ANALYSIS OF A MUSIC VIDEO:

BASKET CASE – GREEN DAY

By Alex Harris

MUSIC VIDEOS DEMONSTRATE GENRE CHARACTERISTICS Andrew Goodwin identifies that

music videos need to show off the genre of the song such as a live performance for a band. This is used in the Basket Case music video as when the music video begins, the band are playing a live performance in a hospital and their eccentric facial expressions convey to the audience that it is a rock song.

The location of the mental asylum suggests the genre is somewhat punk.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS.

First of all, the title of the song 'Basket Case' is slang for someone who is completely hopeless  and/ or suffering from extreme nervous strain. This is definitely shown in the visuals of the music video in a number of ways. The music video is set in an asylum as you see nurses help each band member who are portraying the image of ill patients, to their instruments. In the chorus the lyrics say ‘Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me’ further highlighting that they are in an asylum and are mentally unstable.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND VISUALS. The only relationship that can

be made between the music and the visuals is that the punk-like, fast paced music matches the quick cuts and narrative that the band members are psychotic and are somewhat hyper. You can see from Billy Joe Armstrong’s very eccentric face and green eyes that they are being made to look like they’re mentally unstable.