The music video for "Dry Your Eyes" by The Streets depicts isolation and loneliness through various visual elements. Shots show the artist alone in darkness surrounded by shadow, with his body language suggesting distress. Working class locations like a grimy shopping center establish a relatable setting. Recurring images of the artist's dog on a chain symbolize their shared experience of loneliness. Through these techniques, the video conveys the sorrowful themes of the song in a way that resonates universally while portraying a realistic working class environment.

1. The Streets- ‘Dry
Your Eyes’ Case
Study
Before analysing the music video for ‘Dry Your Eyes’, I examined the lyrics to the
song in order to find any connotations that would suggest the type of features that
would appear in the video.
In one single moment your whole life can turn 'round
I stand there for a minute starin' straight into the ground
Lookin' to the left slightly, then lookin' back down These words
Colloquial World feels like it's caved in - proper sorry frown suggest isolation
language- the Please let me show you where we could only just be, for us and
use of informal I can change and I can grow or we could adjust abandonment as
words suggests The wicked thing about us is we always have trust
they indicate
normality and We can even have an open relationship, if you must
I look at her she stares almost straight back at me enclosure. This
realism. Thus, is a key theme in
But her eyes glaze over like she's lookin' straight through me
the artist may the music video
Then her eyes must have closed for what seems an eternity
represent the When they open up she's lookin' down at her feet as the artist is the
common man only focus and is
and may Dry your eyes mate consistently
consider them I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up
shown alone.
his target There's plenty more fish in the sea
audience. Dry your eyes mate
I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts
The constant
But you've got to walk away now
It's over references to
eyes may
So then I move my hand up from down by my side suggest:
Repetition- the
It's shakin', my life is crashin' before my eyes • Crying:
repetition of Turn the palm of my hand up to face the skies sorrow
the word Touch the bottom of her chin and let out a sigh
‘please’ • Looking
'Cause I can't imagine my life without you and me
suggests the There's things I can't imagine doin', things I can't imagine seein' for
artist’s It weren't supposed to be easy, surely forgiveness
desperation Please, please, I beg you please /peace
She brings her hands up towards where my hands rested
and despair.
She wraps her fingers round mine with the softness she's blessed with
The personal She peels away my fingers, looks at me and then gestures
pronoun By pushin' my hand away to my chest, from hers Emotive
enhances the
words add
intimacy of the Dry your eyes mate
I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up
sentiment to
line, evoking
There's plenty more fish in the sea the music
sympathy in
Dry your eyes mate video and
the audience.
I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts create a
But you've got to walk away now poignant
It's over tone.
I know in the past I've found it hard to say
Tellin' you things, but not tellin' straight
The last verse is
But the more I pull on your hand and say
much shorter that The more you pull away The artist has
the pervious two. utilised the song
The lack of words Dry your eyes mate title in the lyrics
may indicate that I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up of the song
the artist has There's plenty more fish in the sea
making it a
become overly Dry your eyes mate
I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts
memorable
emotional. phrase that the
But you've got to walk away now.
audience can
repeat.

2. Before the music begins a long shot of a street is
revealed to the audience to illustrate the simple and
mundane nature of the music video. The stillness
and abandoned quality of the street suggests a sense
of solitude and invokes negative expectations in the
audience as they are exposed to a miserable
location. This is further emphasised by the calmness
of the night as the darkness conjures up apprehension and concern in the viewer.
The shots following this secrete these ideas as in the first few seconds of the song
there are numerous shots that demonstrate seclusion. The frames show darkness,
however the artist is exposed through a beam of light coming from a street lamp or
bus stop. The isolation of the artist in the frame indicates sorrow as he is surrounded
by the depression of shadow and darkness.
The implication of pessimism is enhanced
through the composition of the frames as
amongst the dimness, the artist is rarely
centralized suggesting instability and anxiety. The artist’s body language also
highlights the emotive aspects of the song as his head is bowed, his shoulders are
hunched and his hands are in his pockets indicating distress and grief.
The visual image of the music video signifies an extremely working class British
atmosphere, for example, the locations (e.g the grimy shopping centre and the dingy
laundrette) are extremely scruffy, mundane and simple suggesting a lack of wealth
and formality. The locations also comply with the stereotypical image of British
white, working class, young males as the football pitch, gym and pool club indicate
that he doesn’t live a very affluent lifestyle. The conventional view of this social
group is enhanced through the artist’s clothing and style as polo shirts, trainers and
shaven hair are associated with a white working class image.
Although the music video represents a working class audience the video can also
relate to wider audiences as it expresses many universal emotions that are
recognisable to all sorts of people. The artist generates a relationship with the

3. audience on the familiarity of these common emotions through his use of the camera;
the camera remains stationary whilst the artist moves in and out of the shot producing
a home made video effect. This relaxed camera shot creates a comfortable viewing for
all audiences allowing them to appreciate the sentiment of the song and relate to the
sorrowful themes being expressed.
Throughout the music video the audience will notice the recurring presence of the
artist’s dog. Many consider a dog to be a man’s best friend which is certainly an idea
that may coincide with this music video as it is clear that the dog and the artist have
an intimate and personal relationship. This is symbolised by the constant use of the
dog chain as it links them together suggesting shared experience and sentiment. The
chain also indicates the dog’s empathy for the artist’s isolation and loneliness as the
dog is also confined as he is retained by the chain’s control. This is further
emphasised by the use of high angle shots of the dog as the puppy dog eyes that gaze
into the camera illustrate pain and regret as key themes in the song and also make the
dog seem inferior and innocent. The eyes are the windows into the soul, thus the use
of these high angle shots create a connection with the audience as the dog’s dismal
glare generates sympathy and compassion in the viewers.