Asaf Avidan - The Reckoning Song

by Katrin Kopp

Introduction

At the beginning of the seminar “Sum Fistsful of Music: Videos You Gotta Analyze Before the Term Ends”, I did not have a lot of experience with analysing music videos. I used to think about and reflect on music videos whenever I saw them, but never researched the background or techniques of them in a methodical or scientific way.
The seminar consisted of a theoretical introduction on music videos from their first occurrence until today with, for example, the different traditions of music videos like the experimental film, experimental art, graphics, or the 30s Hollywood Musicals.
After learning the theory, we were asked to become creative ourselves. We were supposed to choose a music video that contains of some analyzable content and to research the video’s evolutionary history as well as the techniques which were used in the clip in order to be able to reflect on it in an appropriate way. I decided to take a closer look on the Wankelmut remix of “The Reckoning Song” by Asaf Avidan and The Mojos which always touches me in a very emotional way since the first time I heard the song and watched the corresponding video clip.
 The seminar and its topic did not only interest me personally, but I also saw it as a chance to learn another method of eventually including a form of the new media in my future English classes. If my pupils are also interested in analyzing and examining music videos, I could use the techniques which I learned during the course myself in my classes as well.
In this term paper, I will analyze the clip of “One Day - The Reckoning Song” in terms of general information, scenes, places and themes as well as the connection between the music and the video itself until ending with a reflection on my analysis.

General information about the music video and the song

“The Reckoning Song” is a song by Asaf Avidan. The author and guitarist of the tune is an Israeli Folk-Rock musician who is known for his sometimes androgynous and calm voice. He worked together with the band “The Mojos” which consists of the bassist Ran Nir, the drummer Yoni Sheleg, the guitarist Roi Peled, and Hadas Kleinman on the cello. Together, they recorded the album “The Reckoning”. Both Asaf Avidan and the band come from the Middle East. Their European success increased only when the disc jockey “Wankelmut” released a remix of their song which is called “One Day – The Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix)”. The German house and techno dj, whose real name is Jakob Dilßner, is also a music producer. Wankelmut had great success with his remix of Asaf Avidan’s song and consolidated his popularity by releasing it. In this paper, I will focus on the corresponding music video of the remix.
The clip was released in June 2012 and was directed by Daniel Franke and Sander Houtkruijer. It shows a small group of people who spend an extraordinary night together while they appear to have the time of their lives. The main characters are portrayed by three performance artists, by name Stephanie Ballantine, Voin de Voin as well as Blagoy Veogalb. In their roles, they meet at one of their homes, have some drinks together and listen to music; later on, they go to a party, dance, make love and do not worry about anything for that one single night. They do not seem to care what others might think of them, and when the night is over, they still all sit together and appear to be exhausted, but perfectly content.

Scenes and places

In the beginning of the music video, the three main characters, two males and one female, sit outside watching the sunrise. The clip begins where the displayed night actually ends. After that first scene, the event is shown from the beginning. The two boys walk up a staircase that leads to the girl’s flat where they all meet up. After spending some time there, the group leaves the apartment and is seen in front of a takeaway, obviously a bit drunk, while dancing and making jokes.
The scenes are changing quite quickly in order to show the spectator various moments of the night without the necessity to focus on the different places or actions more concretely. The three figures are alternately seen on a bridge, in a bar, back on the street and in the club again, most of the time surrounded by other dancing people. Later on, they are in a park and start a bonfire; they balance on a wall, kiss and make love in a public toilet, and finally swim half-naked in a lake.
The scenes and locations do not appear in their chronological order which seems to be of little importance. The music video shows a collection of snap shots and moments of that one special, outstanding night which the main characters will probably never forget. The spectator gets involved in the night’s events and, especially as a young person, one can easily identify with the characters.

Themes

The appearing themes are of a kind that often appears in today’s adolescent’s party life. The characters dance a lot, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes; they might even consume drugs, even though this is neither shown, nor denoted in the music video. There is also a lot of laughing and singing, as the group of people is in an extremely hyped up and jubilant mood. The topic of sexuality is strongly emphasized and illuminated from various perspectives. In the clip, it does not matter which sexual disposition somebody has. Acts of love, like kissing and the implied sexual act itself, are performed in forms of polygamy, bisexual love, or homosexual and heterosexual actions. What counts, is the way an individual is like, no matter who he loves or which preferences he or she has. The illustrated group of young adults does not need to render an account of what they are like to anybody; they are free in their minds and accepted within the displayed society.
Furthermore, the actors do unexpected and sometimes quite crazy things which are not at all common. The girl is pole dancing on a street light in front of a takeaway, and splashes around with a bottle of sparkling wine. The group of three dances on the street and on walls after they left the club; they play with a bonfire in a park, and in the end, they even swim half-naked in a lake. They do not care about what others might think of them and merely enjoy the night, their life and the pleasant company they are in. In addition to that, it does not matter to them what happened before or what might happen after that specific night, as only the present moment is important to them.

Connection between the music video and the song

When watching the music video of “One Day – The Reckoning Song”, I noticed that the musicians do not appear in the clip themselves. The characters are played by performance artists, which is the reason why you do not see anyone singing the actual lyrics of the song. While watching the video without the sound, one might expect some fast techno or dance music, as the images are quickly changing, disturbing and wild. However, the underlying song is, in comparison to that expectation, slow and harmonious. Both song and music video fit extremely well together anyway. The clip underlines the carefree feeling of the indicated situation, while the song focuses on the desire for more freedom to live for the moment, enjoy oneself, and the melancholy that often comes along with that wish. The lyrics deal with the statement that everything in our everyday life has become extremely serious; people have to cope with a lot of stress and forget about things like going out without worrying about the next day or their personal reservations. The song calls upon the listeners to simply live the moment, and to be crazy and irrational sometimes; as otherwise, they will not have a lot of stories to tell when they are old. While always worrying about what other people might think of you, or by spending too much time working, one easily forgets about all the pleasant and easy things life provides.

Reflection and summary

In the seminar “Sum Fistsful of Music”, I learned that a music video should be seen as some kind of independent art work. It can stand alone and can be, like in this essay, analyzed individually. Even though the clip belongs to the song which it accompanies and both have a general interrelation, the two media song and image do not necessarily be connected or fit together. In some cases, the music video displays actions or scenes that are neither mentioned in the lyrics, nor indicated by the sound. However, they still come along as one. This potential discrepancy is, most of the time, known and planned by the musicians and those who produce the actual clip. The song and the music video often respectively contain a message which is intended by the authors and the producers. Sometimes, this meaningful statement is only recognizable if both video and song are watched and heard together; in other cases, they do not depend on each other.  
When I heard Asaf Avidan’s song for the first time, it touched me immediately and conveyed a lot of strong emotion to me. Later on, I also watched the related video clip. It shows a small group of people who seem to have the time of their life in that particular night while meeting their friends, enjoying some drinks, having fun at a party dancing and making love. As discussed above, the music video consists of quickly changing images which let the viewer expect some kind of techno or dance music. However, the actual song conveys a melancholic feeling while the lyrics argue for taking life more easily, enjoying oneself and having fun in order to forget life’s seriousness for a while, and to have lots of stories to tell when one is old.
When reflecting on the music video of “One Day – The Reckoning Song”, I noticed that the displayed situation can be rated in different ways. On the one hand, and as intended by the producers of the clip, I can easily identify with the characters. There is a natural desire to enjoy the moment, to forget about all the worries or the next day, and even the quiet desideratum to do something reckless or irrational. Even though these wishes might appear superficial or senseless, they are still present. Following the conclusion of the clip, namely to act out exactly these desires sometimes without minding possible consequences, is tempting. I know nights like the described one. The great and hilarious feelings with which they can provide you can last for quite a long time. Outstanding moments are not easily forgotten and can even turn into great stories which are often still told many years afterwards. However, I also see the case in a more rational way. Such situations and actions are important in order to break out of everyday life and can improve one’s mood within all the stress and chaos we have to cope with. Still, this should not become a common habit. If an individual is tempted to be and to stay in a condition of recklessness or even carelessness, he might easily forget about other important things in life. Nevertheless, obligations and rules are part of our being and cannot be ignored or avoided. If this happens, there might be nothing else left after a night like the one that is presented in the music video except for some stories to tell.
In my opinion, it is important to find an appropriate compromise between a healthy sense of responsibility and the courage to break out of it from time to time. In this way, I feel able to cope with the everyday challenges and the burdens we are obliged with. I think it is important to maintain a proper sense of lightness within all the stress, as well as to stay down on earth when one is tempted to escape from reality too often.

The Lyrics


One Day / Reckoning Song (Wankelmut remix)
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
No more tears, my heart is dry
I don't laugh and I don't cry
I don't think about you all the time
But when I do, I wonder why (4x)
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told (6x)
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be one
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
And think of all the stories that we could have told (2x)
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old
One day baby, we'll be old
Oh baby, we'll be old

And think of all the stories that we could have told (2x)