Music Genres - Indie Rock

When the sun goes down - Arctic Monkeys

Genre Characteristics:

• Hand held camera, shaky, 'real life'
• lack of saturation to match mood of song
• Deeper meaning, usually tries to tell a story

Relationship between visuals and lyrics:

• The girl is telling the story of the song
• Told from a bystanders point of view, narrating what he thinks about the girls life. 
• 'When the sun goes down' - hints at sexual nature of video, prostitutes start work at night. The whole video is also filmed at night, somehow causing it to feel more dangerous and the man more powerful
• Contradictory to her profession, the girl almost exclusively wears a tracksuit throughout the video, this doesn't match the lyrics but does match the setting of the video
• Two shots are used to establish the relationships between the woman and the man and/or clients. Most show her emotions at the time i.e. when with the man she is either scared, sad or falsely happy, with clients she is straight forward and willing. Whether this is acting or gladness to be doing something away from the man isn't said. 

Relationship between music and visuals:

• The music matches the tone of the story; very somber and sad 
• If was any happier, wouldn't portray the story of the prostitute as well
• Many close ups of he girls face so we can see her facial expressions and therefore sympathize with her and her situation
• Whenever the man is 'kind' to the woman we see high-key lighting and whenever he isn't there is low-key lighting. Safe to say most of the music video is low-key. 

Close ups (Star Image):

• No-one in the band is included in the video; the message is what they want to sell, not themselves. 

Notion of Looking:

• As stated above the band is not in the video
• We look at the girl not sexually but with sympathy, this is ironic given her profession of a prostitute. However, through the video and lyrics we realise this isn't by choice and we therefore have compassion

Intertextuality:

• Tells the story of domestic abuse and prostitution
• 'Roxanne' - reference to the song by Police which is also about prostitution

Performance, Narrative, Concept

• Narrative based, includes no performance 

Lyrics:

So who's that girl there
I wonder what went wrong
So that she had to roam the streets
She don't do major credit cards
I doubt she does receipts
It's all not quite legitimate
And what a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet he'll rob you if he can
Can see it in his eyes, yeah
That he's got a driving ban
Amongst some other offences

And I've seen him with girls of the night
He told Roxanne to put on her red light
They're all infected but he'll be alright
'Cause he's a scumbag, don't you know!
I said he's a scumbag, don't you know!

Although you're trying not to listen
I bet your eyes are staring a the ground
She makes a subtle proposition
I'm sorry love i'll have to turn you down

And oh he must be up to something
Want half a chance to show he's more than likely
I've got a feeling in my stomach
I start to wonder what his story might be
What his story might be

They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around, here

And look here comes a ford Mondeo
Isn't he mister inconspicuous
And he don't have to say 'owt
She's in the stance ready to get picked up

And she's delighted when she sees him
Pulling in and giving her the eye
Because she must be fucking freezing
Scantily clad beneth the clear night sky
And don't stop in the winter no and

They said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here

They said it changes when the sun goes down
Over the river going out of town
And they said it changes when the sun goes down
Around here
Around here

And what a scummy man
Just give him half a chance
I bet he'll rob you if you can
Can see it in his eyes that he's got a nasty plan
I hope you're not involved at all