J.J Product analysis/ deconstruction of - 'Dry your eyes mate' by the Streets

Genre and narrative

When using Goodwin’s framework to de construct this music video it is evident that some of the sections he divides music videos into are evident in this Streets song. This music video is a Narrative performance, in that it tells a story through the lyrics being spoken. However the images on screen do not directly relate to the lyrics in the conventional way. The whole song is set in a snowy mountainous landscape and shows Mike Skinner the performer travelling through this environment by train and by walking. This video gives the impression that Mike Skinner is reflecting back on old memories of his father by travelling to this far away setting. The notion of looking is also very evident in this music video. You often see the image of Mikes face in the reflection of a window as he is looking thoughtfully through the glass. Another example of the notion of looking is when mike is holding up old slides to the light. The camera switches from him holding the slide up too the view which mike would get when holding it up. This video also has aspects of links between lyrics and visuals, lip syncing is evident throughout. Mike is often shown rapping the lyrics into the camera through some sort of close up or mid shot.
This video is an example of illustration, as it tells the sad story of Mike loosing his father through a very picturesque and unrelated way. The setting and images on screen do not inherently relate to the lyrics so things like the location and the way it has been shot are used to add some aspect of dramatic effect.
I think this video could be considered an art form rather than a commercial one, as it challenges the usual stereotype of the Streets videos. A usual streets video may include loud brash boyish behaviour where this is supposed to be gentler and thought provoking as the death of a parent is a delicate subject. I personally think this video was made in this style because Mike skinner wanted it to be visually stunning as it was a tribute to his father, rather than an add to sell his latest record.

Media language

Mise – en – scene: This video is shot in a very scenic part of the world, covered in snow and surrounded by large mountains. This adds to the effect of this song as it is not a very cheerful song as it is focused around the death of his father. The cold conditions and lack of sunlight keep the mood of the video at a fixed level. The costume worn by Mike Skinner is very basic, he is dressed from head to toe in black this could be seen out of respect and mourning for his dad. There are very little props used in this video however one important prop is a slide Mike holds up whilst he is travelling on the train. The slide is a picture of a church and it turns out to be the very same church he is travelling all the way to see. As the song is called “never went to Church” it holds some significance to the lyrics being sung in the chorus.

Camera: There are many camera shots within this video which are very effective at enhancing the images on screen. For example the use of close ups when mike is rapping personal memories like “you tidied you things into the bin the more poorly you grew” into the camera it really hits home how sad these memories are to him.
There is also a very slow vertical pan starting from Mike’s reflection in the water and ending up looking at his lonely figure by the water side. I think this shot is very effective at showing how alone Mike feels after the passing of his dad, and the despairing look on his face at the end of this shot confirms this point of view.
As this song has a fairly slow and steady beat the style of editing reflects this tempo. As a result this song has a fairly slow cutting rate and many prolonged shots which exaggerate the sad mood of the song.

There is no real intertextuality or references to popular culture in this song, this is mainly due to the fact it is a personal story of mikes memories with his dad. The only real thing that could be thought of is intertextuality is any references to God and Christianity which are occasionally mentioned in the lyrics.

Representation

The Streets are represented in this music video mainly through Mike Skinner the main vocalist. His face is very recognisable with his shaven head, stubble and crooked teeth. When Mike appears in close up all these conventions we expect to see and recognise from previous hits like “dry your eyes mate” and “fit but you know it” are revealed even if this time he is appearing in a more thought provoking song. His inclusion adds to the ‘meta Narrative’ already established by the Streets band as an image.
There is only one social group represented in this video as there is only one person who appears in the whole video. Mike skinner is a white male in his late twenties and considered a ‘bit of a lad’. This video could be seen as challenging the stereotype of someone within this age and gender bracket. Too see a young male pouring out his heart on screen about his memories of his father and challenging the conventions of his ‘Lad’ persona.

Institution and Audience

This music video is more likely to be consumed by some form of focused viewing rather than an ambient one. People are more likely to hear the song once on the radio and like it then go out looking for its relating video. I also would see this video to be consumed solo and not part of a communal group. As this song is sad and fairly slow it would not be played in an environment like a club or party as it would not fit the mood. However if viewed alone this video is entertaining as it focuses on a more serious aspect of life which probably would be best thought about whilst alone.