YouTube Clip:
yes the thumbnail is kinda creepy but don’t judge a book by its cover you meanie
This is the video I chose. It’s the official music video for the song Alligator Sky, by Owl City and Shawn Chrystopher. I picked this video for a multitude of reasons:
One, the song is absolute fire. It’s incredible. Most underrated song of the century. I don’t want to listen to your ’70s boomer music, I want to listen to this.
Two, the music video(I feel) is an analogy for climate change. It depicts a barren, abandoned Earth covered in litter and newspaper articles that hint at humanity departing Earth for some other planet. It’s hauntingly beautiful and it blends in perfectly with the music. The two singers are in astronaut suits, probably because the air on Earth has gotten so polluted, it’s unsafe for humans to breathe in. At the end, they lift off in a rocket and leave Earth behind, which is also mentioned in the song’s chorus (Where was I, when the rockets came to life/ And carried you away). This is particularly relevant in today’s world, as our Earth reaches a breaking point. If we continue our destructive cycle, we’re going to end up with the world depicted in the Alligator Sky- a barren, abandoned world, as all the humans have already left to find life elsewhere. Hopefully, that future never becomes reality.
I’d also like to think this song symbolizes a kind of breaking up and letting go. The singer is asking, “where was I when you disappeared?”. “Alligator sky” is also a unique kind of wordplay; I assume “alligator sky” means “the sky ate you up”, the way an alligator would eat prey. However, the song also talks about motivation(Even though I’ll never know what’s up ahead/ I’m never letting go/ I’m never letting go) and not giving up. I think this part of the song is referring to never letting go of life, and to keep moving on. The rap part of this song also talks about not giving up, too. For example, this passage:
“Uh uh, that’s not a plane, that’s me/ I’m sittin’ where I’m supposed to/ Floating on a cloud can’t nobody come close to”
It seems to be talking about heartbreak, healing, and getting stronger, and I adore it. It’s a beautiful, motivational song with tons of hidden messages and little Easter eggs for you to find. Please listen to it. You won’t regret it.
Three, Owl City. Best musician the world has ever seen. His songs sound like they were lifted straight from dreams. The beauty of Owl City songs is otherworldly. Not only is this an artist I love, it is also one of my favourite songs.