I´m a almost 50 years old guy, I grew up surfing with my friends, playing music in bands with them and leaving the life full of hope and dreams. We really see beauty in this world and we feel at the times that everything will be possible and we, all of us, belongs to something real, something that means. We were young's, most of us were artists, musicians, and I can say we were a bunch of very alive kids, strongly attached to nature, to the sea, to life and we were so close each others, we feel like we were true brothers. But for circumstances of life, massive exodus, exile, war, political violence and also in other cases just guided by our curios and traveler spirits, and following our own nomad nature,some of us just move very faraway. Also I truly believe one of the mainly reasons of our separation was because the enormous pressure society and adult life put on our shoulders, we ended being separated and barely in contact trough the coming years. The only words that coming to my mind to describe the pain and the immense sadness and loneliness I feel when I lose, my home, my family and one by one all of my friends trough the years is like been expelled from paradise and leave it alone in a desolated and confusing desert...Despite that we continued our lives, founded our own families, some of my friend died, some others like me survive and see all the rest depart, and just now after 25+ years of exile, my closest friends and me, we talk again. Nowadays that I´m a father and I lived all these years and walk all that steeps, I can tell you that this song is a masterpiece and the video is an amazing human creation, I can´t find words to tell you how deep is the message behind the lyrics and how accurate is that image in my mind seeing the ^Wide Open Eyes^ of the younger, full of life and innocence, all of those like my son, that they just started this long journey, and seeing on them a portrait of myself when I still keep my innocence intact,and was very great to find It frozen in a beautiful song like this one, that was a beautiful, emotional and powerful moment to me. Is just an amazing and beautiful gift ... So I just can tell everybody be grateful and recognized the art and the beauty of songs and a videos like this ones... Only when we became older we understand the magnitude and the gift that this years of innocence are to us, and only when It disappeared is when we realize their beauty and we start to try to soften the sharp edges of life to help, the youngest to enjoy the best years of their life's when they are young's and full of hope and life.
I understand why some of you might be outraged by this video, as I was at first. But upon doing some research on it, I found that the music video was already being filmed prior to the incident, and the song was completely unrelated to their friend, Paul. It was just a band project to record a song and film a music video by students, one of whom was Paul's close friend. When they found out there was a shooting, they did not want to continue, so they stopped filming the video. But they soon realised the song itself strongly related to their current situation, and decided to dedicate the song to their friend, and finished it. The video says they are not actors, and it's because they are not. They are partaking in the making of the film, in which they need to act as natural as possible, but it does not make them 'actors'. The important part is that while some people will think these kids are monetizing the death of their friend, they had actually finished the song, and were in the process of filming the video themselves before the incident happened. They simply decided to finish the project and dedicate the song to their friend. If I were in their shoes, I would also love to show a finished project dedicated to a friend who I would like to remember on youtube, not because I want to advertise my music, but because I want to 1) show the emotion involved in the loss of a dear friend, and 2) to increase awareness in school shooting. People who haven't lost their loved ones in tragic accidents/incidents will not understand how it feels. This video really touches to those who have. I sincerely hope people would stop going on about how this video is trying to monetize, and just appreciate the the thoughts behind it.
Anyone that got offended by a music video can 'fuck off'. It's not scripted. It just follows a group of college friends. As they're shooting the video, the friends are affected by a shooting. That's life. Why is everyone so offended by everything these days?
What kind of graceless, half-brained dipsihts could think the people in this video were monetising their friend's death? It's so abundantly clear these are just moments from real teenage lives: joy, excess, mateship, love, pain. If anything the video will help Paul Lee be remembered. I found the clip stunning, honest and incredibly intimate. Seriously, some Americans are so messed up in the way they think.
Taken from NPR: "Sometimes music and life intersect in ways beyond words. Filmmaker James Marcus Haney set out to do two things, make a music video for the British trio Bear's Den and capture the last days of his little brothers carefree college days with friends. What he wound up with is tragic and poignant. Shortly after arriving in Seattle to film, a campus shooting occurred. Haney relayed his story to me via email. He's as good with words as he is with imagery. I'm going to let him tell the story. "'Elysium' was one of those tracks that became very personal to me very quickly. It made me think about my younger brothers and their transition from kids to adulthood - how they are carving out their individuality and quickly leaving youth, innocence, and wide eyes behind. "Brother don't grow up.... /Just hope that age does not erase all that you've seen/Don't let bitterness become you/Your only hopes are within you." With the video, I wanted to capture elements of that transitional experience in my brother, Turner's, life. I wanted to film him and his real friends doing actual things that they normally do. I wanted to document the actions and emotions of people at this age - the highs, the lows, the noteworthy and the mundane. I wanted to get inside what it feels like to be a teenager today. On a personal level, I wanted to freeze the last remnants of youth still left in my brother - to record him in this tender, fleeting age of early college years. "Soon after I arrived in Seattle to begin filming, an armed man walked onto Turner's college campus and shot four students. One of them died. I was staying on my brother's couch in his campus dorm room, living amongst sixty or so sophomore boys. The name of the slain student was not released, and no one knew when it would be. As hours passed by into night time, one student was still left unaccounted on my brother's floor, four rooms down from us. One of the dorm-mates decided to sleep in the hallway just outside the elevator to wait for the missing student, so that he would wake up when the missing student came home. Others followed suit until the entire dorm floor hallway was filled with mattresses and students unable to sleep, all waiting for the elevator door to open. "When the victim's name was released the next day, the fears were confirmed. Turner's friend and dorm-mate, Paul Lee, was dead. With the music video as a last priority, I was thankful just to be with my brother - to support him, to be near him. In his dorm room, he played the song 'Elysium' over and over. A few of the other kids played it a lot too, and sent it around. While in the midst of a dormitory full of very broken and lost students, I couldn't stop listening to the song either - it took on a whole new weight and meaning. "That weekend, my brother and his friends wanted to finish the video, in honor of Paul. The end result is a video that depicts real friends, real teenagers, experiencing something far too real." The song "Elysium" will be on a new record from Bear's Den coming in the fall."
As a student of the school where this happened, I really don't appreciate the negative comments. There has been no "exploitation" here. One intention of this video is to illustrate growing up too fast because of something tragic happening--something that a lot of people have had to do. This video depicts what a lot of us were feeling at this time better than any blog post or newspaper article that had been written. Please, be aware of what you post on the internet. There are real people, myself included, who were very personally affected by this event. We can see your comments. Know that from personal experience, these people are not "assholes exploiting a tragedy." The people in the video are very proud that they could create this beautiful piece of art that honors Paul and our school. They wanted to continue because making this video was a way of coping with what happened. Be respectful.
corinnelikesyou The rawness, and honesty of this song really resonate with me. I am sorry that events made it poignant beyond that. My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected.
Oh my god.... that has got to be by far, one of the most powerful music videos I've ever seen. I can't express the magnitude to how much I love music and how it hits you like that. "Wow" is not enough to suffice... that was incredible and beyond.
People seem to forget that there are a lot of artists out there that are actually in it for the ARTISTRY of being at artist. Bear's Den, and most of the musicians you listen to if you like to this kind of music, are not rich. This video is not even being sold. It's on youtube. The profits they are making from this video are miniscule. Sure it's advertisement. But it's also a memorial. Are documentaries that memorialize a tragedy and sell their film or put it on television also monetization of a tragedy? Human League WROTE an entire song about the killing of JFK in the song "Seconds". Is that an abomination too? You could have a little hope in the world and see the positive intent in peoples' actions, or you could be a pessimistic asshole and claim that artists like Bear's Den are trying to monetize the murder of children. Grow up.
Preach! Well written. Hope the assholes judging both the song and video read it and mature/act their age. Cannot see them posting relatively successful video clips.
Paul Murphy that’s still how I describe the band to anyone and everyone who will listen, even though really I know they’re absolutely unique. It’s a good way in.
An excellent video. My childhood didn't hold any shootings, but this video still captured that sense of rebellion, that - innocence, and innocence lost.
This is so beautiful. It's powerful. It inspires me. This music video has firmly implanted itself in my mind and I remembered it a year and a half later and had to track it down to rewatch it again. So amazing.
Being a student of Waseca Schools in Minnesotta, which many of you know, was just about blown up, made me understand this video so much more. I did cry. So, since this song made me feel, the musicians know they have done their job. Thank you for the touching video. I want to give you a hug.
+Mazy74 It's kind of hard to just tell someone. its kind of something you have to come to on your own. Its only an interpretation of course but, if you ask me this song is the explanation and realizations that come from other worldly experiences that you can achieve with altered states of consciousness. This song seems unmistakably clear to me But, who knows. If you watch "The spirit molecule" or "I am" on Netflix, they both hint at the same thing. or You can look up Graham Hancock for a much more in depth/intellectual explanation of what I am now butchering.
How are you gonna say "if only more people knew what this song is actually about" and then go on to say "its only an interpretation". Sounds like you're just trying to sound smart but are coming off as pretentious.
You guys deserve so much more credit for this song and video. I've been coming back to it for years and they are both so powerful. It truly baffles me every time I come back that it hasn't blown up more.
The most profound moments in our lives are quiet and just for us. It's okay if it never goes big, we felt it in the moment and nobody can take it away from us. That's all life is, a series of fleeing moments.
This song genuinely gets to me every time I hear it. My year group lost two students in the space of two years, and this just reminds me of how tragically and disgustingly unfair life can be. Elysium is a beautiful song in so many ways, to me because it made it clear that every little moment has to be valued, as you don't know when might be the last time you see someone
When they say "Not Actors" they mean people that have no training or any thing.... this was a everyday thing to them; their life. And when something tragic strikes this how they wanted the viewers to see how they coupe with it. Beautiful done and beautiful song.
I’m currently in mental hospital after a suicide attempt so I decided to show this video to my fellow patients with similar experience and wow… this is giving us some hope that things will get better in the distant future. Thank you so much for this!
Wow, I came onto RUclips looking for a trailer for that sci-fi film Elysium with Matt Damon and I stumble across this absolute fucking GEM of a song. Man I love the internet.
That, right there, is one of the most beautifiul and emotional music videos I've ever seen in my life. Proud of the band, proud of the acting and the way they got over the loss. Masterpiece
"Special thanks to Austin Harris and Brian Barnes Talking to NPR Music, Marcus said of the video, "'Elysium' became very personal to me very quickly. It made me think about my younger brothers and their transition from kids to adulthood. I wanted to document the actions and emotions of people at this age... I wanted to freeze the last remnants of youth still left in my brother... Soon after I arrived in Seattle, an armed man walked onto campus and shot four students. One of them died. That weekend, my brother and his friends wanted to finish the video, in honour of Paul (Lee, the victim of the gunman's attack). The end result is a video that depicts real friends, real teenagers, experiencing something far too real." Please read the description before you comment. The people in this video wanted to do this, for non 'commercial' reasons. Why do people always have to bash and criticize things? This is a special, beautiful video. No need to.
I had never heard of these guys before, but then yesterday I went to a Mumford and Sons concert and they were a supporting act there. I immediately fell in love with their music
All your songs are so emotional.Its stories I wear like a shield.It makes me cry,because man we could all be so amazing,if others didn't try to take care very souls out of us.It is so hard to find a group that can do this,Bears Den ,you are amazing,Thank you for the honesty in your music.
this song makes me think of my friend who i lost to suicide :( its been almost a year since he's gone and i miss him everyday. he took a piece of my heart when he left. I'll always miss you sov,i hope you're at peace baby
This song was a comfort to the students who were in this film. They decided to keep filming their struggle and they decided to reach out to the band for the video. So don't blame the band for "monetizing their tragedy" or whatever. It's the students who ultimately made the choice to do this and this was a comfort to them. So just stop being ignorant before you decide to bash someone's art.
Hey, before you start hating on this video, read this first: www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/halfway-through-filming-a-school-shooting-became-part-of-thi They didnt use the shooting as a way to gain attention.
obadets3 As one of the people that was close to Paul Lee and personally knows the people who made the video. They didn't. We lost a brother. We were struck by a tragedy that no one would have ever expected to happen. We are musicians, students, artists, etc. This is (for some of us) how we process and express the emotions that we are bombarded with. By expressing it in ways that simply words can't. #danceforpaul
This is probably the best thing I've seen from a band. Don't let these fucking idiots give you shit because you're "profiting" from this. The media fixates on the gun man and you never see how those around them are suffering. I feel great that in spite of all that happened you were able to channel this sorrow into something productive and good!
For me this is one of, if not, the most powerful videos. I say that all the time and every time I watch it it lands liker a kick in the guts. The progression - if those kids aren't actors they are brilliant and the cinematographer is blessed and skilled at capturing feeling. This is real, this is the best and it is painful. Thank you BD - the tune is also fantastic - goes without saying.
“In one sense I felt that recording all this very real stuff was somehow important and of worth. … At the same time, though, it felt exploitative to be making a music video based on the events. And these WEREN'T strangers - it was my brother and his friends. It was a gnarly balance to try and find,” - James Marcus Haney (The Director)
An inspiring and heartbreaking tribute and memorial to school shooting victim Paul Lee and his friends who are left to pick up the broken pieces of their innocence.
Everything about this song is incredible. Beautifully written, beautifully presented. My thoughts and prayers are with all the people who suffer the aftermath of gun crime, this video shows it in a very real light. A heartbreaking and important music video.
i love this video. its raw and its beautiful. its so painful to watch yet its very uplifting. its hard to describe. its a fantastic work of art. my deepest condolences.
I hate everyone arguing about this video. Just accept it for what is to you. Don't give a shit about what anyone else is saying. I fucking cried watching this video.
god this song is beautiful. i remembering listening to it on a long overnight flight to budapest. maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the sheer brilliance this song radiates, but i started crying and couldn't stop
Timeless wisdom from Davie and Kev who are masters of their craft. They have a deep understanding of life, demonstrated delicately through their lyrics over the past decade. Powerful songs with the perfect choices of instruments to tell the story. There is no room for criticism of this video, only an appreciation of how music can provide the soundtrack to times of our precious, short lives.
watching over for the fourth time and I'm still having trouble catching my breath. thank you so much for this. it was fucking amazing to the point i literally lack the vocabulary to describe it. thank you
BEST CONCERT OF MY ENTIRE LIFE last night in Salt Lake City, Utah! I never thought we could love you any more than we already did, but you made our love for you even more profound! ❤️🙏🏻❤️ Thank you universe for the power outage tonight. Thank you Bears Den for putting on the most personal & intimate all acoustic show I’ve ever seen! ❤️ ~Nikki & Jason
Elysium or the Elysian Fields (Ancient Greek: Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, Ēlýsion pedíon) is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by certain Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults. Initially separate from the realm of Hades, admission was reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes. Later, it expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic, where they would remain after death, to live a blessed and happy life, and indulging in whatever employment they had enjoyed in life. - Wikipedia Have a think about that, then watch this video again.
A truly perfect song. inspires me to think of good and bad in only a positive manner. Gutsy song I really am thankful Bears Den are within my radar. superb
Brother do you believe in an afterlife Where our souls will both collide In some great Elysium Way up in the sky Free from our shackles, our chains Our mouths, our brains We'll open all the gates And we will walk careless Straight into the light I've never felt so enlightened With every page I turn I only find myself feeling more alone Posing questions to a silent universe My very thoughts a curse They just seem to multiply Forever in my mind Brother don't grow up Brother please never grow up Hold out against the night Guard your hope with your life For the darkness, she will come Oh and you will have nowhere left to run Oh but your eyes are wider than mine And help me to sleep I just hope that age does not erase All that you see Don't let bitterness become you Your only hopes are all within you Hold out against the night Guard your hope with your life
+billypuzzletramp YT I left high school with the wrong group of friends, being 16 and rebellious I thought these people were cool and interesting. When I was around 20-21 I started to realise that these people were not good people. I drifted away from them to try and find myself, which also left me severely depressed with no friends. I'm now 23 and work at at a job that I enjoy but work long hours so I don't really socialise all that much. If you want to learn something, take note: pick your friends wisely.
+ooO x91x Ooo You just described a huge part of my life. I'm also 23. Do you think we could talk a little? I know it sounds pretty childish, but whatever, here's my email: camilademattosbrito@gmail.com. "Please, never grow up.", right? :}
![Six Hundred Strike [EPIC: The Musical] Full Animatic](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zov6NXIAuow/mqdefault.jpg)
I´m a almost 50 years old guy, I grew up surfing with my friends, playing music in bands with them and leaving the life full of hope and dreams. We really see beauty in this world and we feel at the times that everything will be possible and we, all of us, belongs to something real, something that means. We were young's, most of us were artists, musicians, and I can say we were a bunch of very alive kids, strongly attached to nature, to the sea, to life and we were so close each others, we feel like we were true brothers. But for circumstances of life, massive exodus, exile, war, political violence and also in other cases just guided by our curios and traveler spirits, and following our own nomad nature,some of us just move very faraway. Also I truly believe one of the mainly reasons of our separation was because the enormous pressure society and adult life put on our shoulders, we ended being separated and barely in contact trough the coming years.
The only words that coming to my mind to describe the pain and the immense sadness and loneliness I feel when I lose, my home, my family and one by one all of my friends trough the years is like been expelled from paradise and leave it alone in a desolated and confusing desert...Despite that we continued our lives, founded our own families, some of my friend died, some others like me survive and see all the rest depart, and just now after 25+ years of exile, my closest friends and me, we talk again. Nowadays that I´m a father and I lived all these years and walk all that steeps, I can tell you that this song is a masterpiece and the video is an amazing human creation, I can´t find words to tell you how deep is the message behind the lyrics and how accurate is that image in my mind seeing the ^Wide Open Eyes^ of the younger, full of life and innocence, all of those like my son, that they just started this long journey, and seeing on them a portrait of myself when I still keep my innocence intact,and was very great to find It frozen in a beautiful song like this one, that was a beautiful, emotional and powerful moment to me.
Is just an amazing and beautiful gift ... So I just can tell everybody be grateful and recognized the art and the beauty of songs and a videos like this ones... Only when we became older we understand the magnitude and the gift that this years of innocence are to us, and only when It disappeared is when we realize their beauty and we start to try to soften the sharp edges of life to help, the youngest to enjoy the best years of their life's when they are young's and full of hope and life.
I understand why some of you might be outraged by this video, as I was at first. But upon doing some research on it, I found that the music video was already being filmed prior to the incident, and the song was completely unrelated to their friend, Paul. It was just a band project to record a song and film a music video by students, one of whom was Paul's close friend. When they found out there was a shooting, they did not want to continue, so they stopped filming the video. But they soon realised the song itself strongly related to their current situation, and decided to dedicate the song to their friend, and finished it. The video says they are not actors, and it's because they are not. They are partaking in the making of the film, in which they need to act as natural as possible, but it does not make them 'actors'. The important part is that while some people will think these kids are monetizing the death of their friend, they had actually finished the song, and were in the process of filming the video themselves before the incident happened. They simply decided to finish the project and dedicate the song to their friend. If I were in their shoes, I would also love to show a finished project dedicated to a friend who I would like to remember on youtube, not because I want to advertise my music, but because I want to 1) show the emotion involved in the loss of a dear friend, and 2) to increase awareness in school shooting. People who haven't lost their loved ones in tragic accidents/incidents will not understand how it feels. This video really touches to those who have. I sincerely hope people would stop going on about how this video is trying to monetize, and just appreciate the the thoughts behind it.
Anyone that got offended by a music video can 'fuck off'. It's not scripted. It just follows a group of college friends. As they're shooting the video, the friends are affected by a shooting. That's life. Why is everyone so offended by everything these days?
What kind of graceless, half-brained dipsihts could think the people in this video were monetising their friend's death? It's so abundantly clear these are just moments from real teenage lives: joy, excess, mateship, love, pain. If anything the video will help Paul Lee be remembered. I found the clip stunning, honest and incredibly intimate. Seriously, some Americans are so messed up in the way they think.
It was pretty obvious that was the case. Not sure who was outraged. Its context was immediately apparent. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt tribute.
Taken from NPR:
"Sometimes music and life intersect in ways beyond words. Filmmaker James Marcus Haney set out to do two things, make a music video for the British trio Bear's Den and capture the last days of his little brothers carefree college days with friends.
What he wound up with is tragic and poignant. Shortly after arriving in Seattle to film, a campus shooting occurred. Haney relayed his story to me via email. He's as good with words as he is with imagery. I'm going to let him tell the story.
"'Elysium' was one of those tracks that became very personal to me very quickly. It made me think about my younger brothers and their transition from kids to adulthood - how they are carving out their individuality and quickly leaving youth, innocence, and wide eyes behind. "Brother don't grow up.... /Just hope that age does not erase all that you've seen/Don't let bitterness become you/Your only hopes are within you." With the video, I wanted to capture elements of that transitional experience in my brother, Turner's, life. I wanted to film him and his real friends doing actual things that they normally do. I wanted to document the actions and emotions of people at this age - the highs, the lows, the noteworthy and the mundane. I wanted to get inside what it feels like to be a teenager today. On a personal level, I wanted to freeze the last remnants of youth still left in my brother - to record him in this tender, fleeting age of early college years.
"Soon after I arrived in Seattle to begin filming, an armed man walked onto Turner's college campus and shot four students. One of them died. I was staying on my brother's couch in his campus dorm room, living amongst sixty or so sophomore boys. The name of the slain student was not released, and no one knew when it would be. As hours passed by into night time, one student was still left unaccounted on my brother's floor, four rooms down from us. One of the dorm-mates decided to sleep in the hallway just outside the elevator to wait for the missing student, so that he would wake up when the missing student came home. Others followed suit until the entire dorm floor hallway was filled with mattresses and students unable to sleep, all waiting for the elevator door to open.
"When the victim's name was released the next day, the fears were confirmed. Turner's friend and dorm-mate, Paul Lee, was dead. With the music video as a last priority, I was thankful just to be with my brother - to support him, to be near him. In his dorm room, he played the song 'Elysium' over and over. A few of the other kids played it a lot too, and sent it around. While in the midst of a dormitory full of very broken and lost students, I couldn't stop listening to the song either - it took on a whole new weight and meaning.
"That weekend, my brother and his friends wanted to finish the video, in honor of Paul. The end result is a video that depicts real friends, real teenagers, experiencing something far too real."
The song "Elysium" will be on a new record from Bear's Den coming in the fall."
This is a gem! Thx!
As a student of the school where this happened, I really don't appreciate the negative comments. There has been no "exploitation" here. One intention of this video is to illustrate growing up too fast because of something tragic happening--something that a lot of people have had to do. This video depicts what a lot of us were feeling at this time better than any blog post or newspaper article that had been written.
Please, be aware of what you post on the internet. There are real people, myself included, who were very personally affected by this event. We can see your comments. Know that from personal experience, these people are not "assholes exploiting a tragedy." The people in the video are very proud that they could create this beautiful piece of art that honors Paul and our school. They wanted to continue because making this video was a way of coping with what happened. Be respectful.
Well put. I'm in love with this video and I am so glad filmmaking could be used as a coping method for the friends of Paul.
this needs to be voted all the way up to the top
corinnelikesyou The rawness, and honesty of this song really resonate with me. I am sorry that events made it poignant beyond that. My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected.
Love from Hong Kong. Nice video, great comment, keep that attitude and live a good life
Love this video and it is a tribute to the victim and their friends x x ☓
Oh my god.... that has got to be by far, one of the most powerful music videos I've ever seen. I can't express the magnitude to how much I love music and how it hits you like that. "Wow" is not enough to suffice... that was incredible and beyond.
Skate&KeepPushing thought the same. appreciate your comment. thank you.
People seem to forget that there are a lot of artists out there that are actually in it for the ARTISTRY of being at artist. Bear's Den, and most of the musicians you listen to if you like to this kind of music, are not rich. This video is not even being sold. It's on youtube. The profits they are making from this video are miniscule. Sure it's advertisement. But it's also a memorial. Are documentaries that memorialize a tragedy and sell their film or put it on television also monetization of a tragedy? Human League WROTE an entire song about the killing of JFK in the song "Seconds". Is that an abomination too? You could have a little hope in the world and see the positive intent in peoples' actions, or you could be a pessimistic asshole and claim that artists like Bear's Den are trying to monetize the murder of children. Grow up.
Preach! Well written. Hope the assholes judging both the song and video read it and mature/act their age. Cannot see them posting relatively successful video clips.
Noah McDaniel iiiiiiiikkwiolpowiia
What a beautiful song. My favorite line, "Don't let bitterness become you."
❤
came back here after years and years and this video still makes me tear up
It is epically beautiful
This sounds like when you blend Snow Patrol and Mumford. I love it might just be buying the album.
what a perfect description! It really does!
With a touch of Fleet Foxes, methinks.
Paul Murphy that’s still how I describe the band to anyone and everyone who will listen, even though really I know they’re absolutely unique. It’s a good way in.
Yes!
Life's music video.
Jeff
Jeff
This music makes me feel emotions that I just can't explain. The only other song to do that is Noah Clouds - Love is not enough.
+Lucy Ren nice I love finding new music
Cool. Going to check this song out.
I’ve been watching this video at least once a month for five years now. I stil sob every time.
This is perfect.
I don't know why this song makes me cry everytime I listen to it
The song makes me cry, the video makes me weep.
An excellent video. My childhood didn't hold any shootings, but this video still captured that sense of rebellion, that - innocence, and innocence lost.
I have revisited and stand by this comment 6 years ago. Innocence and innocence lost.
The song, the video, the story behind it.
Goosebumps.
This is so beautiful. It's powerful. It inspires me. This music video has firmly implanted itself in my mind and I remembered it a year and a half later and had to track it down to rewatch it again. So amazing.
Being a student of Waseca Schools in Minnesotta, which many of you know, was just about blown up, made me understand this video so much more. I did cry. So, since this song made me feel, the musicians know they have done their job. Thank you for the touching video. I want to give you a hug.
damn that story behind this video is crazy
+PlayTheGameFilms If only more people knew what this song is actually about.
+Damon Leco ..tell me tell me ..please ?
+Mazy74 It's kind of hard to just tell someone. its kind of something you have to come to on your own. Its only an interpretation of course but, if you ask me this song is the explanation and realizations that come from other worldly experiences that you can achieve with altered states of consciousness. This song seems unmistakably clear to me But, who knows. If you watch "The spirit molecule" or "I am" on Netflix, they both hint at the same thing. or You can look up Graham Hancock for a much more in depth/intellectual explanation of what I am now butchering.
How are you gonna say "if only more people knew what this song is actually about" and then go on to say "its only an interpretation". Sounds like you're just trying to sound smart but are coming off as pretentious.
It's about a shooting in a seattle college I believe. Supposedly the kids in the video were friends with one of the victims.
You guys deserve so much more credit for this song and video. I've been coming back to it for years and they are both so powerful. It truly baffles me every time I come back that it hasn't blown up more.
The most profound moments in our lives are quiet and just for us. It's okay if it never goes big, we felt it in the moment and nobody can take it away from us. That's all life is, a series of fleeing moments.
This song genuinely gets to me every time I hear it. My year group lost two students in the space of two years, and this just reminds me of how tragically and disgustingly unfair life can be. Elysium is a beautiful song in so many ways, to me because it made it clear that every little moment has to be valued, as you don't know when might be the last time you see someone
This is a wonderful bit of filmmaking. The texture of it, the realism... I love it. Excellent work!
- No one ever
An absolute masterpiece.
This should win awards!
Truly moving. Rest in Piece bud x
The music and video are both so touching. You lads of Bears Den are so thoughtful.
R.I.P Paul Lee
When they say "Not Actors" they mean people that have no training or any thing.... this was a everyday thing to them; their life. And when something tragic strikes this how they wanted the viewers to see how they coupe with it. Beautiful done and beautiful song.
I’m currently in mental hospital after a suicide attempt so I decided to show this video to my fellow patients with similar experience and wow… this is giving us some hope that things will get better in the distant future. Thank you so much for this!
6 years later and I still get teary eyed...
the horns!
Wow, I came onto RUclips looking for a trailer for that sci-fi film Elysium with Matt Damon and I stumble across this absolute fucking GEM of a song. Man I love the internet.
Just incredible!!! Beautiful, colourful, expressive, perfect and amazing!!! So much love to you!!
That, right there, is one of the most beautifiul and emotional music videos I've ever seen in my life. Proud of the band, proud of the acting and the way they got over the loss. Masterpiece
The end of this video hit me right in the feels. Damn. These event should never be forgotten. Cherish every moment with your friends. Love everybody.
Wow great song and video really moved me. RIP Paul.
Beautifully captured, and what a story behind this music video. RIP Paul Lee
"Special thanks to Austin Harris and Brian Barnes
Talking to NPR Music, Marcus said of the video, "'Elysium' became very personal to me very quickly. It made me think about my younger brothers and their transition from kids to adulthood. I wanted to document the actions and emotions of people at this age... I wanted to freeze the last remnants of youth still left in my brother... Soon after I arrived in Seattle, an armed man walked onto campus and shot four students. One of them died. That weekend, my brother and his friends wanted to finish the video, in honour of Paul (Lee, the victim of the gunman's attack). The end result is a video that depicts real friends, real teenagers, experiencing something far too real."
Please read the description before you comment. The people in this video wanted to do this, for non 'commercial' reasons.
Why do people always have to bash and criticize things? This is a special, beautiful video. No need to.
I had never heard of these guys before, but then yesterday I went to a Mumford and Sons concert and they were a supporting act there. I immediately fell in love with their music
All your songs are so emotional.Its stories I wear like a shield.It makes me cry,because man we could all be so amazing,if others didn't try to take care very souls out of us.It is so hard to find a group that can do this,Bears Den ,you are amazing,Thank you for the honesty in your music.
this song makes me think of my friend who i lost to suicide :( its been almost a year since he's gone and i miss him everyday. he took a piece of my heart when he left. I'll always miss you sov,i hope you're at peace baby
This song was a comfort to the students who were in this film. They decided to keep filming their struggle and they decided to reach out to the band for the video. So don't blame the band for "monetizing their tragedy" or whatever. It's the students who ultimately made the choice to do this and this was a comfort to them. So just stop being ignorant before you decide to bash someone's art.
Don't let bitterness become you
Beautiful,powerful and so touching, i am really excited for the album i have seen you guys twice and listened to both EPs countless times.
I keep coming back to watch this, very powerful
this is my favorite video . a terrible beauty . catches youth beautifully
Hey, before you start hating on this video, read this first:
www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/halfway-through-filming-a-school-shooting-became-part-of-thi
They didnt use the shooting as a way to gain attention.
just because it happened half way through doesn't mean that's not why they used it
obadets3 ...This would've seen the light of day with or without the shooting. The fact that it's a part of the video is because IT HAPPENED.
you make it sound like they were forced to make it part of the video, the truth is they only did it to make the video "cooler" and get views
obadets3 Or maybe they did it in memory of their friend? Not everything is about being "cool" and "greedy." Some people are genuine.
obadets3 As one of the people that was close to Paul Lee and personally knows the people who made the video. They didn't. We lost a brother. We were struck by a tragedy that no one would have ever expected to happen. We are musicians, students, artists, etc. This is (for some of us) how we process and express the emotions that we are bombarded with. By expressing it in ways that simply words can't.
#danceforpaul
This is probably the best thing I've seen from a band. Don't let these fucking idiots give you shit because you're "profiting" from this. The media fixates on the gun man and you never see how those around them are suffering. I feel great that in spite of all that happened you were able to channel this sorrow into something productive and good!
This is an absolute brilliant song and video. Marcus haney is wonderful.
This video still brings me to tears every time I watch it. This brings back all of my memories as an SPU student when the shooting happened.
Beautiful video. The most underrated musicians ever
This is what true music sounds like
Why is this song getting some much hate? I love the song, I love the band and I think this is a great video.
agreed
My all time favorite song!
Been scrolling for a bit and haven't seen any hate yet on this.
For me this is one of, if not, the most powerful videos. I say that all the time and every time I watch it it lands liker a kick in the guts. The progression - if those kids aren't actors they are brilliant and the cinematographer is blessed and skilled at capturing feeling. This is real, this is the best and it is painful. Thank you BD - the tune is also fantastic - goes without saying.
R.I.P Paul Lee. The whole SPU community will never forget this tragic day.
Those horns hit you right in the feels! Every damn time!
These kind of songs make you think, make you feel. And the video wow just amazing, great job.
I went through the shootings in Isla Vista on May 23rd, 2014 and ever since then this song has so much more meaning.
So much power in this upload. Loved the song, and the video was very fitting.
I'll sing this to my little brother, and one day he will understand why i never wanted him to grow up.
..i adore everything about this
Agreed
so much emotion in this song and video I love it but prayers go out to the friends and family
Prachtige diepgaande tekst. De verwondering te leven zo mooi vastgelegd in deze video! Subliem. Ik ben er stil van.
“In one sense I felt that recording all this very real stuff was somehow important and of worth. … At the same time, though, it felt exploitative to be making a music video based on the events. And these WEREN'T strangers - it was my brother and his friends. It was a gnarly balance to try and find,” - James Marcus Haney (The Director)
An inspiring and heartbreaking tribute and memorial to school shooting victim Paul Lee and his friends who are left to pick up the broken pieces of their innocence.
Everything about this song is incredible. Beautifully written, beautifully presented. My thoughts and prayers are with all the people who suffer the aftermath of gun crime, this video shows it in a very real light. A heartbreaking and important music video.
Guard your hope with...... Needed that just now. Beautiful ❤
This is so beautiful. My favorite music video.
i love this video. its raw and its beautiful. its so painful to watch yet its very uplifting. its hard to describe. its a fantastic work of art. my deepest condolences.
That was fucking beautiful.
Thank you bears den for everything! Your music is so inspiring and beautiful! Favourite band!!!!
this is my favourite playlist EVER!!!!!
Wow. Powerful video. Just recently lost my friend.
Did he die of complications from a pencil tattoo?
dm0ney182 She* and no. She was murdered by some fucking weirdo guy that was in the military.
Nick Joseph I'm sorry for your loss
sorry to hear that man. Hope everyones fighting it well. keep strong
I hate everyone arguing about this video. Just accept it for what is to you. Don't give a shit about what anyone else is saying. I fucking cried watching this video.
Artistic masterpiece. Despite all the heartbreak of the people involved. Beautiful.
how I wish I could do those things. but iam stuck here at home on the internet
Why are you stuck?? go and do something now! Everybody has opportunities if you don't wait for them to come to you.
***** not that
David Siroonian well sadly iam only 16
Fancy Lamp wtf I don't even watch porn and I read plenty of books
Victor Franca why
This is one of the most powerful things I have ever watched.
You should watch Dragon Ball Z.
This is breath-taking, really makes me thankful for everything I have
Love their music. It's so beautiful
Watched these guys at Somersault Festival last night - they were incredible; definitely the highlight of the weekend.
god this song is beautiful. i remembering listening to it on a long overnight flight to budapest. maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the sheer brilliance this song radiates, but i started crying and couldn't stop
Amazing story, amazing song, one of the best up and coming bands. RIP Paul Lee so tragic
Gone too soon! Death of a friend or loved ones hurts our souls!
As the living do, we heal and we go on.........
Found this recently and I love it. I listen to it and think of my older brother, I wish he hadn't grown up
This is a beautiful coming-of-age song with a beautiful message of hope.
this is so beautiful. I saw the band last summer and desperate to see them again
Timeless wisdom from Davie and Kev who are masters of their craft. They have a deep understanding of life, demonstrated delicately through their lyrics over the past decade. Powerful songs with the perfect choices of instruments to tell the story. There is no room for criticism of this video, only an appreciation of how music can provide the soundtrack to times of our precious, short lives.
this is amazing. I teared up. I am crying AND I BELIVE IT IS BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTY AND TRAGETY IN THIS VIDEO.
This video was brilliantly done.
watching over for the fourth time and I'm still having trouble catching my breath. thank you so much for this. it was fucking amazing to the point i literally lack the vocabulary to describe it. thank you
Those horns.
It only gets better the more I listen to it.
Everything about this is so beautiful. I know it was such a tragic event. But to honour him and pay tribute this way is so lovely and moving
Damn. Great vid and song. Super touching.
BEST CONCERT OF MY ENTIRE LIFE last night in Salt Lake City, Utah! I never thought we could love you any more than we already did, but you made our love for you even more profound! ❤️🙏🏻❤️
Thank you universe for the power outage tonight. Thank you Bears Den for putting on the most personal & intimate all acoustic show I’ve ever seen! ❤️
~Nikki & Jason
I was singing along and when the last part came i just couldn't! One hell of a song! ended up in tears!!
Elysium or the Elysian Fields (Ancient Greek: Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, Ēlýsion pedíon) is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by certain Greek religious and philosophical sects and cults. Initially separate from the realm of Hades, admission was reserved for mortals related to the gods and other heroes. Later, it expanded to include those chosen by the gods, the righteous, and the heroic, where they would remain after death, to live a blessed and happy life, and indulging in whatever employment they had enjoyed in life. - Wikipedia
Have a think about that, then watch this video again.
A truly perfect song. inspires me to think of good and bad in only a positive manner. Gutsy song I really am thankful Bears Den are within my radar. superb
Brother do you believe in an afterlife
Where our souls will both collide
In some great Elysium
Way up in the sky
Free from our shackles, our chains
Our mouths, our brains
We'll open all the gates
And we will walk careless
Straight into the light
I've never felt so enlightened
With every page I turn
I only find myself feeling more alone
Posing questions to a silent universe
My very thoughts a curse
They just seem to multiply
Forever in my mind
Brother don't grow up
Brother please never grow up
Hold out against the night
Guard your hope with your life
For the darkness, she will come
Oh and you will have nowhere left to run
Oh but your eyes are wider than mine
And help me to sleep
I just hope that age does not erase
All that you see
Don't let bitterness become you
Your only hopes are all within you
Hold out against the night
Guard your hope with your life
The feelings fly listening to this lot.
beautiful track, and such a raw video. R.I.P Paul Lee.
Geez I can't even watch this without crying. This is tragic and beautiful
I wish I had some friends.
Awh I'm sure you have friends 😊
+billypuzzletramp YT
I left high school with the wrong group of friends, being 16 and rebellious I thought these people were cool and interesting. When I was around 20-21 I started to realise that these people were not good people. I drifted away from them to try and find myself, which also left me severely depressed with no friends.
I'm now 23 and work at at a job that I enjoy but work long hours so I don't really socialise all that much.
If you want to learn something, take note: pick your friends wisely.
+ooO x91x Ooo Damn you just described my life... i've got 7 years on you. trust me if you do nothing about it everything just gets worse :(
+ooO x91x Ooo You just described a huge part of my life. I'm also 23. Do you think we could talk a little? I know it sounds pretty childish, but whatever, here's my email: camilademattosbrito@gmail.com.
"Please, never grow up.", right? :}
Camila de Mattos Brito Lol Camila, you really shouldn't post your email on here... all the crazies will come out :)
What a great song ...
Beautifully captured
Wow.... Wow that was just beautiful.