Music video textual analysis of Sam Smith's Lay me Down

1. MUSIC VIDEO TEXTUAL
ANALYSIS

2. LAY ME DOWN BY SAM SMITH

3. ALBUM: IN THE LONELY HOUR

4. GENRE:
Soul
R&B
RELEASE YEAR:
2013

5. Ryan Hope
DIRECTOR

6. RECORD COMPANY

7. Narrative & Performance: The Music video is a mix of performance and
narrative type and shot in a single run. The music video features Sam Smith
himself in the music video, at his husband’s funeral as part of the narrative
and as a performer too as he lip-sync’s the song throughout the music video.
The narrative starts off first as Sam stands over a coffin in a church, while
everybody is sitting on the church benches in the background, and the
atmosphere is very sad and emotional, then the scene changes to a flashback
of Sam and his husband’s Wedding in the same church in the past and
everybody is happy and cheering then the scene changes to Sam sitting alone
on the church bench, sometime after the funeral and mourning again.
Throughout the music video he is singing the song whenever he comes on
screen.
MUSIC VIDEO TYPE

8. The music video portrays the view or ideology of the Artist Sam smith, as he is
openly Queer, So through this music video he has presented his idea and dream
that one day Same-sex marriages will be accepted and there will be gender equality
and These minorities will not be looked onto as outlaws of love. The narrative
shows that Sam attends his husband’s funeral but we do not know that until the
Marriage scene is shown from the past where Sam is seen getting married with
another man under a church roof. His own comments explain the message of the
music video clearly.
"Dear all, the Lay Me Down music video holds a very dear place in my heart. "With this video
myself and Ryan Hope the director have decided to make a statement and showcase something
we passionately believe in.
"This video shows my dreams that one day gay men and women and transgendered men and
women all over the world, like all our straight families and friends, will be able to get married
under any roof, in any city, in any town, in any village, in any country. I hope you all enjoy it. I
love you all x"
MESSAGE OF THE VIDEO

9. REPRESENTATION
Sam smith is shown standing over a coffin wearing a black
suit, the black color in itself representing sadness and grief in
this context, while people in the background shown holding
candles to create a emotional and sad atmosphere.
Sam is seen wearing a Crucifix sign on his ear as an earring,
this represents his religious beliefs, that he is a Christian, a
Believer and follower of Jesus and The bible, it is also his
Motif, as he is usually seen wearing these earrings in pother
music videos as well

10. REPRESENATATION
There is no such race discrimination in the
music video as throughout, African
Americans and white skinned people are
shown together and equal.
A person with piercings and tattoos is also shown
in the music video, his look suggests that he could
be a criminal, either in the past who is repenting
now, or from his regretful and sad facial
expressions he can also be the person who
could’ve killed the person who’s funeral is going
on accidentally or unintentionally, which is why he
has a regretful look on his face.

11. The music video is shot throughout in a church in london which is why a
proper church is represented with candles, confession rooms and wooden
seats, people holding candles shows that it is a gesture of sadness, and adds to
the funeral feel, Black clothes In this scenario depict sadness, pain and grief.
In the flashback scene everybody is wearing white and the grooms are also
wearing a white flower on their black suit to show that white represents peace,
harmony, happiness, although the 2 grooms dancing is a controversial
representation because same sex marriages are not legalized to take place in
churches, but this representation shows the message that the artist wants to
portray through this music video i.e. Equal rights for all genders and no
gender discrimination.
REPRESENTAION

12. The narrative follows several theories of music videos,
such as the relationship between the lyrics and the tone
with the visuals is quite direct and matches each other,
the motion of looking has also been used as the music
video follows these points of Andrew Goodwin’s theory.
NARRATIVE
The Use of close ups of the artist has also been done as
that satisfies the demand of the record label, there is no
such Voyeurism in the music video, Although the music
video categories under Richard Dyer’s Star image theory as
there are close ups, and the representation of the artist’s
Motif i.e. in this case the Crucifix earrings.

13. Throughout the music video Sam smith lip sync’s the entire song, and dances
at his wedding as well, he isn't actually performing the song but he is just part
of the narrative and is lip syncing to the lyrics as well which is a quite
unconventional performance.
PERFORMANCE

14. The Music video is shot throughout in a single shot, there is no cutaway, although
the scene changes in the same church thrice, but it is shown as a continuous shot
from the start till the end and there is no cut, but the whole scene is a single shot
hand held walkthrough of the camera, the transition between scenes is also very
smooth.
The camera is handheld, and most of the times the shot is a close up or a Medium
Close up. A lot of panning is used since there are no cutaways and the shot is one
single continuous one, and the camera doesn’t zoom in or out, it just simply
Moves in or out throughout the music video.
The camerawork for this music video is very professional and technical, but at the
same time perfectly Executed, the editing which would’ve surely been done
between scenes is also perfectly done as there is no sign of a cut or abrupt
transition.
CAMERAWORK AND EDITING

15. THANK YOU