"He's At Your Window!" (Semiotics: Image As Language)

Deconstructing Another Music Video

The video I have chosen to breakdown and analyse is a music video by an artist known as Tyler The Creator. The song in the video is called "She". No, before you actually play the video, I would strongly advice that you read the lyrics also. This is because some of the lyrics relate strongly to most of the content in the video therefore, I will be analyse a few of them too. This is because signs may not always be visible, sometimes they're in the words that we say also. sometimes we need words in order for a visual sign to make sense. Here is a link to the song lyrics http://www.killerhiphop.com/tyler-the-creator-she-lyrics/

Scene 1

In this first scene, you can see a small group of young men playing what looks like a gambling game. This scene was based in what I believe is an upper middle class neighbourhood. So, the fact that they were able to clash what is usually related to ghetto living with an upper class neighbourhood already tells us that the rest of the video won't be "Airy Fairy". The game that they were playing may suggest that they could be in a gang. Also the durags that two of the boys are wearing may also suggest the same thing. This can be a symbolic and/or indexical sign. What they're playing and how they are dressed could send across the message that they may be gang members. The fact that the scene is in an upper class neighbourhood may send across a completely different message also because gangsters are mostly assumed to dwell in the ghetto. We, as a western society, may understand their fashion as something associated with gang activity and "ghetto behaviour" but someone on the eastern side of the world may not associate such dressing and activities with the ghetto. 
Here are some important lyrics I heard that I believe also contains some semiotic signs, "...A sword sliced the air...rolled off the bed then shot back, pa-pa. Blood on the sheets, probably spilling from my gash". The line basically describes a gun fight between two men. This line from the song completely backs up what I mentioned earlier about how these three boys may be associated with gangs.


Scene 2

In this next scene, you can see a girl has moved in next door or opposite to where the boys are living. She is what is commonly known in the western world as "The Girl Next Door". This is an indexical sign. The girl next door usually represent an attractive girl that can't be touched. These sorts of storylines are usually associated with American culture and The Girl Next Door almost always indicates an up coming romance of some sort. You can see she's, in a way, "off limits" because her father is standing near by in some of the screen shots that I have taken. Here, in the first shot, you can see her father is watching her closely which shows that he is playing his part as the dominant and protective figure. This is a sign that I'm sure most people of all cultures would be able to understand. 
In this next shot, you can see that he noticed her flirting with the boys and quickly exercises his role as the father figure by pulling her inside the house. Already, you can see that this scene is saturated with signs that show she is an "untouchable item". 


Scene 3
In this part of the music video, you can see what I believe is an indexical sign. The girl next door now has a stalker (Tyler The Creator) and he has managed to sneak into her room while she's sleeping. 

The fact that he has a mask on is an indexical sign. Most people associate masks with hidden identity. The man in the mask is clearly trying to hide his identity in the video which may cause the audience to assume that he is a criminal. The entire scene of Tyler in the girl's bedroom is more or less the same through out. He goes threw her private things and writes her a note on the mirror. This is usually the behaviour of a stalker. I believe the lyrics in the scene illustrate a lot more than the scene itself. Here are some quotes that I pulled out, "You’ll be down in earth quicker if you diss me tonight...I give two for us cause you’re the one that I want...But in the back of my top I'm writing songs about we, we as including I and yourself". This line from the song signifies that the character is dangerous as he is threatening to kill her if she doesn't cooperate with him. He also explains how much he likes the girl but comes across as obsessed and possessive as he explains that he has been writing songs about her and how much she is the only one that he wants. This is a straight forward scene from the song that I believe anyone will be able to understand even without the lyrics.


Scene 4

These two scenes are quite straight forward. You can see that the stalker is actually a normal teenager and is outside with his friends riding his bike, but in a hyper state. The Girl Next Door, however seems to be at ease and is calm whilst riding her bike with her friends. 

She's still clueless and has no idea that there is a stalker following her. Both of these scenes are indexical. This is because you can clearly see that the stalker isn't in his right state of mind because he doesn't appear to be riding his bike in a straight line. However, the girl is calm and relaxed, as her her friends by her side who are all riding their bikes in a straight line. It's the behaviour in the characters that I believe are the semiotics in this scene. Anyone would be able to tell who are the good and bad characters between the two groups of teens by simply watching their actions. The lyrics in this scene are quite similar to that in the shot I analysed earlier. Here are the quotes that I pulled out, "One, two, you’re the girl that I want...Eight is the bullets if you say no after all this. And I just couldn't take it, you’re so motherfuckin’ gorgeous...I just wanna drag you’re lifeless body to the forest. And fornicate with it but that’s because I'm in love with you, cunt!" 
You see that the character still maintains his stalker personality by threatening to kill her and rape her if she doesn't cooperate. Again, he describes his obsession with her by telling her how attractive he thinks she is and how she's the only one he wants. 


Scene 5
Despite the fact that this scene will probably be more recognised among eastern culture, we're still able to understand what is going on in this scene. You see a man dressed in Asian attire  hovering from the ground and singing these lyrics "The blinds wide open so he can see you in the dark when you’re sleepin’...Ain’t no man allowed in your bedroom, you’re sleeping alone in your bed. But check your window, he’s at your window!"
From what I can hear and see in the video, he is a symbolic figure. The way in which he is levitating from the ground and dressed differently from everyone else indicates that he is special and different. I believe that he is suppose to symbolise a guardian angel or some kind of protective spiritual being. Not many people will be able to understand this scene straight away if they are not familiar with other cultures and religions. However, the lyrics that he is singing whilst hovering above the ground, "He's at you're Window!", signify that he is trying to warn The Girl Next Door that someone is stalking her. Therefore, some may catch on and begin to understand the semiotics in this scene. This is why I mentioned before that words can also be a semiotic in some cases. I personally believe that this video was a very good example of how it works. 

Advertisements in the music video
I just wanted to point out some of the advertisements that I noticed in the video. These are not really as symbolic as most of the other signs that I have pointed out. But looking at some of them, you can see how they have slyly fitted each advert into small scenes. Here are some shots that you may have noticed. Adidas, Ford Car, Supreme Clothing line.