Florence + The Machine's music video Never Let Me Go is a story of death and leaving love behind.
This is represented countless times throughout the video in various ways, both visually and lyrically. The theme of having to let go and leave someone/ something you love behind runs continually throughout the video, clearly evident with the subject's reluctance to let the darkness consume her. However, the shadow of death hangs over her during the film, threatening to take her at any given moment.The constant depiction of water brings an ethereal feeling to the video, as does the dark lighting and general setting.
Lyrically, this song draws inspiration from the suicide of famous writer Virginia Wolf. Wolf took her own life by filling her pockets with stones and drowning herself in a river. Her suicide is also referenced in another Florence + The Machine song, What the Water Gave Me', which includes the lyrics 'So lay me down/Let the only sound/Be the overflow/Pockets full of stones'. Knowing this backstops of the song gives another, unique insight to the meaning behind the video.
A possible interpretation for the video as a whole is that the subject is a woman who has died from drowning (either accidentally or deliberately) and is currently trapped n purgatory - that is, between heaven and hell. Purgatory is considered to be a state of suffering where the souls of sinners must go to expiate their sins before going to heaven. The woman doesn't want to leave her love behind, even though she knows her time with him is running out, as her sins are being clearness and are spilling out of her.This first image occurs after the subject and her love interest skate together in the ice rink while the cleaner watches on.
This image is a medium close up shot, which is usually used to convey emotion and identify with characters. The subject's yes are closed and her and her love's hands are entwined, indicating that they don't want to let go of each other. Using the rule of thirds, it can be determined that the focus of this shot is the subject's shoulder, in which soapy, bubbly water is spilling out.This is a contrast to earlier, when dirty, brown water was dripping down her face.
The murky water represents the darkness and sinful nature in her, while comparatively the soapy water represents the cleansing of her soul. The music video being set at an ice rink adds an interesting element to the video as a whole. Ice is frozen water, and cannot freeze unless the water is pure. You could link this back to the subject, in that she cannot go to heaven until she herself is pure.The second image displays the subject after she has been left alone in the rink.
Almost immediately, water begins trickling out of her clothes and the pores of her skin. The part of the song that plays out at the same time as this scene includes the lyrics, "And it's over/And I'm going under/But I'm not giving up/lam Just giving in", something which seems to have been a deliberate act by the director. This then ties in with the lead character's acceptance of her fate, seeing as later on in the video she s seen being consumed by the water.Water plays a large role in both the song and the music video - in the song, it is mentioned many times in the lyrics, such as the lines "the arms of the ocean are carrying me," and "a thousand miles down to the seabed, found a place to rest my head,", and it is denoted throughout the video, with the water that is leaking out of her, the water that is overflowing from the sink in the bathroom, and from the ice in the rink. The shot used for this image is a low angle shot.While this camera angle is usually used to depict the subject as being powerful r dominant, in this instance she appears weak and powerless as the water overcomes her.
This continues right until the end of the music video, where she is eventually completely engulfed in both dirty and clean water. The third image is one of the most disturbing moments of the entire film clip. While the video as a whole is quite gothic, with the low lighting, dark makeup, pale skin and frayed clothing on both lead characters, this shot displays a darkness which the rest of the video had not shown previously.There is very little lighting in the shot and it appears to be a gloomy atmosphere. Subject of the shot is the boy, who has a consulate look on his face and has what appears to be a cut under his eye.
It seems that the director has used some variation of perspective, as the angle of the shot directs your eyes from the boy to the woman behind him. She is in a demon like state, what with the ragged black clothing hanging off her slender frame and the way she appears to be rising up from the rink.This moment occurs right as she sings the lyric "deliver me," showing the moment in which her fate overcame her. The fourth image is a very wide shot which depicts a near empty ice rink with a spotlight shining on the centre of the rink. The lighting used in this shot leaves an eerie feeling resonating with the audience.
An interesting part of the video is what is contained within the ice. It appears that there is something black embedded in the frost in the shape of angel's wings.Angels are traditionally associated with and connote ghosts and heaven, indicating that the lead character has found her peace and gone to heaven. Another possible interpretation of the video could be that she's playing the ghost of a woman who committed suicide by drowning at the sea (which could be a Justification of her torn clothes) and is revisiting a place she used to go tit her lost love and is remembering the good moments she had in her troubled life - however it's all happening in her mind.
This could explain how when the lights are turned on at the very end, the rink is completely clean and empty, in contrast to the above shot. However, a potential scenario such as this lacks both substance and context within the lyrics, and the clarity of this theory is non-existent in the video. When listening to the song on its own, it leaves an almost serene impression on you; yet while lyrically beautiful, it has an underlying sadness. The song really embodies meeting powerful for listeners in regards to water in general, displaying how it can be both peaceful and fatal.Listening to the lyrics, melody and background music almost feels like riding the currents of the ocean. The music video adds a whole other layer and depth to the song with its punitive portrayal of death and the way in which it shows that you will never really be prepared to leave the one you love behind.
This music video resonates with people on all different levels, but ultimately, leaves the lasting impression of unadulterated melancholy on the viewer.
