Spoliarium

vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXjBbL8JZ0s
lyrics: at the bottom of the article

I found this video after seeing John Mayer’s take on the I Think She Knows Interlude. And from the first time I saw it, until now, I think it’s amazing as a song and as a video — but more especially as a song.

The song is amazing. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The chorus was from JT but all the other words were written by Songvibe. I like the way he wrote the material. It was simple, but I felt the honesty out of its simplicity. And honesty i think is an important element to the idea of this song:

I decided to go in a different direction than the original song. The idea being that the singer is at an event with his partner getting photographed, and at that moment that the cameras start flashing he realizes he’s fallen out of love, and that his partner probably already knows.

Honesty is a big deal in this subject. Realizing that you have fallen out of love of someone must mean being honest to one’s partner, but more importantly, to oneself: If it’s over, don’t tell yourself otherwise.

Now the video is very creative, too. It’s simple and conveys honesty to me the same way the lyrics does. Choosing to do this in black and white emphasizes this simplicity. Camera flashes are added in the background as a highlight of the song. It’s not perfect for me though.

If I would do this video, I would’ve added more camera flashes, to the point that it’s overwhelming for our main subject (our singer) — much like the realization mentioned above is eating him up. And maybe some more lights in the background - out of focus and and hazy. But I think that would be quite unnecessary. The flashes are adequate to convey the song’s beautiful poetry.

But it’s still 5/5 stars for me, generally, because I found it very creative. Not creative in a sense that it’s original (because originality is not the focus here, being originally JT’s song.), but creative in a sense that it’s surprising, unexpected. Who would’ve thought that a great pop-rock song could come from a great dance-hip-hop song? He did. And he pulled it off incredibly well.

Lyrics:

I see the flashes the cameras coat the room
I see your smile so I smile too
I can show you what I really feel inside
Like a pain hiding what’s behind

I wont fight what I can’t change
I can’t make things feel the same
I don’t wanna say goodbye
I think she knows
She knows it

Those flashing lights come from everywhere
The way they hit her, I just stop and stare
Those flashing lights come from everywhere
I think she knows,
I think she knows, yeah

I pretend but my mind betrays my heart
I could run but my guilt won’t get me far
But the flashes remind me where I am
And I try to revive my smile again

I said I won’t stick around
But I never saw love burning out
I don’t wanna make her cry
But I think she knows
She knows it

(Chorus)

I think she knows,
I think she knows, yeah
I think she knows,
But she’s lovestoned