Lyric Analysis of Breezeblocks by Alt-J

Lyric Analysis of Breezeblocks by Alt J

/ = cut

“She may contain the urge to run away but hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks” This line last 5 seconds

(This line coincides with the first shot of the video where the woman is laid in a bath filled with water with a breezeblock on top of her. (To recreate this safely, we will film the shot similarly to the original however we will have someone holding the heavy object outside of the camera shot so that the actress doesn’t get injured.)

To create the dark image that the lyrics portray we are going to use low exposure on a camera. Also we are going to reduce the colour contrast post recording to create disorientation and confusion

There’s a 1 second pause, then there is a cut to the next scene with the guy with his head in his hands- with the lyric “Cetirizine, your fever’s gripped me again, never kisses, all you ever send are full stops” from 06-11 seconds

Then there is a cut to a close up of the guy’s wedding ring during the “la la la la” bit at 0.12 seconds

There is then a cut to a tap running in reverse “do you know where wild things go? They go/ along and take your honey/” with shots inbetween of the woman in the bath and shots of the tap.

Next there is a “La la la la” bit where there is a short, second long shot of the woman in the bath with the water sloshing around with a shot reverse shot from the tap to the woman.

Then there is another shot of the man with his head in his hands at a medium close up when the lyrics are ”break down and weep, build up breakfast now let’s eat, my love, my love/( cut to close up of man with head in hands), love/(cut to close up of woman’s hand), love”/ ( cut to shot of her in the bath with water swirling around)- these scenes coincide with the rhythm of the song- every beat is a new shot in this part

The next line is “muscle to muscle and/ toe to toe, /the fear has gripped me but here I go.” –the shot starts with the man just after he throws a breezeblock at her. It then cuts to another shot of the woman in the bath with the water swirling around, then back to the man just before he throws the block at her. There’s then another shot of the water running in reverse whilst the lyrics are “my heart sinks as I/ jump up” with a cut to the man chasing her into the bathroom at “jump up” also theres a shot of the man chasing the woman for 9 seconds whilst the lyrics are “Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut and ohhhh ohhhh oh.” Theres a second set of “ohs” straight after which cut to the kitchen where he first starts chasing her with a breezeblock.