R.E.M.

Everybody Hurts

Emma Hardie

In 1993, R.E.M. released Everybody Hurts with an accompanying music video that
was directed by Jake Scott. The main purpose and preferred meaning behind the song
is to provide hope for anyone going through pain or feeling suicidal with the most
repeated lyrics being hold on. Ultimately the lyrics and video highlight how
everybody hurts and goes through troubling times throughout life which sends out
hope to show that youre not alone.
The video is a hybrid of a narrative and conceptual video; it uses a storyline as well
as relative aspects that the audience can interpret on their own accords. Andrew
Goodwin put forward his music video theory that compiles of five keys aspects of an
effective music video. The second point outlines the relationship between the lyrics
and visuals of the product as being illustrative, disjunctive or amplifying. The video for
Everybody Hurts fits into illustrative as its visuals are used to illustrate the narrative
of the lyrics.
The feeling of struggle is hinted to from the very beginning of the video purely from
the solemn tone of the music and lack of brightness in the video. The initial shots of
the opening scenes establish the location of the music video: a traffic jam in which the
band is stuck. This setting serves as a visual metaphor, displaying peoples lives as
described by the lyrics. The people are stuck in their cars, which represents how they
are also stuck in their struggle-filled lives. Effectively the song fulfills its purpose by
liberating them. The audience is shown the band as being part of the video therefore
involved in the story, which addresses one of the key aims of a music video to
promote the artist. This provides the audiences with a common ground where they
can relate to the band as regular individuals, however, their faces are not featured in
the early shots. Without their identities, the audience can relate more to the story and
the message behind the song on a more personal level.
Further into the video we see shots of other people stuck in their cars, paired with
subtitles about how theyre feeling which introduces an enigmatic sense about their
individual lives. In most cases, the subtitles show negative feelings such as: here we
go again, how am I gunna do this? and if I had a gun. This reinforces the idea that
everybody hurts but in their own way. Again, this is more relatable for the audience
to empathise and apply their own situations to the lyrics placing them into the
narrative of the video. The camera movements throughout the video are slow and
smooth which mirrors the calming message of the song; this however increases in
intensity as the song progresses, building further upon the significance of hope as
people begin to leave their cars, liberated from their difficulties.
Throughout the video, the shots cut from one to another in time to the beats of the
music; this relation between sound and visual mirrors how the lyrics of the song
narrate the video. Additionally, the lyrics and thoughts of the characters are subtitled
which again emphasises how the song is relatable to the audience. As the song
progresses and increases in volume, the cuts and pace of the video matches this to
represent the increasing intensity of the preferred meaning. The sounds at the
beginning of the song start off calm and gradual, initiating the tempo and

R.E.M. Everybody Hurts

Emma Hardie

atmosphere. This increase is in keeping with the nature of the lyrics and aids in
serving the message of hope. At the very end of the video, the music cuts out and the
screen goes straight to a news report about the abundance of cars being abandoned
on the bridge. This encapsulates the entire message of the song for everybody to
unite. This use of intertextuality showing a wide broadcast of the event builds more of
an impact as it brings attention to the meaning of the song and further enhances the
audiences understating of the lyrics.
The lead singer Michael Stripe, who is featured within the video, wears a suit as he
sings the lyrics, which ultimately portrays him as a figure of superiority. This therefore
provides the song and its message with a degree of legitimacy that the audience can
trust and rely on. Goodwins theory addresses how The Star Image is crucial to a
music video as it increases audience appeal; the music video for Everybody Hurts
encompasses this aspect of the theory. Throughout the video there is a common
feature of Christological imagery. For example the inclusion of the Bible, the figure of
Jesus in the car and when the lead singer is lying on the roof of the car like a cross.
This style of mise-en-scene emphasises the theme of faith that is expressed through
the lyrics. The Christological imagery paired with the image of the lead singer
presents the band as being saintly thus promoting their work. Equally, this religious
imagery counterbalances the potential suicidal feelings that people may be
experiencing by conveying hope for life.
Overall, the Everybody Hurts music video by R.E.M. comprises many conventions
of an effective music video. Ultimately, all of these conventions are used together to
achieve the key aims of a music video: promotion of the product and the artist;
extension of income and outlets; and providing a greater understanding of the song
for the audience. With this, R.E.M. are successful in spreading the preferred message
of the song to give audiences hope.