An expression that one generally hears is that “life is too short”. We are told this growing up but what does this mean or even imply for us to do? One Republic’s song “I Lived” is about taking risks and making every second count while we are alive. The song represents that most of us are unaware on when our time here is going to end. It calls for us to realize that in the meantime of not knowing when our time is up, we should take risks and try to accomplish everything that we desire to do. The music video for “I Lived” specifically focused on a young man, Brandon, who was born with cystic fibrosis. With only a life expectancy of thirty-five years, everyday treatment, and ongoing struggle to breathe, Brandon’s life is portrayed to us in a beautiful light. His early ages throughout his teen years are illustrated in the music video to show the determination and passion he has to live. Instead of the video focusing on how difficult his life could be, it showed him excel at things that most people will never even try. It is interpreted that no matter what the obstacle is, optimism and making the absolute best of every scenario is the only way one can truly live. The video’s positive outlook on Brandon’s life is inspiring because it shows the audience that every person, no matter how difficult or short the life, needs to take chances and make the absolute most of what they do on earth. 

The video begins with Brandon telling the camera about the difficult consequences of having cystic fibrosis. It shows the process of his breathing treatments in a very dark room, with little light to even make out his face. During the video, the moments, like his treatments, when we see the painful parts of his life, the setting is gloomy with little light. Further into the video, Brandon walks down a dim hallway, glances into a room to see a young boy with the same condition struggling to breath. The video cuts to Brandon riding his bike through a beautiful landscape. The sun is shining and the color is glowing in contrast to the dull room. We repeatedly see this image of him cycling forward across the clear road. The road being completely empty represents his freedom and continuous pathway through life. Flashing back from the dark scenes to this road shows that through rough times there is always a way to move forward and choose to live. The purpose of a quick cut to the bright scenes is to direct the audiences focus to his happiness, rather than his struggles. When Brandon rides his bike through the mountains, his condition is unrecognizable to anyone who does not know him. Although his condition is unrecognizable, his face, smile, and passion is clear. The purpose of lighting him up in these lively moments is to prove that his condition does not define who he is. His condition also has no effect of his capability to take chances and live while he still can. The bright parts of the video are the most significant to the theme of the song. Although the dark aspects of life influence our strength, the moments when we shine and live show who we are. 

Another component to the video that stands out are the flashbacks to when Brandon was growing up. Something about seeing a baby turn into a bright young man all in a brief video really intensifies the idea that life is too short to be wasted. Brandon explains further into the video that his worst fear is not being able to have fun or experience everything he wishes to do. The video shows the lifestyle he chose to take growing up to prevent his fear from happening. Whether it was snowboarding, surfing, singing, or just being with his family, we see highlights of lively experiences that most people will never pursue. The chorus says “I hope when the moment comes, you’ll say, I did it all”. Showing Brandon’s brightest moments from the time of his first birthday to his current life supports that when his final days are close, he will be able to look back and know that he took advantage of every moment and lived through every adventure that came his way. The video inspires viewers to never hold back on any of their passions or opportunities presented to them. It is interpreted that the scariest thing would be to look back on your life and realize it was not lived to fullest potential. 

Although “I Lived” supports the idea of living life to the fullest, it still acknowledges that there will still be hardships along the way. The video shows the overall struggle that Brandon deals with as a result of his disease, however also signifies the simple struggles he went through. A repeated image that is shown throughout the video is Brandon falling and picking himself back up. In one scene, he falls over while learning to ride a bike and picks himself up right after. Another scene shows his dad helping him stand up after he takes a tumble while skating. The point is that no matter how difficult or challenging it may be to move forward, actually living your life is being able to push through obstacles. This is illustrated when every time the video shows him falling it also shows his decision stand up and try again. With reference to the lyrics, “I hope that you don’t suffer, but take the pain”, this interprets that instead of feeling self-pity or insecurity, we take every hardship and learn from it. This support to the overall thematic message is that using struggles to grow as a person will resist you holding back in life. 

Brandon’s story being portrayed in this music video makes the song so much more believable. It is easy for one to make excuses to not live and hold back on opportunities. When we see someone who has a painful disease with a short life expectancy take initiative to make every moment count, it puts into perspective that living is not only possible but necessary. The video darkens the sadness but brightens the highlights his moments growing up and having fun. This takes the word “live” into a completely different context. Someone can physically be alive but choose not to take chances and make the best out of every situation. Meaning that someone can be alive without actually living. 

