"here we are now with the desperate youth and pain" That's what I want to see portrayed. Not this, while this could have been a good concept, it's too over the top. We love you guys.
the video is out of sync with the audio (youtube problem), but i like it. you don't always have to be "deep", it's okay to have a fun video for a change. the song is deep and cathartically emotional, you don't wanna overdo it and beat people over the head with that so it's good they counter-balanced it with a fun video...
haha actually: i LOVE it. you guys should reserve judgement until you see it with the audio and video in sync - it's a lot better. makes you wanna bob your head too.
I love the video... but I don't think it suits this song at all. it took me a while to realize how "big" this song is... this video doesn't do it justice.
however, I do have a new way to dress when I play guitar hero now ;)
I don't think it was the best video. And the youtube vid seems to be in sync for me. I love the song, but the video didn't suit. The concept was okay, but the way it was presented was not, imo. I think it started off pretty good, but once the two guys picked up the guitar, it started to decline. The plot just stopped and was thrown around in different directions. I would have loved if it refelected the song more, and it would have been possible, even if they kept guitar hero in there and just used a different plot.
I love it! I want to see it synched with audio, but I love the concept. I think it is serious, but with a Switchfoot/Monty Python lightness. Besides, who can't love that they used a girl with 80's hair and the chewing gum thing (some of you may be too young to remember that).
I also love that the dorky guy wins. Gives us dorks a little hope.
This video should make us all say, "Totally radical, dudes!"
I love Switchfoot... but this song is very deep...and I believe that the video does not catch what the song says...he is comedian but I imagined the video of “awakening” seemed “Dare you to move”...I like the video of “awakening” but I do not believe that this a the height of the song...I repeat… I love SwitchFoot
Phil, this is not counter-balance. - I've reserved my judgement, I'd rather have a knock you over the head video than such a ridiculous light hearted video while listening to the lyrics "I wanna know that my hearts still beating, it's beating, I'm bleeding."
You all have to remember that with a serious song, it is very easy for a serious video to look forced and melodramatic/overdramatic (ie. "Dare You to Move"....in my opinion was a terrible video). Also, I have a feeling that since this song envokes so much emotion, every fan of it has their own idea of what a "Serious" version of an "Awakening" video should look like, and there is no possible way for the guys to capture all of that.....so, why not have a little fun?!
Also, I think there is more to this video than guitar hero and hairspray.
Honestly though, of all the music videos I've seen for SF, the only one that resounded with the lyrics was the one for Dare You To Move. And they've had some decent video concepts, like for Stars and Meant To Live, but neither portrayed the depth of their music. I like this video because it's humorous, but there is no seeming point to it.
Although, if Buster did bleed on Jon's guitar, then he did address the "still bleeding" part :D Yeah, I'm a dork.
i'm totally with phil and those who agree with him on this one, it's a freakin' awesome video! yes i love awakening, and i love that it has such incredible and inspiring words... but i think that for one thing, that doesn't mean the video must be epic or story-like.. and for another, i think there is a bit more to the video than you first think (like kim b. said).. maybe these guys are leaving the mundane that is the beginning of the video, and they are having fun and being somewhat shocking and being different... they're letting loose and going for it - and buster becomes a rock star, so come on!!!! :) not sure if any of that made sense, but that's what i think...
oh, and now i totally get the whole "jon has a tattoo?!?!?!" thing!
ps - i love that jon is singing to the deer, it cracks me up every time!
well look at the video for "you already take me there"-- it's super ridiculous, but somehow it fits the song. this video, also ridiculous, but it doesn't fit the song.
I think the first "dare you to move" video is probably the best job they've done lining up a song with a visual meaning... or maybe "we are one tonight"... and obviously they weren't going for it with this video, but I dunno. I just felt it could have been so much more.
'you don't wanna overdo it and beat people over the head with that so it's good they counter-balanced it with a fun video...'
lol phil, true say, but I personally think that the video is funny. I agree with Arpit, I don't think it's supposed to relate to the song, but the bubble gum and the hairspray, made my day. And I'd have to agree with Arpit, it's pretty lo-fi, compared to the other ones, it seems like it might have been shot in someone's garage. But overall, it's funny to watch, but I'm reserving judgement until I watch it some more and actually figure out what's going on...
^^^That's just it, some of the other videos have been hilarious, but fit the song (i.e. Company Car, Chem6A, We Are One) - I'm not saying the video for Awakening should've been ultra depressing, but if it had been depressing they could've earned a bit more respect than with this particular video. It just doesn't feel right, it's too flippant with the song, it could've be balanced more evenly between the ridiculous and the serious.
I'm just going to post here what I said in the thread on the official messageboards...:
"Unlike the lot of you, I loved the video. I think they exceeded everyone's expectation. Remember when I didnt like the title Oh!Gravity? Now I love it and its my favorite album so far. I think that the video is great for the song and that it shows a complete new side of them. Just think, they're stepping out of their shell, trying out new things. I think its super creative and great! I think that maybe the point of the video was to show that we need to loosen up! And we're awakening!!!!
Frankly, I'm kind of disappointed that a lot of you don't like it. I love it.
But people, even if you don't like it, shall we continue supporting them in everything? I WILL! Who's with me?
EDIT: it kind of reminds me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers video for "Tell Me Baby" its cool."
and
"What also is annoying to me is that you guys wanted it to be like DYTM. That's balony. It's about time that they did something that is different and completely new. This to me, inspires me to not care about all the media and "pop culture" whatevers and to awaken and be the person God wants me to be with no restricitions. They're growing and I'm so proud of that. I couldn't be more satisfied! Seriously. I love them even more now."
so, that's what I think.
and if someone is going to come on to me with the "not everyone has to like everything that they do" talk, here is what I have to say:
"...And I more than anyone know that I don't have to like everything they do. I preached that out to everyone in the world it seems when I got "attacked" for not liking the name Oh!Gravity. I'm not condemning those who disagree and I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad. As far as Im concerned, go ahead, you are entitled to your opinion, but I am also entitled to mine and I expressed it as much as I could."
Label Rep 1: Well, so we spent, like, a whole crapload of money on that last video. Well, we're a little short now, so what should we do?
Label Rep 2: Hmm... let's do this - let's just "borrow" a video camera from Fry's, and umm, we'll take cutouts of them and "animate" those to look like guitar hero, and...
Label Rep 1: Oh, we'll get that guy from Arrested Development - you know the one that hasn't done much since? Yeah, Buster. And we'll get some wooden props for the guitars... and let's hit up the hemp store to see if they have a hemp DDR mat. Should be super cheap.
Label Rep 2: Sweet - let's just film it at my apartment complex - I know the manager - he's a chill guy.
i think it's pretty sad that some people think it's their worst video ever - i think it's one of their best. they produced this one THEMSELVES (no label reps, arpit), and for such a low budget music vid, i think it's absolutely great. so much fun... and fresh. i think people just expected something serious and epic and hence the disappointment - expectations kill joy. if you can see it for what it is, i think it's great. it's good to see the guys maturing nicely, balancing the poignant overdoses with this light heartedness. but that's just my opinion, of course.
hmm maybe it's just me but in all the silliness, i kinda see how this vid can relate to the meaning of the song.
you have buster, who seems like a corporate business dude, and this other guy who seems like a regular joe smoe. when they play guitar hero, it seems to me that they're breaking through their routine life and "awakening" (no long living for "dead lines") and their dreams "collide". their dreams are united..in guitar hero?? hehe maybe they both aspire to be something more than they are now. maybe buster dreams of being a rock star but b/c of something or another he ends up stuck in a dead end office job with deadlines to meet. but when he plays guitar hero, he's like living his dream. he's alive. maybe that's why he "became" jon in the vid?
i don't know that's just me. I'm sure switchfoot has a reason for this vid. maybe there's something more to this vid than guitar hero and men with makeup or maybe..that's all there is to this video. it shouldn't matter though cause what we expect from the song is not what they have to do. they don't have to please us. they shouldn't. ` even though, i personally found meaning behind this video, I LOVE how it doesn't directly go with the meaning of the song word for word. it's too cliche if they did that. i mean...i think most, if not all, other videos from other artists has always been very literal. the song goes directly with the vid. it gets old. i love how switchfoot is breaking through mainstream expectations.
btw, on a slightly unrelated note, i love the chem 6a video..especially the part when chad tackles tim while jon in the background doing doing this thing
i think this is one of SF's best videos yet. it captures the switchfoot mantra but keeps it lighthearted and fun at the smae time. come on, who doesn't like guitar hero, the 80s or contemporary living rooms. i think this video, especially with the booming popularity of guitar hero, is gonna catch a lot of peoples attention.
I think the fact that SONY allowed SF to produce this video themselves with no regard for the poor quality of the finished product shows how little SONY has invested in the future of SF.
I'm not quite sure if I like this yet.. I think this is mainly because I was expecting something so much different. Maybe it will grow on me. I like the video as well as the concept, but I don't think it goes well with the song.
The first time I watched it, I was kinda like "ummmm random" but I thought it was fun and the effects were cool. I didnt think it fit the song, but it still was a cool video. I know that alot of you hate, but it's growing on me every time I watch it. The biggest disappointment of the video for me is that the guys arent really in it that much. The most you see them is as the cardboard cutouts on guitar hero. Just my opinion.
How funny would it have been if the girl had gotten sucked in too, and one of the guys became her dressed up all 80s like and dancing crazy. I would have died.
Jon said this song is about trying to regain the innocence of childhood and I think that these uptight adults dressing up and playing guitar hero is them going back to what they wanted to do as kids. I've never liked music videos in general very much but this one is fine with me. This song has always seemed like a song about hope to me and I think that depressing scenes of "desperate youth and pain" wouldn't fit it as much.
I don't understand. Did Switchfoot make this video or some random guy? If Switchfoot did make it, why isn't it on their website? I don't like it at all but i love Switchfoot.
at first when I saw the video I was really disapointed cuz it totally didn't portray the song like I was hoping it would. but after I got over my 'shock' I started liking it. it's really hilarious, and I love that SF did something fun and low budget instead of doing something like DYTM, even tho I love that video. I really wish that the guys were in the video more, but besides that, I think it's great and breaks out of the typical music video thing where the video totally goes along with the song and is all serious or whatever.
is the girl on it the one from heroes? the one that hiro likes from the diner? when i first saw her that was the first thing i thought...i could be wrong. this video clip makes me want to buy guitar hero even more...
i thought this video was very different....in a good way....i just wish they would have shown more footage of the band playing.....but other than that it was pretty funny....i liked it when jon was playing the guitar hero controler.....awesome
"here we are now with the desperate youth and pain" That's what I want to see portrayed. Not this, while this could have been a good concept, it's too over the top. We love you guys.