade? Why not just bat it away or something?
You can do this all day.
What's with the piano, dude? Are you planning to blow it up with that grenade you keep talking about? Why the heck did you drag that same piano all the way back with you if you were going to go all suicidal? What's with the weird dude at about two minutes into the song? What is he doing? Does he know the piano man? What's the priest's problem with him? What in the world is going on!?!
There are several ways you can take this song and this video. Absolute ridiculocity is just one possible interpretation. Anyone can find problems with even the greatest of artistic masterpieces. The more impressive ability is finding something good in something ridiculous. There are several ways you can do this with this song. We'll start with the more obvious one.
When the guy gets the piano to the girl's house, it is apparent that for some reason, he was bringing this piano to her. Let's build a little story around it:
The girl had always wanted to be a professional musician but could not afford to buy herself a piano. The guy finally found a piano he could afford, but it was on the other side of town. On the girl's birthday, he drives himself across town and spends his savings on this piano. Then, as he's driving it back to her, his car breaks down, but he desperately wants to get her present to her on her birthday. So what does he do? He ties a rope to it and pulls it all the way across town to bring it to her door where he finds her with another man and is heartbroken.
Still seem ridiculous? I didn't think so either.
The real interesting things in this video are not found in the relationship between the guy and the girl, but between the guy and all of the other people along the way. He obviously loves this girl a lot, but does he care about anything or anyone else?
Toward the very beginning, the man passes by a homeless person. He looks right at the homeless man and keeps walking. How often are we so preoccupied with our own endeavors that we ignore those suffering around us?
Often in the video, he passes several people, especially the weird guy, who seem as if they would be perfectly willing to ask. Why didn't he ask for help? How often are we unwilling to ask those around us to help us with our burdens?
Finally, at the very end, he kills himself after seeing the girl with another man. WHY!?! But really, how often do we pin all of our hopes on one thing? How often do we feel like a complete failure when one part of our life falls apart?
Suddenly, this video makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?
Toward the end, he passes a priest and a nun. When I was watching it this time, I was reminded of my brother's fiancé's reaction to this song. She said that when she saw the video and the guy dragging the piano, she was reminded of Christ dragging his cross. Listen to the song again with this idea in mind. Don't watch the video, because it doesn't really line up with it that well. Just listen.
Suddenly, the song has whole new meaning. Christ was willing to go through pain and suffering for YOU! He would catch a grenade for you. He would jump in front of a train for you. He would do anything for you. The song says you won't do the same. Suddenly, the song is Jesus desperately pleading with someone he loves. He's pleading, but not getting through to them.
He died for you, baby.
Would you do the same?
Its not that I am trying to comment on every post. I was going to stop with that last one actually. And its not that I actually have a coherent thought to say about this one. Its simply that this one has made the largest impact on me. This one is the post that i read and something actually clicked in my head. You know? well you don't. Not exactly but you can some what. Basically what I'm saying is the music is the way to get to me because it sings to the mind as well as the heart to the very soul of a person, and there are so many different ways to view every song (as you so pointed presented here).
ReplyDeleteTry for me the song Something Beautiful by Needtobreathe.