Music Video Analysis of One Night Only’s Say You Don’t Want ItGoodwin’s Music Video Theory

The demands of the record label:

According to Goodwin’s music video theory, the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist. This is particularly true of this music video, especially with close ups (CU) of the lead singer, George Craig. By using CUs of the band members faces the record company is allowing the audience to be able to identify with the band members and their individual styles. However, the music video consists of more CUs of the lead singer than of any other band members to highlight his significance within the band.

Within the music video there are also a lot of long shots and medium shots that when coupled with the close ups of the individual band members help to establish an image and brand for the band.

From the stills above it is easy to establish the band’s image. For example, the still of the left hand side establishes One Night Only as being an Indie band instantaneously because of their distinctive Indie clothing and hair styles. The other still on the left hand side shows that all of the band members are wearing black skinny jeans, which gives them a sense of cohesion and makes it obvious that they are band as they are wearing variations of the same sorts of clothing e.g. blazers, scarves and black skinny jeans.

Genre characteristics:

As One Night Only is an Indie Pop band their music video reflects this by using certain genre characteristics of an Indie music video. For example, Indie music videos conventionally have a performance element, containing close ups/medium shots of the band playing their instruments, and the artist or band tends to be shown throughout the music video. Both of these conventions can be found throughout the music video for ‘Say You Don’t Want It’. This means that it is easier for their target audience to identify One Night Only as being and Indie Pop band, which is obviously reinforced by the band’s music and style.

CU of Lead Singer

Medium Shot of Drummer performing

CU of Guitarist

Medium Shot of band members Medium/Long shot of band members

Band in the narrative part of the video

Relationship between lyrics and visuals:

This music video contains some subtle links between the lyrics and the visuals. However, the visuals are not illustrative of the lyrics as the music video is based on a concept more than a narrative, although it does contain elements of both. The lyrics for the chorus are:

The big screens, the plastic-made dreamsSay you don't want it, say you don't want it

It's our world, the picture-book girlsSay you don't want it, say you don't want it

Don't you ask me if it's love my dearLove don't really mean a thing round hereThe fake scenes the plastic-made dreams

Say you don't want it, say you don't want it

These lyrics partially link to the visuals because the video itself is set in the bustling streets of New York City, as highlighted by the establishing shots at the beginning of the music video. Although the song doesn’t explicitly mention New York City the lyrics hint at the idea of the American Dream that New York City is famous for (‘the plastic-made dreams’), so there is a slight connection between the lyrics and the visuals. The idea of the ‘the fake scenes’ and ‘the big screens’ also link to the idea of New York because it famous for its film industry.

Moreover, the lyrics also partly connect to the narrative and the concept behind the music video of puppy love (‘don’t you ask me if it’s love my dear/love don’t really mean a thing round here’) and the idea of it being a short lived ideal. This idea is shown within the visuals as the relationship within the music video lasts for less than a day. The fact that their relationship doesn’t last amplifies the lyrics as it highlights that ‘love don’t really mean a thing round here’. This idea is also reinforced at the beginning of the music video when there is a shot of a man walking a dog past a wall on which someone has written ‘I still love her’, however, even though lead singer (the dog) still loves Emma Watson (the other dog) he is unable to save their relationship because of their class divide therefore, reinforcing the message that ‘love don’t mean a thing round here’.

Relationship between music and visuals:

There is a relationship between the music and the visuals within this music video, as whenever the tempo changes there is usually a jump cut to a different scene to reflect the change in tempo. For example, when the music changes three quarters of the way through the song to more of a beat than a melody the visuals reflect this and show the couple dancing in the street to the beat.

Intertextual references:

Furthermore, the concept of the lady and the tramp that is explored within the music video would also appeal to a large amount of their target audience as in general Indie bands have a large teenage following. This means that a lot of their potential target audience would have seen the movie ‘The Lady and the Tramp’ as children and would therefore, be able to recognise the intertextual references to the movie at the end and work out what the music video narrative was depicting in more depth than it just being about love.

Long Shot of ‘I STILL LOVE HER’

Lady & the Tramp Movie Say You Don’t Want It Music Video