Playing
in a band in high school and “making it” as an artist are completely different
things; one is just for fun and the other leaves you with fame and
fortune. However, the simplicity of making
music with some friends is often much preferable to the baggage that comes with
being a rock star. In the “Summer of ‘69”
music video, Bryan Adams compares these two worlds using color in some scenes
and black and white in others. The video
exemplifies the lack of complication in his teenage years by using a black and
white filter during the parts of the video that show the best days of his life. The video starts off with Adams sneaking in a
few beers and clutching his six-string guitar, gearing up to hang out with the
boys and play some music. Consequently,
this scene is in black and white. After
about 30 seconds of jamming out, Bryan Adams is suddenly shown chilling in a
hammock; however the video is now in color, and in the present. He is swinging back and forth absentmindedly
answering an overly attentive reporter’s questions, while in his mind he was reminiscing
about the summer of ’69. Adams looks
back on his earlier, simpler life when he would just make music for fun, fervently
wishing he could go back. And suddenly
the music takes him back. More of his reveries
appear on the screen when the video turns black and white again. Adams exaggerates his former laid-back
lifestyle by falling asleep while working at the drive-in, which is a direct contrast to his complicated job, and life, as an adult. His adolescence seems care-free when he and
his friends throw apples at each other, trash a building, and trip some cops
while making a narrow escape. In the
midst of running away from the police Adams finds himself back in the color,
while also back at the garage he used to play at. He performs with his new band on his old
stage pretending and desiring that he was back in his stress-free teenage years.
This
music video was released 30 years ago; however, it portrays an age-old tale
that relates to every generation. The “Summer
of ‘69” video retells the familiar story of how people long for the “good ol’ days.” Coming from a rock star who misses his freedom,
this particular account represents the struggle between fame and anonymity, reiterating
how it is human nature to yearn for life as it was before.
Shannon, thanks. This is another very strong post. You are very good at this type of writing. You write well, and include enough detail and substance to engage your audience. Great. I really don't have much to add. There was only one part of your post that I questioned. You write, "He performs with his new band on his old stage pretending and desiring that he was back in his stress-free teenage years." When I watched this part of the video, I was left with a slightly different idea. I thought this final scene represented some content feeling that Bryan Adams had when he was playing with his band. I didn't think he was so much "pretending and desiring" the past as much as he was content in the present, because he was playing with his band. The music allowed him to capture those past feelings. Of course, this is just an issue of interpretation. My question shouldn't detract from this great post. Thanks.
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