




The images and videos of the ocean aids the lyrics to unlock a deeper meaning that the lyrics alone could ever achieve.  This music video has a lot of eerie, blue, and beautiful shorelines. Not scary but just somber, enough to make you feel sad. The overall use of the ocean has one of two meanings. One represents lots of turbulence due to waves crashing upon the rocks and the dark lighting. Second is calm and peaceful from calm waters. 

During the music video (0:24) is a close on a vast wave just starting to crash. This is also the point which the song starts to pick up. This wave is not a smooth or crisp wave; it is rough harsh wave that is clearly being blown by some high winds up at the top of it because of windblown crest. The lyrics behind it are by Olivia O’Brien (She is featured in this song) and she says, “I hate you, I love you”. Illustrated by the wave and lyrics is a very choppy relationship with someone. The wave being right about to crash portrays that something happens in the relationship and it finally boils over. What the song says next will represent the wave crashing and the emotions, good or bad, will come out. 

Another scene where the ocean has a huge role in this music video is a snapshot looking out at the calm ocean and small waves are crashing close against some rocks standing slightly

above the water level and the sun is almost completely set. The clouds in the sky and the lighting of the snapshot give a somber resemblance, but also gives a very sincere vibe to it, due to the lyrics. The only lyrics said during this three second snapshot is “Ever wonder what we could have been”, which connect to the horizon. The horizon is the never-ending ocean that represent what could have been an intimate and devoted relationship. The rocks close to the shore show that there can be some turbulence in the beginning of a relationship but, it is worth making it through the rocks because beyond the rocks is miles and miles of calm water. Once you have each other’s love, you will have it until the end.

At 3:16 near the end of the video there is a very dark snapshot of slow retreating water that seems almost soothing to watch. There is something floating near the top of the snapshot. It is not very clear as to what it is but it is there to depict something adrift, something forgotten or neglected. Right before this snapshot both Gnash and Olivia O’Brien say together, “How is it you never noticed… that you are slowly killing me”. This makes it clear that the item in question depicts a person who is emotionally devastated and has no idea where to go or what to do next.

At the very end of the music video the camera pans out and looks at eye level with the dark ocean. The clouds in the sky block most of the nice orange from the recently set sun and give the snapshot more of a concealed look to it. There are only a few small waves slowly crashing to the shore and they are very shadowy along with the whole picture due to the clouds covering most of the light. The whole snapshot itself is very cryptic because of the dark lighting but also because of the lyrics. Before the snapshot, Olivia O’Brien says with a soft voice, “You want her, you need her, and I will never be her.” This is the ending of the song and reveals that my snapshot is the dark and dreadful ending of a relationship, perplexing and melancholy.

All my snapshots help the lyrics express themselves to further the understanding of emotional response that people receive from watching this music video. Throughout the video the use of the ocean changes from rough and a beautiful blue to calm and dark. This is a very good depiction of what time can do to a relationship. As time goes the waves directly correlate with the relationship that the lyrics describe. The relationship starts off with fights and anger but falls apart and nothing is left except regret and loneliness. Overall the ocean helps Gnash explain his deep lyrics and express the feelings he had singing the song.