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Rabbit in Your Headlights (music video)
Encyclopedia
"Rabbit in Your Headlights" is a song by British electronic
duo UNKLE
. It was released as the lead single from their debut album Psyence Fiction
(1998). The song features vocals from British musician and Radiohead
member Thom Yorke
. The song was written by Yorke and Unkle member Josh Davis
and produced by UNKLE, the track heavily utilizes samples
from other songs. The track takes its title from a quote from the 1990 thriller film
Jacob's Ladder
; dialogue from the film is also one of many samples on the song.
Musically, "Rabbit in Your Headlights" combines Yorke's moody vocals and an instrumental containing a variety of samples
from sources ranging from Dutch band Supersister to the 1997 film Contact
. While the single was not a commercial success, the song was positively received by critics.
The song's accompanying music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer
and starring actor Denis Lavant
, was widely acclaimed for its direction and cinematography, and won numerous awards.
, directed by Jonathan Glazer
, premiered in November 1998. The critically acclaimed video won the MVPA
's Best International Video of the Year Award in 1999. In 2006, Stylus Magazine
ranked it number one on their list of the Top 100 Music Videos of All Time. It is anthologised on the DVD Directors Label, Vol. 5: The Work of Director Jonathan Glazer. The video recalls imagery from the Alan Clarke-directed film "Made in Britain." In that movie, actor Tim Roth is seen walking down a London tunnel, shirtless, while a car drives by, honking its horn.
The video uses a technique which Glazer would later use for the "A Song for the Lovers
" video, being shot in real-time
and allowing the diegetic sounds produced by objects and characters to be audible above the music. It differs from that video in that the music itself is non-diegetic.
as a man wearing a heavy parka and walking along the middle of the road in a busy car tunnel. He appears to be out of his mind, mumbling and shouting incoherences, only occasionally including intelligible words such as "Cristo" and "shimmer!" Some of the cars honk at him and swerve out of his way. All of a sudden a car hits him from the side, and he is left on the ground. The car continues its course without stopping or slowing down. After a while, the man stands up and starts walking again as if nothing had happened. Then another car hits him; this time the hit occurs straight on and sends him flying a couple of feet. A passing motorist watches with contempt as the man rolls in the street. The man gets up again. A car swerves by and slows down alongside the man. The driver and passengers, played by British actor Craig Kelly
as the driver and Unkle's James Lavelle
and Richard File
as passengers, try to talk to him, asking where is he going. The man pays no attention and continues walking and talking to himself. The driver soon tires of this and drives away while one of the passengers calls out, "Nice coat!" Another car hits the man, and he gets up almost instantly. The madness which this man is apparently suffering from gets more acute as he grabs his face and moves erratically. More accidents occur, some cars honk, some cars swerve out of the way — but none stop.
The man removes his parka and throws it on the ground. He is shirtless underneath, and we see his chest covered with bruises and cuts. Then, as the song's beat stops, leaving just a piano playing, the man stops as well. He smiles and opens his arms in a crucifix
-like position. A MK2 Cavalier is coming his way and makes no intention of stopping. The car hits the man, but this time he stands unmoved, and the car destroys itself on impact.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
duo UNKLE
UNKLE
Unkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
. It was released as the lead single from their debut album Psyence Fiction
Psyence Fiction
-Samples:*"Intro "**Quannum MCs – "Blue Flames"**Massive Attack – "Teardrop"**Air – "All I Need"**Invisibl Skratch Piklz – "Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs...
(1998). The song features vocals from British musician and Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
member Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
. The song was written by Yorke and Unkle member Josh Davis
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
and produced by UNKLE, the track heavily utilizes samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from other songs. The track takes its title from a quote from the 1990 thriller film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder (film)
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological thriller/horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:Jacob Singer is a U.S. soldier deployed in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War...
; dialogue from the film is also one of many samples on the song.
Musically, "Rabbit in Your Headlights" combines Yorke's moody vocals and an instrumental containing a variety of samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from sources ranging from Dutch band Supersister to the 1997 film Contact
Contact (film)
Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
. While the single was not a commercial success, the song was positively received by critics.
The song's accompanying music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer is an English director of films, commercials and music videos.-Biography:After studying theatre design at Nottingham Trent University, Glazer started out directing theatre and making film and television trailers, including award-winning work for the BBC...
and starring actor Denis Lavant
Denis Lavant
Denis Lavant is a French film actor known for his distinctive face and the physically demanding aspects of the roles he plays, which often involve slapstick, acrobatics or dance, as well as for his long-standing association with director Leos Carax...
, was widely acclaimed for its direction and cinematography, and won numerous awards.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer is an English director of films, commercials and music videos.-Biography:After studying theatre design at Nottingham Trent University, Glazer started out directing theatre and making film and television trailers, including award-winning work for the BBC...
, premiered in November 1998. The critically acclaimed video won the MVPA
Music Video Production Association
The Music Video Production Association is a music industry trade organization, based in Los Angeles, that is made up of producers, directors, and other professionals involved in the creation of music videos....
's Best International Video of the Year Award in 1999. In 2006, Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
ranked it number one on their list of the Top 100 Music Videos of All Time. It is anthologised on the DVD Directors Label, Vol. 5: The Work of Director Jonathan Glazer. The video recalls imagery from the Alan Clarke-directed film "Made in Britain." In that movie, actor Tim Roth is seen walking down a London tunnel, shirtless, while a car drives by, honking its horn.
The video uses a technique which Glazer would later use for the "A Song for the Lovers
A Song for the Lovers
"A Song for the Lovers" is a song by English singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft and is the opening track on his 2000 album, Alone with Everybody. The song was also released on April 3, 2000 as the first single from that album in the United Kingdom...
" video, being shot in real-time
Real-time (media)
Real time within the media is a method of narratology wherein events are portrayed at the same rate that the audience experiences them. For example, if a movie told in real-time is two hours long, then the plot of that movie covers two hours of fictional time...
and allowing the diegetic sounds produced by objects and characters to be audible above the music. It differs from that video in that the music itself is non-diegetic.
Plot
It stars Denis LavantDenis Lavant
Denis Lavant is a French film actor known for his distinctive face and the physically demanding aspects of the roles he plays, which often involve slapstick, acrobatics or dance, as well as for his long-standing association with director Leos Carax...
as a man wearing a heavy parka and walking along the middle of the road in a busy car tunnel. He appears to be out of his mind, mumbling and shouting incoherences, only occasionally including intelligible words such as "Cristo" and "shimmer!" Some of the cars honk at him and swerve out of his way. All of a sudden a car hits him from the side, and he is left on the ground. The car continues its course without stopping or slowing down. After a while, the man stands up and starts walking again as if nothing had happened. Then another car hits him; this time the hit occurs straight on and sends him flying a couple of feet. A passing motorist watches with contempt as the man rolls in the street. The man gets up again. A car swerves by and slows down alongside the man. The driver and passengers, played by British actor Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (actor)
Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
as the driver and Unkle's James Lavelle
James Lavelle
James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label boss.-Early years:Born into a family with a strong tradition of music, Lavelle first began by learning the cello with his grandmother in Oxford....
and Richard File
Richard File
Richard File is a musician and producer, best known for his work with James Lavelle as part of Unkle. He has also released singles under the aliases DJ Aura and Forme.-Career:...
as passengers, try to talk to him, asking where is he going. The man pays no attention and continues walking and talking to himself. The driver soon tires of this and drives away while one of the passengers calls out, "Nice coat!" Another car hits the man, and he gets up almost instantly. The madness which this man is apparently suffering from gets more acute as he grabs his face and moves erratically. More accidents occur, some cars honk, some cars swerve out of the way — but none stop.
The man removes his parka and throws it on the ground. He is shirtless underneath, and we see his chest covered with bruises and cuts. Then, as the song's beat stops, leaving just a piano playing, the man stops as well. He smiles and opens his arms in a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
-like position. A MK2 Cavalier is coming his way and makes no intention of stopping. The car hits the man, but this time he stands unmoved, and the car destroys itself on impact.
Track listing
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights" – 6:18
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights (Instrumental)" – 6:00
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights (Underdog Mix)" – 4:46
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights (Underdog Instrumental)" – 4:31
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights (3DRobert Del NajaRobert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
Mix - Reverse Light)" – 7:32 - "Rabbit in Your Headlights (3D Mix - Reverse Light Instrumental)" – 7:32
- "Rabbit in Your Headlights (Suburban HellDavid Axelrod (musician)David Axelrod is an American composer, arranger and producer, working in several musical genres.-Biography:...
Remix)" – 6:07
External links
- Music video profile on mvdbase.com
- "Shooting the "Beast". Jonathan Glazer Tames the Gangster Genre" by Anthony Kaufman for IndieWire (12 June 2001)
- Interview with Jonathan Glazer (Directors Label DVD) by Daniel Robert Epstein for Suicide Girls