My girlfriend's household is not a happy one. She jokes about how she wants to run away and never come back. But I know that there is truth behind her joke. I showed her the video, Sleep on the Floor, and told her that we can run away together. Ever since that night, she and I tried to piece these videos together. It taught us to not make the mistake that Cleopatra made. To take the chance to be with your true love. For if we don’t take this chance, we may not ever have a second one. And even if it doesn’t work out between us, then it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. As of tomorrow, we have been dating for an entire year, and we both appreciate this ballad. Thank you illuminating our lives.
This is an ode to birth, to death, to love, to hate, to sadness, to happiness and it is saying it's "live, go on and live". Thank you so much for telling us this beautiful story, it has being a pleasure to follow it. I would like to be able to say more because there are a lot of things to say, a lot more, but all I can say is, Lumineers, thank you, with your music, with your heart, with your art, for making life always better, thank you for making us feel that it is worth it.
I don't doubt you won't ever see this, but this album and short film have actively made a positive change in my life. A week ago while not exactly sober and thinking about a lost friendship I listened to all these tracks again. I decided to text her, to let her know I missed her and that I was glad to have been her friend. I woke that morning to a text telling me she felt that way, too, and we met up and hung out today, a week later. Music about taking chances and living with the regrets of not making them made me change my life for the better. Thank you.
That is a very different post and honest and made me so happy for two people ill never know. my best friend of 21 years died. now i know letting our random boyfriends seperate us all the time was maybe something we should have not so easily caved to, to please them. they were all threatened by our closeness. one said it was like he disappeared when she was around. and yea i guess he did, everyone did. we could entertain and amuse ourselves endlessly just talking and laughing. we had been told a lot that if you closed your eyes you couldnt tell our laughs apart. we both laugh very weird and loud but strange like i even do this little fake laugh in conversations. i dont know why i do it. but she would mock me. lol no one else would dare. but she could say or do anything. she was my Sara. she was my person. i never knew a better person besides my husband. those two loved me unconditionally. and i them. now its just me. and i hope i hope i hope that we will consciously see eachother again. im so happy for you. some friendships are priceless. im so happy for your story. you made my day.
Since so many are confused let me explain. The story begins with the youngest girl in this video, she's young and in love. Her father has died and the love of her life asks her to leave, it shows what would happen if she would have left (which is ultimately fall deeper in love, explore, get married, and essentially live a happy fulfilled life.). However in reality she doesn't leave with her true love, instead she stays and he leaves, skipping over to the song Angela (the middle age women) she is now pregnant with another mans child and is living an unhappy life, she decides to leave one night, which ends in her and her new man getting a divorce, now onto Cleopatra (the woman driving the taxi) she is older now and drives the taxi for fun and sees many people that remind her of her and her love. She visits with the song she gave birth too and states that god gave her two blessing, birth and a divorce, now onto the 4th and final song, she is way older now and is now in a nursing home, she explains to the aids there that she was so amazing when she was young, and since they are a younger generation they don't quite understand, so they just shrug it off. She has a collection of the love of her life's pictures and she regrets not going with him, she knows she is going to die in the nursing home, old and alone. The what if moment comes when she decides to leave the nursing home. The end. Ultimately this ballad is a lesson about choices, regrets, and life. She regrets not leaving with her soulmate which in turn leads to her living a depressing life, in which the only blessing are birth and a divorce. You're very welcome.
Tod Goodell OMG Tod, how many times do we have to hear the exact interpretation of this song??? Lets leave it alone, lets leave it alone, Im gunna ask the band to write a song called, Lets Leave It Alone
Tonzo Wall I understand where you're coming from, I've seen the comment a lot, in the the end it's up too you to interpret the visuals and the music in whatever way you feel you need too. I came to the video and still saw people confused about the entire ballad, so I decided to help them a bit.
Anyone else notice this is a 25 minute video without a single ad to interrupt? Definitely a rare thing today, Lumineers did not want anything to take away from the story. I highly respect that. This is also a perfect piece of art, the first time I watched I cried more than once. Thank you! Absolutely beautiful and stunning, the music, lyrics, visuals all of it.❤
I am watching it for the first time and I am feeling so awkward for wanting to cry and holding my tears back. Thanks for this comment lol it makes me feel less weird.
"She was Cleopatra - Maybe she was a young girl whose parents got divorced. And maybe she was raised by her mother alone. Or maybe she stayed with her father, until one day he passed away. Then maybe she ran off with her one true love. Or maybe she decided to stay and never leave. So maybe one day she settled for a man she never loved. But then maybe she decided one night to leave with her child, just like her mother. Maybe when her son had grown into a man, she decided to go back to her husband. Then again, maybe she chose to stay alone, waiting for her one true love to return. And maybe he never does. And maybe someday she will settle for some help, in her old age. But strong as always, maybe she will decide to leave everything one last time, and face the end on her own terms..." from Isaac Ravishankara. I love how all of this is linked to Stubborn Love.
@@Dizastermaster. yes, but thats the part you wrong. Sometimes when the music video exceed the duration of a song should have finished, ads will come to them to ask permission for putting an ads. But, they seem not to put it tho they can gain money from giving out ads.
The story makes more sense now, and it's beautiful. This is hands down the most intricate, the most gripping, the most gorgeous thing to watch. It really makes you realise the consequences of life and how every path you take affects you. The lumineers are a band that are like no other, and they are honestly one of the best I've seen.
When I was younger, there were many sleepless nights I spent looking outside my apartment windows, watching the city lights while thinking of ending it all. Yet every single time, long past midnight, I found myself watching "The Ballad of Cleopatra" and crying, when no one could hear it at all. It gave me strength to think of better days... Now, 5 years later, I just wish to say - Thank you, @The Lumineers
i did too. it saved me. it still saves me to this day. im having a kid now, and its all ive ever wanted in the whole world. i hope im a better parent than mine were.....
I'd like to shout to you and other alike to let all know: there are people hiding in the plain sight who can simply love and appreciate you for you are , no more no less.
I remember in January, I listened to the album first time fully. It was about midnight on a Sunday and it had poured with rain. My grandfather had been admitted to hospital, for he was seriously unwell with an issue with his pacemaker. I listened to "My Eyes", there was just something about it which screamed, "You need this". The next day, my grandfather died. He had a tragic life, similars to this Cleopatra's. He never found proper love until the very end of his life and was an artist until he divorced my grandma when he had to do courier work. It just makes me love this album, even more, thinking that this is what sent him off. Miss you, always will.
every time i watch this, i find myself crying because this is the reality of life and i fear that. i personally am bad at making decisions in my life. i am afraid to choose the wrong decision and regret it. but that's life we have to deal with it and be strong just like cleopatra. i miss the lumineers so much
That's not life and you don't have to live with it that's called making decisions and the wrong ones you make it right by making the right decisions and your go for it boldly
This band will always have a place in my heart. I lived an incredible story with my brother, we traveled from Colombia to Argentina for Vacations and the Lumineers were in the city on November 1st. The concert was sold out, but you could listen to them from the stadium parking lot. The night was cold and windy, but we ended up listening to half of the concert outside. A Security guard was going to take us out of the place and suddenly an Argentinian guy gave us Two tickets to enter the show. It was magic. What I could hear from the stands was beautiful, from this day I learned to trust when you are perseverant and I am sure that my relationship with my brother was strengthened.
James Marlon wow very edgy. Don't get me wrong I like radio head but... that's too far. Dude. But neither of these bands are the greatest you know what is? It's doesn't matter cause everyone has different tastes. So your comment was inexcusably and unnecessarily rude and pointless.
Name me a band thats done more for music in the past 30 years? Everyone has different taste of course, but if a dude whose looked at 10 paintings claims one painting is the greatest in the world, when you've seen 10,000 it's not out of question to shut that shit down.
I’ve watched this over a thousand times, and every single time, it moves me to tears. The Lumineers will be remembered as a band whose music is deeply rooted in existentialism and a profound love for life-leaving behind a legacy of pure art. Hats off to them. Even their music videos feel like true, authentic cinema.
this tells the whole story of "cleopatra" i just realised this even in the beginning how the lead singer meet cleopatra as a old taxi driver and that look of realisation in both their eyes as a silent truth is passed between them when they somehow understood each other without a single word . and he decided to tells the story of cleopatra though this beautiful ballad, a lady who didn't choose love when she had the chance, her one true love and its in real life that he meet a lady like this you can look it up in an interview this video is just so beautiful and deeply profound
This here is why I'm in love with the Lumineers. Their lyrics make you feel like you've lived through that and it just makes me feel nostalgic, like a sweet old lady whose lived and experienced many struggles and has found peace. Idk, but I love it.
I love the simplicity of this video, it's unique. We complicate our lifes sometimes when it comes to a decision, because inside we do know what we really want but we end choosing the other option because we're afraid of the consequences. Those consequences are worth it if at the end we'll be happy with ourselves and the ones we love.
Everytime I watch this, I cry. But it’s also a reminder that we all have a chance at having such an amazing, unique, Bold and beautiful lives to create in our short time we got on this big blue ball. We all end up at the same sort of ending, this music video shows it. But it’s what we did in the time we had that matters the most. A little goddess lives in all is us. I hope to whoever reads this, put the phone down, call the girl or boy you had a crush on and tell them you always love them (what’s the worst they are gonna say?), Do the little road trip out of the city you always wanted to do, Quit that job you hate and take the leap into that new business idea you have, LEAVE YOUR HOMETOWN AND SEE THE WORLD! You deserve it ;)
this made me cry. and made me angry. why? hmmm i think maybe because the two best people ive ever known died 18 days of eachother. they both left me at the same time!!!! the road trip i take is to a grave that is near his family hamlet. and theres nowhere to visit my best friend. im an artist with endless supplies but it turns out im not a website builder or all the millions of things that come with that. so i have inventory i dont know how to sell. leave my home town and see the world. i must do this. i have such a pull that i would hitchhike broke before i miss the oppertunity all together. i did grateful dead tour when i was young but ive been stuck in the same town for 26 yrs. i need an escape. but im too old for an unstructured spontaneous trip lol. i wish someone else that wants to travel but not alone, with a friend, would find me. my stuff would sell itself at festivals and beaches and camp grounds and concerts and museums etc this made me cry. and im angry. why? hmmm maybe because the two best people ive ever known died 18 days of eachother. they both left me at the same time!!!! the road trip i take is to a grave that is near his family hamlet. and theres nowhere to visit my best friend. im an artist with endless supplies but it turns out im not a website builder or all the millions of things that come with that. so i have inventory i dont know how to sell. leave my home town and see the world. i must do this. i have such a pull that i would hitchhike broke before i miss the oppertunity all together. i did grateful dead tour when i was young but ive been stuck in the same town for 26 yrs. i need an escape. but im too old for an unstructured spontaneous trip lol. i wish someone else that wants to travel but not alone, with a friend, would find me. my stuff would sell itself at festivals and beaches and camp grounds and concerts and museums etc
@@jessicajae7777 hey man, By the sounds of it you’ve experienced so much pain and suffering. I’ll just quote the album: “It’s better to feel pain, then nothing at all” Your yearning for exploration is still the young spirit in yourself roaring to get out and I understand life can get in the way. But one thing I’ve learnt recently is that dreading today is tomorrow’s sorrow, the little moments are what makes this life so so so so so special… Carpe diem in the littlest way my friend. I wish you the best.
You just made 48yo guy tear up. In a good way. I’ll be getting on an airplane for the first time in my life. It’s time to dust off and stretch the wings.
@@RoccoMax100 omg that’s amazing to hear! Your wings are never too old to soar my friend. An eagle doesn’t know it can fly until it takes its first leap. Live for the moment my friend, you deserve it 🫶
The woman who Cleopatra is based in must have been special. She obviously went through a lot in her life and I think the lumineers were angels to have told the world her story. She must be eternally grateful, I sure am.
funnily enough, i don't think there was ever a cleopatra. there was a man in a taxi, though. and an angela. I feel soooo bad for angela. her ex wrote a bit song about her XD "your name's angela? that's the name of one of my favorite songs"
they really created so many details in this that not everyone notices and makes it an undeniably beautiful piece of art -the ghosts dancing in the background when patience was playing at the end -the way the music lines up perfectly with the visual (7:55 especially) -the reoccuring boat -the indescribable looks that show so much emotion on cleopatra's face when she's driving the taxi every time i watch this again i notice something different
I think the character that stood out to me the most was the young man with the teardrop tattoo who looks like he's just left prison. In a short time, he looks so anxious in the back of Cleopatra's cab, but then later on we see him as an aged carer, spending the night with her in her final moments. It's beautiful that in just a few short scenes, he can embody such a powerful and inspiring change of life, and I for one respect anybody out there who tries to build a new life after experiencing extreme hardships.
carlina..took me 40 years to stop waiting...so don't wait, do it. Been on road trips with my Jeep back and forth across the country, still have a few more I want. Seen things I never thought I would see, pulled the family along. Meteor crater, grand canyon, Painted desert, Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens, Puget sound, Oahu, Volanoes national park, Niagara Falls, and on and on. You can do it on the cheap. Camp instead of hotels, bring your food in a cooler instead of eating out. Wish I had started years earlier.
This is one of the most beautiful things I ever saw...Had to think all the time of my girlfriend. She is gone for 3 months. We both love your music and it keeps us strong and happy!
max aquila surely ur girl friend is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? And if U haven't told her do it. Cause this videos not around for the long run but she very much might.
I came back here to watch this again, hoping to find and feel something. To my surprise, it’s still the same feeling since I first saw this with him. The difference is, he’s not here by my side anymore.
I always wanted this story of Cleopatra in a single video and here it is now... I am so overwhelmed. Thank you Lumineers for such a lovely story and videos. Love from India :)
Hi Evan, the story resides in these songs: "Sleep on the Floor", "Angela", "Cleopatra, "Ophelia". "Sleep on the floor ": After her father's death girl is asked by guy to leave town, but she didn't and ends up bearing a child to another guy and of course has regrets which is quite evident in the song "Angela".In "Cleopatra", she's the taxi driver (proof: the same wave tattoo on arm and scar on cheek) and is "divorced" ("Cleopatra" lyrics) (also, the end shows how she didn't enter the house of her ex-husband along with her son) ("Ophelia" lyrics: "got a little paycheck, you gotta move"). Like the Ophelia character in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", the story's about a girl and choices and 'what if's of two worlds (there's always a splitting scene of one's self in all four videos). So, in short a story of girl and different life choices she made which has led her to the life she is living right now and have regrets for the same. Hope this makes things little clear... :)
Brilliant explanation Shalini. I have followed the videos and had similar interpretations. You have put the words out of my mind. More creatively than I would have. ;)
These songs brought back memories of my life. I am 75 now. Hoping to die with dignity in these uncertain times. I remember the love of my life. We didn't end up together. I hope she is fine.
@@micheletheresonlyone3290 Yes. But in honor of my departed wife, I never did. Its ok. Kids are all grown now. Grandkids light up my life. I had a good and complete life. It is better not to ruin the memory of my youth when we were beautiful and loved without any rules. These songs somehow bring back those memories. I am grateful for that. Take care.
When you have to choose between your love, or your career. Hopefully you’ll not make the same mistake as I did. Don’t let that special person ever walk away. You can always find another career, but finding love is a hell of a lot harder.
I can't stop crying. I want to really congratulate the ones involved in making this film, art can express a lot, and touch people's souls. This film is absolutely amazing, I'm not able to put what I feel right now into words. Such beautiful songs, such a powerful and deep message. This is art. It's completely beautiful.
I have watched this so many times and every single time I end up crying. These songs have such depth, The Lumineers did a great job creating this masterpiece.
Me too. Its emotional music. And I went to high school with them. So it makes it even more special to me. Because they are so good and they're from my town. It's unreal how talented they are. We are very proud of these hometown celebs! They deserve all the recognition for this beautiful meaningful music. 💜 incredible artists.
i’m sitting here at the age of 15, and i still have a long way to go but this short film and album are life changing. i cant express how much this album means to me, the meaning and lyrics are just so hurtful in the best way possible. i feel like i was meant to watch this so many times because it’s genuinely made me realize what’s ahead of me and to appreciate and take the chances i have.
Ophelia Meaning : The film opens with “Ophelia.” This is really one of the only parts of the film in which The Lumineers actually appear. It’s a way for them to introduce the ballad, with a song they hold close to their hearts. “Ophelia” deals with the success, expectations, and pressure the band has gone through since rising to fame, which is why this song means so much to them. I, I got a little paycheck You got big plans and you gotta move (whoo!) And I don’t feel nothing at all And you can’t feel nothing small “Ophelia” is a constant reminder for The Lumineers. It allows them to take a step back and appreciate all that has happened to them, and that’s exactly what the video depicts. The band is playing the song for a crowd when lead singer, Wesley Shultz, steps out of his own body and removes himself from the chaos of his current life; just as the meaning of the song depicts. He exits the building and begins to dance along the street to the beat of the music. The song continues as he pleasantly strides along. As the music of Ophelia fades out, transitional notes fall in, eventually leading Shultz into the taxicab, of one, Cleopatra. They share a conversation unheard to our ears, and thus, the story begins. Cleopatra Meaning Shultz exits the car and “Cleopatra” the song begins as Cleopatra, the driver, waits for her next passenger. The “Cleopatra” portion of the ballad follows the beautiful taxi driver with wild gray hair and eyes full of wisdom, through her shift. As she drives along the busy streets you are able to see that she is reminiscing. She is reminiscing on the “what ifs” that life inevitably brings you. It’s not so much about regret, as it is about thinking about the path you took in life, and realizing that for whatever reason, it was the path you needed to take. I was Cleopatra, I was young and an actress When you knelt by my mattress, and asked for my hand But I was sad you asked it, as I laid in a black dress With my father in a casket, I had no plans And I left the footprints, the mud stained on the carpet And it hardened like my heart did when you left town But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant Damn your wife, I’d be your mistress just to have you around Casts of characters enter in and out of the cab, some familiar and some not, some metaphorical and some literal. Each character has a different story, and each taken in by our seasoned Cleopatra. So I drive a taxi, and the traffic distracts me From the strangers in my backseat, they remind me of you But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I’ll be on time Eventually she turns the meter off, and picks up her adult son from the airport, who enters the front seat with a wide-eyed smile and a grand hug. They drive until dusk. They stop to enjoy burgers with full smiles and genuine laughs before night falls and she must take him to his father. The song comes to a close as she drops her son off to his father’s home, and that’s when the first “what if” of the ballad, a theme that reoccurs throughout, happens. Cleopatra imagines going in to make amends with the father so they can enjoy their son’s stay together, as a family. However, instead she turns around, gets in her car, and drives away. And the only gifts from my Lord were a birth and a divorce But I’ve read this script and the costume fits, so I’ll play my part She drives. Her face is sullen and soft. A smooth transition begins as Cleopatra transforms into a much younger version of herself, driving away from something else, with the same soft and sullen look upon her face. What comes next is the beginning for Cleopatra, the beginning of the “What Ifs.” Sleep on the Floor Meaning Peaceful piano track “Patience” plays as we see the youngest version of Cleopatra sad and transfixed, staring deeply into her boyfriend’s eyes, standing at her father’s funeral. As the keys of the piano put you at ease, everything moves in slow motion. The boy slowly approaches her and whispers, “If you don’t leave now you may never make it out.” With that, “Sleep On The Floor” begins, and Cleopatra imagines what could have been if she left with the love of her life on that very day. Pack yourself a toothbrush dear Pack yourself a favorite blouse Take a withdrawal slip Take all of your savings out ‘Cause if we don’t leave this town We might never make it out I was not born to drown Baby come on “Sleep On The Floor” takes us on a journey. The young and in love couple drive across the states. They wander in and out of dirty motels, they meet new people, and they find themselves free. Although they have nothing stable or secure - they have each other. And what we come to find, is that is quite literally all that they need. They eventually marry, happy as ever, and dance into the night. As they lay down to sleep on their wedding night “Sleep On The Floor” comes to a close. The young Cleopatra locks eyes with the camera before the scene shifts out of the “what if” scenario and into reality. She’s now back in her car, just as we saw her before the song began, with that soft and sullen look on her face. She looks in the rearview, only for a second, and then continues to drive on, always moving forward. Angela Meanign “Angela” begins with Cleopatra slightly older and pregnant. She’s in bed with her husband, safe and secure in a nice home. However, it’s easy to tell she does not want to be there. At this point in the ballad you know who the Cleopatra character is, or at least who she wants to be. She’s “taller than the rafters.” Life has gotten in the way of who she wanted to become, but that still doesn’t change who she is at her core. And so, as the guitar plucks of “Angela” continue, we see the older, pregnant Cleopatra leave her body, and begin to imagine what life would be like, if she left him when she wanted to. When you left this town, with your windows down And the wilderness inside Let the exits pass, all the tar and glass ‘Til the road and sky align The strangers in this town, They raise you up just to cut you down Oh Angela it’s a long time coming And your Volvo lights lit up green and white With the cities on the signs But you held your course to some distant war In the corners of your mind She’s back to driving, back where she always seems to be - on the open road, on her own, moving forward. But this time the look on her face is not soft or sullen. It’s determined. Determined to hold her course. She drives far and wide until she reaches a motel. She gets out of the car, looks to the sky, and for the first time in the ballad she expresses joy, celebration, and finally, peace. The “Angela” video takes us on the journey of the heart and soul that is the Cleopatra character - following your gut and your heart to its wits end. My Eyes MEaning “My Eyes” is the bow that ties the story of this legend together. She’s older now; older than she was when we first met her in the taxi. She’s in a nursing home, sharing stories with the nurse, and waiting for her time to end. Oh, the devil’s inside You opened the door You gave him a ride Too young to know, too old to admit That you couldn’t see how it ends What did you do to my eyes What did you sing to that lonely child Promised it all but you lied You better slow down baby soon It’s all or nothing to you Before it ends, we see Cleopatra shift out of her body one last time, to make the move we know she wants to make. She walks down the empty halls, out of the nursing home door, and into the abyss. “The Ballad Of Cleopatra” spreads the wisdom of this character onto those who view it. She shows you to be strong and to stay true to yourself. She shows you that you may not end up exactly where you thought you would. And she shows you that even if you don’t become who you thought you would be - it doesn’t matter, becuase in the end, the only thing that really matters in your life are the people you could never and would never want to life without. So choose those people, and hold on to them tight. I won’t be late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I’ll be on time
Out of all the music video, the lyrics, this is one of the rare masterpiece that ever been made. We always hear the artist say let the music speak. Well this is it! This is them talking to us. I just love how this music video can touch our soul deep within us. Major!!
It's incredible, I listened to Cleopatra in the summer of 2016, I was 17 years old, I was in my last year of high school (in Mexico), I listen to it now, already graduated at 25 years old, with a couple of wounds in my heart, the weight of a couple of mistakes on my back and the uncertainty for the future, I listen to it differently. But the album didn't change, somehow the experiences changed the listener.
Sleep on the Floor is the greatest music video of the past 10 years. It starts in 4:3 ratio or what an old box TV is. Then when Cleopatra doesn't leave but her boyfriend does it goes to 16:9 or what a modern TV is. That is the whole dream of what could have happened. Then it returns to 4:3 when we are back in her true reality.
Mine, for sure. I discovered them at a really low time of my life (by way of the album Cleopatra and the song Sleep on the Floor (now my favorite album and song)). I still struggle with my mental health (anxiety, depression, etc) and their music helps me through (especially Cleopatra). I saw them live last year in February before the pandemic shut everything down when they were touring for III. I damn near cried ( I could feel it coming) when they opened with Sleep on the Floor.
I love how stories can be told through music. Cleopatra's story is told in 21 minutes in such a way that words can not describe. Every second of this video is so beautiful and I can not stop watching it. Thank you Lumineers for sharing such an amazing story and for being such an amazing band! Keep up the work!
But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life, when I die when I die alone, I die I'll be on time.....the song Cleopatra explains the whole story ...Love it
I wanted a happy ending or maybe just a sad one or anything really.. but like life.. sometimes it's just silence, knowledge that you took paths you regret and the simple fact that what is, is. This isn't Hollywood, not some mush filled romance novel.. it's real. And because of that it is so much more powerful, so true and genuine. But if you let that person go, you will survive, you will go forward. That's it.. Forward..Your choices matter.
@@Havoc_279 not at all. Most bitches nowadays like to pump every piece of skin with plasics and shit. I'd like to find a girl that uses makeup only at parties and special events, no more. The natural look speaks for itself.
I was actually thinking about how beautiful she must have been as a young woman cause you can just see it in her older age to look so good she had to be Amazingly beautiful in her prime
I knew you and your Cleopatra about 5 years ago, when I was seventeen, and it hits different through time. I know what I should do now, thanks for you. Sleep on the floor is always my favourite, maybe some days it will be Angela and others. Wish you all the best. Wish me all the courage.
I cry almost every time I listen to this, no matter what I am doing. The context, the story, the emotions, acting- nothing, nothing could be any better than this.
My Life just wouldn't be the same without The Lumineers in it. :) Good old fashioned story telling & earnest, heart-felt music is just vital to space travel. Thank you.
The most underrated music piece that shall be underrated to preserve its beauty. this ballad is ethereal and eternal, pure heaven to the ears mind and soul, its a melody unasked for.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen this and let me tell you that I’m in tears. I actually bawled like a baby. The storyline was so beautiful and the message really struck me. This is nothing more than a true work of art.
This will forever hold a special place in my heart and soul. Moving through life and listening to this within those different phases will always hit differently. All the feels since 17!
Your songs help me to cope with this situation happening in my country. A hug from Venezuela and I'm grateful to relax my mind with your lyrics and your music. i am sorry if i don't write very well, but i need to write it. just thank!!
Alejandro Gabriel Martinez Dominguez I am from Venezuela too. Te entiendo, porque yo estoy pasando por lo mismo, pero pronto saldremos de esto. We won't be late for this, late for that
Fuerza amigo. Saludos desde Colombia, cuando veo la Orquesta de músicos jovenes que tienen dirigida por Gustavo Dudamel me lleno de orgullo de mi pueblo latinaamericano, se merecen un destino mucho mejor es una lastima que un pueblo se divida por politica!! por Dios mi padre siempre me ha enseñado que en politica hay otro mundo otras leyes y son las de la hipocresia la falsedad y el camaleonismo. Mientras tanto el mundo restante se rige por la leyes que creemos que son para todos si robas vas a la carcel, si matas te condenan y por suppuesto que esta bien pero cuando entras al mundo de la politica no esperes nada NADA de eso.
I'VE BEEN LISTENING THIS SONG SINCE THEY CAME OUT, I PLAYED THEM FOR MY GIRLFRIEND THROUGHOUT HER PREGNANCY & NOW MY SON LISTENS TO THEM EVERY DAY WITH ME. ONE OF THE GREATEST STORYS EVER TOLD
This entire album's story is so beautiful and bitter in the end. But what i love about it most; is its real life. it's not pandering like the movies we watch and the stories we hear as children. It's reality. And unfortunately majority of the people in this world, including myself, have regrets. And we all have that one person. That one person that always makes us wonder "what if?". (if you haven't heard this whole ballad you won't get that statement until you do) The Lumineers aren't just musicians, they are a voice for every single one of us just out here livin man. L-I-V-I-N.
I could not express how well done this film was. Every single aspect of it was beyond words and each part tied itself so perfectly to the scenes prior. for the combined hours and days that I have listened to and supported the Lumineers, I'm shocked that this video JUST showed up on my recommended. quite honestly the best video I have ever watched on any platform. Phenomenal.
A girl which I met introduced me to The Lumineers, they are her favourite group. I have to admit that she has an awesome taste in music. Thank you Maria 😊.
let me know why I'm sobbing LIKE A BABY. I've listened to the lumineers for years like on repeat and i found this video for the first time. now knowing the meaning behind it all it hit's so diff
I am 24 and have never had a relationship, girlfriend, or connected with a girl. I lead a very isolated life in a corner of a small town. I hope that I can feel the magic of love in a world that is so cold, so discouraging, and so disparaging.
My girlfriend's household is not a happy one. She jokes about how she wants to run away and never come back. But I know that there is truth behind her joke. I showed her the video, Sleep on the Floor, and told her that we can run away together. Ever since that night, she and I tried to piece these videos together. It taught us to not make the mistake that Cleopatra made. To take the chance to be with your true love. For if we don’t take this chance, we may not ever have a second one. And even if it doesn’t work out between us, then it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all. As of tomorrow, we have been dating for an entire year, and we both appreciate this ballad. Thank you illuminating our lives.
Lucas Ament lovely...wishing both of you more happiness and lots of love and prosperity
gay
I wish you all the best. Take care
Lucas Ament This is so beatiful. ❤
Do it for her, with her. Decide on her, decide on both of you. (:
This is the most beautiful illustration of regret I've seen
slash self-forgiveness
This is an ode to birth, to death, to love, to hate, to sadness, to happiness and it is saying it's "live, go on and live". Thank you so much for telling us this beautiful story, it has being a pleasure to follow it. I would like to be able to say more because there are a lot of things to say, a lot more, but all I can say is, Lumineers, thank you, with your music, with your heart, with your art, for making life always better, thank you for making us feel that it is worth it.
1000BeautifulDreams yes!!!
1000BeautifulDreams f
Speak English cretin
+DontTouchMe Excuse me?
1000BeautifulDreams yeah your right
I don't doubt you won't ever see this, but this album and short film have actively made a positive change in my life. A week ago while not exactly sober and thinking about a lost friendship I listened to all these tracks again. I decided to text her, to let her know I missed her and that I was glad to have been her friend.
I woke that morning to a text telling me she felt that way, too, and we met up and hung out today, a week later.
Music about taking chances and living with the regrets of not making them made me change my life for the better. Thank you.
That is a very different post and honest and made me so happy for two people ill never know. my best friend of 21 years died. now i know letting our random boyfriends seperate us all the time was maybe something we should have not so easily caved to, to please them. they were all threatened by our closeness. one said it was like he disappeared when she was around. and yea i guess he did, everyone did. we could entertain and amuse ourselves endlessly just talking and laughing. we had been told a lot that if you closed your eyes you couldnt tell our laughs apart. we both laugh very weird and loud but strange like i even do this little fake laugh in conversations. i dont know why i do it. but she would mock me. lol no one else would dare. but she could say or do anything. she was my Sara. she was my person. i never knew a better person besides my husband. those two loved me unconditionally. and i them. now its just me. and i hope i hope i hope that we will consciously see eachother again. im so happy for you. some friendships are priceless. im so happy for your story. you made my day.
This! That's all I'm saying.....
@@jessicajae7777 hey, I'm sorry you lost your friend. I hope you get to see her again.
No words to describe this .
PrincessSearching ForHerUnicorn U just used 5 tho?
Hi, directioner
Directioners everywhere ^^
Hi ! ;)
🌺
Since so many are confused let me explain.
The story begins with the youngest girl in this video, she's young and in love. Her father has died and the love of her life asks her to leave, it shows what would happen if she would have left (which is ultimately fall deeper in love, explore, get married, and essentially live a happy fulfilled life.). However in reality she doesn't leave with her true love, instead she stays and he leaves, skipping over to the song Angela (the middle age women) she is now pregnant with another mans child and is living an unhappy life, she decides to leave one night, which ends in her and her new man getting a divorce, now onto Cleopatra (the woman driving the taxi) she is older now and drives the taxi for fun and sees many people that remind her of her and her love. She visits with the song she gave birth too and states that god gave her two blessing, birth and a divorce, now onto the 4th and final song, she is way older now and is now in a nursing home, she explains to the aids there that she was so amazing when she was young, and since they are a younger generation they don't quite understand, so they just shrug it off. She has a collection of the love of her life's pictures and she regrets not going with him, she knows she is going to die in the nursing home, old and alone. The what if moment comes when she decides to leave the nursing home. The end. Ultimately this ballad is a lesson about choices, regrets, and life. She regrets not leaving with her soulmate which in turn leads to her living a depressing life, in which the only blessing are birth and a divorce. You're very welcome.
Tod Goodell did i ever said i love u ? i do i do i do
Love ya too buddy
Tod Goodell woowwww, great summary, Thanks!
Tod Goodell OMG Tod, how many times do we have to hear the exact interpretation of this song??? Lets leave it alone, lets leave it alone, Im gunna ask the band to write a song called, Lets Leave It Alone
Tonzo Wall I understand where you're coming from, I've seen the comment a lot, in the the end it's up too you to interpret the visuals and the music in whatever way you feel you need too. I came to the video and still saw people confused about the entire ballad, so I decided to help them a bit.
I am in tears. This is art. This is beautiful. I will remember this forever.
If you liked this, watch The Odyssey from Florence + The Machine, is the same audiovisual format and her songs are great too!
Me too
Do
Hard to come by music like this. Up there with the likes of Dark side of the moon and bat out of hell in my humble opinion
You are prettier than I am
Anyone else notice this is a 25 minute video without a single ad to interrupt? Definitely a rare thing today, Lumineers did not want anything to take away from the story. I highly respect that. This is also a perfect piece of art, the first time I watched I cried more than once. Thank you! Absolutely beautiful and stunning, the music, lyrics, visuals all of it.❤
Kinda Like a Christmas Present , As I watch this again, On Christmas 2022!
That's because the band haven't monetized it, they've given it to us for free.
I am watching it for the first time and I am feeling so awkward for wanting to cry and holding my tears back. Thanks for this comment lol it makes me feel less weird.
@@TheOnKnee w
"She was Cleopatra - Maybe she was a young girl whose parents got divorced. And maybe she was raised by her mother alone. Or maybe she stayed with her father, until one day he passed away. Then maybe she ran off with her one true love. Or maybe she decided to stay and never leave. So maybe one day she settled for a man she never loved. But then maybe she decided one night to leave with her child, just like her mother. Maybe when her son had grown into a man, she decided to go back to her husband. Then again, maybe she chose to stay alone, waiting for her one true love to return. And maybe he never does. And maybe someday she will settle for some help, in her old age. But strong as always, maybe she will decide to leave everything one last time, and face the end on her own terms..." from Isaac Ravishankara. I love how all of this is linked to Stubborn Love.
This is so beautifully sad :'(
Ida H Thank you ❤
DAMMIT!!!!!😭
Ida H fuck men so deep
Ida H de
respect for putting no ads in the mid of the video btw
Its a music video...
@@Dizastermaster. yes, but thats the part you wrong. Sometimes when the music video exceed the duration of a song should have finished, ads will come to them to ask permission for putting an ads. But, they seem not to put it tho they can gain money from giving out ads.
Underrated comment of the decade.
Amen to that!
makes it feel like a movie :0
The story makes more sense now, and it's beautiful. This is hands down the most intricate, the most gripping, the most gorgeous thing to watch. It really makes you realise the consequences of life and how every path you take affects you. The lumineers are a band that are like no other, and they are honestly one of the best I've seen.
my favourite part is when the guy splits into two guys! its amazing!! what do you think the symbolism means?
@@BorgioCornwall it's more a visualization of 'what if I would have gone another way', I guess.
@@BorgioCornwall the universe split into 2 in this moment :)) Quantum physics ;)
When I was younger, there were many sleepless nights I spent looking outside my apartment windows, watching the city lights while thinking of ending it all. Yet every single time, long past midnight, I found myself watching "The Ballad of Cleopatra" and crying, when no one could hear it at all. It gave me strength to think of better days... Now, 5 years later, I just wish to say - Thank you, @The Lumineers
sometimes surviving is all you can do, and sometimes it's enough. glad you made it through, hope things are better for you
Oh, if only The Lumineers could read your comment! I'm sure they would be truely happy to know what miracles their work can do!!!
"Beauty will save the world" (Dostoyevsky) ... good to know it is still true to this day ;) ... all the best
i did too. it saved me. it still saves me to this day. im having a kid now, and its all ive ever wanted in the whole world. i hope im a better parent than mine were.....
I'd like to shout to you and other alike to let all know: there are people hiding in the plain sight who can simply love and appreciate you for you are , no more no less.
I remember in January, I listened to the album first time fully. It was about midnight on a Sunday and it had poured with rain. My grandfather had been admitted to hospital, for he was seriously unwell with an issue with his pacemaker. I listened to "My Eyes", there was just something about it which screamed, "You need this". The next day, my grandfather died. He had a tragic life, similars to this Cleopatra's. He never found proper love until the very end of his life and was an artist until he divorced my grandma when he had to do courier work. It just makes me love this album, even more, thinking that this is what sent him off. Miss you, always will.
It's all about the chances we didn't take... like it says on the song "Too young to know, too old to admit that you couldn't see how it ends"
‘I’ve read this script, the casting fits so I play my part’ genius, absolute genius. The lyrics to their songs are so magic.
every time i watch this, i find myself crying because this is the reality of life and i fear that. i personally am bad at making decisions in my life. i am afraid to choose the wrong decision and regret it. but that's life we have to deal with it and be strong just like cleopatra. i miss the lumineers so much
Angel Linao the best love story ever
Crying rn
had you made the "perfect" decision you might've missed out on the people in your life today
Don't be afraid in your decisions you make but be afraid the decisions it takes
That's not life and you don't have to live with it that's called making decisions and the wrong ones you make it right by making the right decisions and your go for it boldly
It's so beautiful, yet I'm crying. It's so haunting, but hopeful. Tragic, while transcendent... This captures life so well... Thank you for this...
BearVersusShark well put.
Why Do You Type Like This
Emo Giraffe why would it matter they are expressing pure emotions
I understand what you're saying, but down-vote for sentence syntax.
Meagan Dahl Sorry Shakespeare.
The Lumineers are on a whole different level of musical talent.
different lvl of commercial brainwashing for sure
@@louloup4607 Some people love to hate.
This band will always have a place in my heart. I lived an incredible story with my brother, we traveled from Colombia to Argentina for Vacations and the Lumineers were in the city on November 1st. The concert was sold out, but you could listen to them from the stadium parking lot. The night was cold and windy, but we ended up listening to half of the concert outside. A Security guard was going to take us out of the place and suddenly an Argentinian guy gave us Two tickets to enter the show. It was magic. What I could hear from the stands was beautiful, from this day I learned to trust when you are perseverant and I am sure that my relationship with my brother was strengthened.
Watching this in 2023
❤
This is such a beautiful story, fits their song perfectly.
Super nice story bro ❤
Greatest Band in the World
Thats Radiohead
James Marlon wow very edgy. Don't get me wrong I like radio head but... that's too far. Dude. But neither of these bands are the greatest you know what is? It's doesn't matter cause everyone has different tastes. So your comment was inexcusably and unnecessarily rude and pointless.
Name me a band thats done more for music in the past 30 years? Everyone has different taste of course, but if a dude whose looked at 10 paintings claims one painting is the greatest in the world, when you've seen 10,000 it's not out of question to shut that shit down.
James Marlon Quality not Quantity
Lachlan Martin Art how is that at all relevant?
WHAT ATIME TO BE ALIVE, ONLY TO DIE AGAIN WITH THIS VIDEO.
I love your comment.
may you live a great life
❤thank you i needed this today 😢@rifuspecial2181
im not ready to cry
I'm into the song Angela when I finally get the damn plot!
PASS ME THE DAMN TISSUE BOX!
what's the plot?
ekinoks The plot? Its about Sesame Street.
Fu** Me.. This was amazing, brought me to tears.
It was amazing guys
I’ve watched this over a thousand times, and every single time, it moves me to tears. The Lumineers will be remembered as a band whose music is deeply rooted in existentialism and a profound love for life-leaving behind a legacy of pure art. Hats off to them. Even their music videos feel like true, authentic cinema.
this tells the whole story of "cleopatra" i just realised this even in the beginning how the lead singer meet cleopatra as a old taxi driver and that look of realisation in both their eyes as a silent truth is passed between them when they somehow understood each other without a single word . and he decided to tells the story of cleopatra though this beautiful ballad, a lady who didn't choose love when she had the chance, her one true love
and its in real life that he meet a lady like this you can look it up in an interview
this video is just so beautiful and deeply profound
This here is why I'm in love with the Lumineers. Their lyrics make you feel like you've lived through that and it just makes me feel nostalgic, like a sweet old lady whose lived and experienced many struggles and has found peace. Idk, but I love it.
I love the simplicity of this video, it's unique. We complicate our lifes sometimes when it comes to a decision, because inside we do know what we really want but we end choosing the other option because we're afraid of the consequences. Those consequences are worth it if at the end we'll be happy with ourselves and the ones we love.
Melany Guzman so true
Everytime I watch this, I cry.
But it’s also a reminder that we all have a chance at having such an amazing, unique, Bold and beautiful lives to create in our short time we got on this big blue ball.
We all end up at the same sort of ending, this music video shows it. But it’s what we did in the time we had that matters the most.
A little goddess lives in all is us.
I hope to whoever reads this, put the phone down,
call the girl or boy you had a crush on and tell them you always love them (what’s the worst they are gonna say?),
Do the little road trip out of the city you always wanted to do,
Quit that job you hate and take the leap into that new business idea you have,
LEAVE YOUR HOMETOWN AND SEE THE WORLD!
You deserve it ;)
this made me cry. and made me angry. why? hmmm i think maybe because the two best people ive ever known died 18 days of eachother. they both left me at the same time!!!! the road trip i take is to a grave that is near his family hamlet. and theres nowhere to visit my best friend. im an artist with endless supplies but it turns out im not a website builder or all the millions of things that come with that. so i have inventory i dont know how to sell.
leave my home town and see the world. i must do this. i have such a pull that i would hitchhike broke before i miss the oppertunity all together. i did grateful dead tour when i was young but ive been stuck in the same town for 26 yrs. i need an escape. but im too old for an unstructured spontaneous trip lol. i wish someone else that wants to travel but not alone, with a friend, would find me. my stuff would sell itself at festivals and beaches and camp grounds and concerts and museums etc
this made me cry. and im angry. why? hmmm maybe because the two best people ive ever known died 18 days of eachother. they both left me at the same time!!!! the road trip i take is to a grave that is near his family hamlet. and theres nowhere to visit my best friend. im an artist with endless supplies but it turns out im not a website builder or all the millions of things that come with that. so i have inventory i dont know how to sell.
leave my home town and see the world. i must do this. i have such a pull that i would hitchhike broke before i miss the oppertunity all together. i did grateful dead tour when i was young but ive been stuck in the same town for 26 yrs. i need an escape. but im too old for an unstructured spontaneous trip lol. i wish someone else that wants to travel but not alone, with a friend, would find me. my stuff would sell itself at festivals and beaches and camp grounds and concerts and museums etc
@@jessicajae7777 hey man,
By the sounds of it you’ve experienced so much pain and suffering.
I’ll just quote the album:
“It’s better to feel pain, then nothing at all”
Your yearning for exploration is still the young spirit in yourself roaring to get out and I understand life can get in the way.
But one thing I’ve learnt recently is that dreading today is tomorrow’s sorrow, the little moments are what makes this life so so so so so special…
Carpe diem in the littlest way my friend. I wish you the best.
You just made 48yo guy tear up. In a good way. I’ll be getting on an airplane for the first time in my life. It’s time to dust off and stretch the wings.
@@RoccoMax100 omg that’s amazing to hear! Your wings are never too old to soar my friend. An eagle doesn’t know it can fly until it takes its first leap.
Live for the moment my friend, you deserve it 🫶
@@tysonhubbard7682 thank you!! ❤️
The woman who Cleopatra is based in must have been special. She obviously went through a lot in her life and I think the lumineers were angels to have told the world her story. She must be eternally grateful, I sure am.
funnily enough, i don't think there was ever a cleopatra. there was a man in a taxi, though. and an angela. I feel soooo bad for angela. her ex wrote a bit song about her XD "your name's angela? that's the name of one of my favorite songs"
@@memereview9803 it was a female taxi driver
She is all of us.
Sleep on the Floor is easily one of the most feel-good-melancholic-sad-happy song of the century. Thank you for this.
they really created so many details in this that not everyone notices and makes it an undeniably beautiful piece of art
-the ghosts dancing in the background when patience was playing at the end
-the way the music lines up perfectly with the visual (7:55 especially)
-the reoccuring boat
-the indescribable looks that show so much emotion on cleopatra's face when she's driving the taxi
every time i watch this again i notice something different
I think the character that stood out to me the most was the young man with the teardrop tattoo who looks like he's just left prison.
In a short time, he looks so anxious in the back of Cleopatra's cab, but then later on we see him as an aged carer, spending the night with her in her final moments.
It's beautiful that in just a few short scenes, he can embody such a powerful and inspiring change of life, and I for one respect anybody out there who tries to build a new life after experiencing extreme hardships.
sleep on the floor gives me some serious wanderlust
My exact words, I hope I experience that feeling in my life time
carlina me toooooo!!
carlina..took me 40 years to stop waiting...so don't wait, do it. Been on road trips with my Jeep back and forth across the country, still have a few more I want. Seen things I never thought I would see, pulled the family along. Meteor crater, grand canyon, Painted desert, Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens, Puget sound, Oahu, Volanoes national park, Niagara Falls, and on and on. You can do it on the cheap. Camp instead of hotels, bring your food in a cooler instead of eating out. Wish I had started years earlier.
That song gives everyone that feel my man
"in the end we only regret the chances we didnt take"
👊🏼 true 👌🏼
:( so true
amen to that
nope. not crying.
no I regretfully have to say the opposite
What an original idea for a music video. This was a beautiful story.
Very good idea already done by some great old bands like Pink Floyd, The Who, Kiss and others
+João Eduardo Prenazzi no one wants your opinion
5555555lowmen HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA but it isn't an opinion, it's a fact
5555555lowmen and the fact is.... you're a dumfuk
5555555lowmen HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA true
Been 6 years, and I still come back to it outta nowhere. The beauty and depth of this masterpiece is unimaginable and would never get old ♥️
the piano track in the ending do you know what it's name?
@@hamzahussein5544 Patience
@@hamzahussein5544it’s called Patience.
@@kyrastrick7675 thank you ❤️
This mv is directed, written, and edited by Isaac Ravishankara. Well, thankyou very much Isaac and The Lumineers for this masterpiece.
This is one of the most beautiful things I ever saw...Had to think all the time of my girlfriend. She is gone for 3 months. We both love your music and it keeps us strong and happy!
max aquila surely ur girl friend is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? And if U haven't told her do it. Cause this videos not around for the long run but she very much might.
This was hands down the best thing I have ever watched in my entire life.
Cristal Murillo What a cute bow~
I came back here to watch this again, hoping to find and feel something. To my surprise, it’s still the same feeling since I first saw this with him. The difference is, he’s not here by my side anymore.
0:01 : "Ophelia"
4:16 : "Cleopatra"
8:11 "Sleep On The Floor"
13:15 "Angela"
18:06 "My Eyes"
22:23 "Patience" (Piano Solo)
leonardo448 I love you!! I was wondering what that last song was !!
leonardo448 the last three bits are so so beautiful
I love you for this
obrigada
The last song it's called Patience, and it's the piano ;)
I always wanted this story of Cleopatra in a single video and here it is now... I am so overwhelmed.
Thank you Lumineers for such a lovely story and videos. Love from India :)
Shalini Singh I'm new here, can someone explain briefly
Hi Evan, the story resides in these songs: "Sleep on the Floor", "Angela", "Cleopatra, "Ophelia". "Sleep on the floor ": After her father's death girl is asked by guy to leave town, but she didn't and ends up bearing a child to another guy and of course has regrets which is quite evident in the song "Angela".In "Cleopatra", she's the taxi driver (proof: the same wave tattoo on arm and scar on cheek) and is "divorced" ("Cleopatra" lyrics) (also, the end shows how she didn't enter the house of her ex-husband along with her son) ("Ophelia" lyrics: "got a little paycheck, you gotta move"). Like the Ophelia character in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", the story's about a girl and choices and 'what if's of two worlds (there's always a splitting scene of one's self in all four videos).
So, in short a story of girl and different life choices she made which has led her to the life she is living right now and have regrets for the same. Hope this makes things little clear... :)
Shalini Singh thanks for the explanation, I was a little confused about the correlation between the songs
i did wanted it so much, now i can't stop crying
Brilliant explanation Shalini. I have followed the videos and had similar interpretations. You have put the words out of my mind. More creatively than I would have. ;)
These songs brought back memories of my life. I am 75 now. Hoping to die with dignity in these uncertain times. I remember the love of my life. We didn't end up together. I hope she is fine.
Dear Pen, you are just 75 years old and there is much ahead to do. Just think about making your like colourful. Stay healthy and sane!
Thank you for sharing. I’d like to say more but this is all I can say @ the moment
Best wishes 🙏
Best wishes, thank you for sharing
Have you thought about trying to find your missed love? ♥️
@@micheletheresonlyone3290 Yes. But in honor of my departed wife, I never did. Its ok. Kids are all grown now. Grandkids light up my life. I had a good and complete life. It is better not to ruin the memory of my youth when we were beautiful and loved without any rules. These songs somehow bring back those memories. I am grateful for that. Take care.
When you have to choose between your love, or your career. Hopefully you’ll not make the same mistake as I did. Don’t let that special person ever walk away. You can always find another career, but finding love is a hell of a lot harder.
❤👋
I can't stop crying. I want to really congratulate the ones involved in making this film, art can express a lot, and touch people's souls. This film is absolutely amazing, I'm not able to put what I feel right now into words. Such beautiful songs, such a powerful and deep message. This is art. It's completely beautiful.
Ready or not, here comes Love.
Take a chance. Never regret.
Ineffable. Life imitates art, art imitates life.... and so it begins: The Ballad of Cleopatra.
This has me crying. Not a sad cry, but one for memories and adventures and the bonds people share. I needed this today
I have watched this so many times and every single time I end up crying. These songs have such depth, The Lumineers did a great job creating this masterpiece.
Me too. Its emotional music. And I went to high school with them. So it makes it even more special to me. Because they are so good and they're from my town. It's unreal how talented they are. We are very proud of these hometown celebs! They deserve all the recognition for this beautiful meaningful music. 💜 incredible artists.
The 4 Ladies Motel.. absolute perfection and artistry
Omg I I was scrolling through the comments to see if anyone noticed
i’m sitting here at the age of 15, and i still have a long way to go but this short film and album are life changing. i cant express how much this album means to me, the meaning and lyrics are just so hurtful in the best way possible. i feel like i was meant to watch this so many times because it’s genuinely made me realize what’s ahead of me and to appreciate and take the chances i have.
How the Lumineers manage, every single time, to produce such emotion-filled, meaningful, beautiful songs is beyond me. I'm glad I found you guys.
Ditto😊
Ophelia Meaning :
The film opens with “Ophelia.” This is really one of the only parts of the film in which The Lumineers actually appear. It’s a way for them to introduce the ballad, with a song they hold close to their hearts. “Ophelia” deals with the success, expectations, and pressure the band has gone through since rising to fame, which is why this song means so much to them.
I, I got a little paycheck
You got big plans and you gotta move (whoo!)
And I don’t feel nothing at all
And you can’t feel nothing small
“Ophelia” is a constant reminder for The Lumineers. It allows them to take a step back and appreciate all that has happened to them, and that’s exactly what the video depicts. The band is playing the song for a crowd when lead singer, Wesley Shultz, steps out of his own body and removes himself from the chaos of his current life; just as the meaning of the song depicts. He exits the building and begins to dance along the street to the beat of the music. The song continues as he pleasantly strides along. As the music of Ophelia fades out, transitional notes fall in, eventually leading Shultz into the taxicab, of one, Cleopatra. They share a conversation unheard to our ears, and thus, the story begins.
Cleopatra Meaning
Shultz exits the car and “Cleopatra” the song begins as Cleopatra, the driver, waits for her next passenger. The “Cleopatra” portion of the ballad follows the beautiful taxi driver with wild gray hair and eyes full of wisdom, through her shift. As she drives along the busy streets you are able to see that she is reminiscing. She is reminiscing on the “what ifs” that life inevitably brings you. It’s not so much about regret, as it is about thinking about the path you took in life, and realizing that for whatever reason, it was the path you needed to take.
I was Cleopatra, I was young and an actress
When you knelt by my mattress, and asked for my hand
But I was sad you asked it, as I laid in a black dress
With my father in a casket, I had no plans
And I left the footprints,
the mud stained on the carpet
And it hardened like my heart
did when you left town
But I must admit it,
that I would marry you in an instant
Damn your wife, I’d be your mistress
just to have you around
Casts of characters enter in and out of the cab, some familiar and some not, some metaphorical and some literal. Each character has a different story, and each taken in by our seasoned Cleopatra.
So I drive a taxi, and the traffic distracts me
From the strangers in my backseat,
they remind me of you
But I was late for this,
late for that, late for the love of my life
And when I die alone,
when I die alone, when I die I’ll be on time
Eventually she turns the meter off, and picks up her adult son from the airport, who enters the front seat with a wide-eyed smile and a grand hug. They drive until dusk. They stop to enjoy burgers with full smiles and genuine laughs before night falls and she must take him to his father. The song comes to a close as she drops her son off to his father’s home, and that’s when the first “what if” of the ballad, a theme that reoccurs throughout, happens. Cleopatra imagines going in to make amends with the father so they can enjoy their son’s stay together, as a family. However, instead she turns around, gets in her car, and drives away.
And the only gifts from my Lord were a birth and a divorce
But I’ve read this script and the costume fits, so I’ll play my part
She drives. Her face is sullen and soft. A smooth transition begins as Cleopatra transforms into a much younger version of herself, driving away from something else, with the same soft and sullen look upon her face. What comes next is the beginning for Cleopatra, the beginning of the “What Ifs.”
Sleep on the Floor Meaning
Peaceful piano track “Patience” plays as we see the youngest version of Cleopatra sad and transfixed, staring deeply into her boyfriend’s eyes, standing at her father’s funeral. As the keys of the piano put you at ease, everything moves in slow motion. The boy slowly approaches her and whispers, “If you don’t leave now you may never make it out.” With that, “Sleep On The Floor” begins, and Cleopatra imagines what could have been if she left with the love of her life on that very day.
Pack yourself a toothbrush dear
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
‘Cause if we don’t leave this town
We might never make it out
I was not born to drown
Baby come on
“Sleep On The Floor” takes us on a journey. The young and in love couple drive across the states. They wander in and out of dirty motels, they meet new people, and they find themselves free. Although they have nothing stable or secure - they have each other. And what we come to find, is that is quite literally all that they need. They eventually marry, happy as ever, and dance into the night. As they lay down to sleep on their wedding night “Sleep On The Floor” comes to a close. The young Cleopatra locks eyes with the camera before the scene shifts out of the “what if” scenario and into reality. She’s now back in her car, just as we saw her before the song began, with that soft and sullen look on her face. She looks in the rearview, only for a second, and then continues to drive on, always moving forward.
Angela Meanign
“Angela” begins with Cleopatra slightly older and pregnant. She’s in bed with her husband, safe and secure in a nice home. However, it’s easy to tell she does not want to be there. At this point in the ballad you know who the Cleopatra character is, or at least who she wants to be. She’s “taller than the rafters.” Life has gotten in the way of who she wanted to become, but that still doesn’t change who she is at her core. And so, as the guitar plucks of “Angela” continue, we see the older, pregnant Cleopatra leave her body, and begin to imagine what life would be like, if she left him when she wanted to.
When you left this town, with your windows down
And the wilderness inside
Let the exits pass, all the tar and glass
‘Til the road and sky align
The strangers in this town,
They raise you up just to cut you down
Oh Angela it’s a long time coming
And your Volvo lights lit up green and white
With the cities on the signs
But you held your course to some distant war
In the corners of your mind
She’s back to driving, back where she always seems to be - on the open road, on her own, moving forward. But this time the look on her face is not soft or sullen. It’s determined. Determined to hold her course. She drives far and wide until she reaches a motel. She gets out of the car, looks to the sky, and for the first time in the ballad she expresses joy, celebration, and finally, peace. The “Angela” video takes us on the journey of the heart and soul that is the Cleopatra character - following your gut and your heart to its wits end.
My Eyes MEaning
“My Eyes” is the bow that ties the story of this legend together. She’s older now; older than she was when we first met her in the taxi. She’s in a nursing home, sharing stories with the nurse, and waiting for her time to end.
Oh, the devil’s inside
You opened the door
You gave him a ride
Too young to know, too old to admit
That you couldn’t see how it ends
What did you do to my eyes
What did you sing to that lonely child
Promised it all but you lied
You better slow down baby soon
It’s all or nothing to you
Before it ends, we see Cleopatra shift out of her body one last time, to make the move we know she wants to make. She walks down the empty halls, out of the nursing home door, and into the abyss.
“The Ballad Of Cleopatra” spreads the wisdom of this character onto those who view it. She shows you to be strong and to stay true to yourself. She shows you that you may not end up exactly where you thought you would. And she shows you that even if you don’t become who you thought you would be - it doesn’t matter, becuase in the end, the only thing that really matters in your life are the people you could never and would never want to life without. So choose those people, and hold on to them tight.
I won’t be late for this, late for that,
late for the love of my life
And when I die alone, when I die alone,
when I die I’ll be on time
Josh Rozario Thanks a lot for this...
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR THIS
Thank you :)
Wow
I only don't understand why the 35yo Cleopatra has a tattoo she made in 25 inside her dream.
i rewatch this every time when i feel like i need emotion in my body
how could I fall in love with an album so hard and so fast?
\m/
Trust me, honey, with these guys, it's not hard to do.
I'll be 43 March 6th. The Ballad will always be the most beautiful arrangement of music of story I've ever experienced. ❤
Same here.. no matter how many times I have listened it, once it comes to suggestions, I couldn't resist myself to listen once again
"Marry, and you will regret it; don't marry, you will also regret it; marry don't marry, you will regret it either way..."-Søren Kierkegaard
Dylan S I love it!
It's better to have loved and lost. 💯
А ещё лучше... не терять ❤.@@seankinsella9843
I can't get enough of this. Watching my dad go through the aging process and it's so hard. As a single person, I fear this will be me one day.
Be yourself. Your are not alone.
All of us with you ♥️
the era of Cleopatra was the best era ever, that album was like the background music to my life in 2016. looking forward to hearing Gloria's story.
Every time I hear these songs. I experience every emotion possible. I love this group so much. They were a God send at the perfect time in my life.
Out of all the music video, the lyrics, this is one of the rare masterpiece that ever been made. We always hear the artist say let the music speak. Well this is it! This is them talking to us. I just love how this music video can touch our soul deep within us. Major!!
❤💜💖🎈🪁🦋⚓
I'm the mins dude now. Also, please like so it can go to the top:
Ophelia: 0:00 - 2:31
Cleopatra: 4:21 - 8:00
Sleep on the floor: 8:21 - 12:55
Angela: 13:23 - 16:42
For Fra: 16:42 - 17:30
My eyes: 18:40 - 22:27
Patience: 22:27 - end
thaks man!
@@rodrigogomes7738 you're welcome man!
dont forget
(technically) For Fra: 16:42 - 17:30
Patience: 22:27 - end
@@Dizastermaster. edited. Thanks mate.
@@minh.ngh12 Np
Today I bought two of their albums, I didn't know life had another gift waiting...
Scarlett Ellen life always has lots of gifts waiting that's what's so beautiful about life, culture and this world.
It's incredible, I listened to Cleopatra in the summer of 2016, I was 17 years old, I was in my last year of high school (in Mexico), I listen to it now, already graduated at 25 years old, with a couple of wounds in my heart, the weight of a couple of mistakes on my back and the uncertainty for the future, I listen to it differently. But the album didn't change, somehow the experiences changed the listener.
Sleep on the Floor is the greatest music video of the past 10 years. It starts in 4:3 ratio or what an old box TV is. Then when Cleopatra doesn't leave but her boyfriend does it goes to 16:9 or what a modern TV is. That is the whole dream of what could have happened. Then it returns to 4:3 when we are back in her true reality.
I wonder if these people know how many lives they've changed and maybe even saved through their music. I hope they do.
Mine, for sure. I discovered them at a really low time of my life (by way of the album Cleopatra and the song Sleep on the Floor (now my favorite album and song)). I still struggle with my mental health (anxiety, depression, etc) and their music helps me through (especially Cleopatra). I saw them live last year in February before the pandemic shut everything down when they were touring for III. I damn near cried ( I could feel it coming) when they opened with Sleep on the Floor.
I love how stories can be told through music. Cleopatra's story is told in 21 minutes in such a way that words can not describe. Every second of this video is so beautiful and I can not stop watching it. Thank you Lumineers for sharing such an amazing story and for being such an amazing band! Keep up the work!
Everyone stop trying to explain a album that is about emotion and growth . This is the best single record of my generation.
Finally, the story completes itself!
Mateus Marques Does it though?
DONT DO THIS TO ME, PAL
Mateus Marques '' forget what father brennan said, we were not born in sin''??
*Listen to 'Peacock Affect - I Wrote This In The Dark'*
Mateus Marques nuunjnbuvh s
But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life, when I die when I die alone, I die I'll be on time.....the song Cleopatra explains the whole story ...Love it
Never thought I could watch a 24-minute song video over and over. Epic stuff.
At least twice. 👌🏻
I wanted a happy ending or maybe just a sad one or anything really.. but like life.. sometimes it's just silence, knowledge that you took paths you regret and the simple fact that what is, is. This isn't Hollywood, not some mush filled romance novel.. it's real. And because of that it is so much more powerful, so true and genuine. But if you let that person go, you will survive, you will go forward. That's it.. Forward..Your choices matter.
😊
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE SEEN! I'M FREAKING OUT!!!
the lady who plays old taxi driver is soo beautiful
Rafia Ashraf is it strange I find her prettier than most young women?
@@Havoc_279 not at all. Most bitches nowadays like to pump every piece of skin with plasics and shit. I'd like to find a girl that uses makeup only at parties and special events, no more. The natural look speaks for itself.
I was actually thinking about how beautiful she must have been as a young woman cause you can just see it in her older age to look so good she had to be Amazingly beautiful in her prime
Also amazing acting, real and natural.
**Who drives
I knew you and your Cleopatra about 5 years ago, when I was seventeen, and it hits different through time.
I know what I should do now, thanks for you. Sleep on the floor is always my favourite, maybe some days it will be Angela and others.
Wish you all the best. Wish me all the courage.
I cry almost every time I listen to this, no matter what I am doing. The context, the story, the emotions, acting- nothing, nothing could be any better than this.
Hallelujah sister please tell me you haven't seen the Lumineers 3 that album is a freaking master piece
I'm watching and crying right now. 💕
ruclips.net/video/6s5lce0Ziwo/видео.html
have you heard Kodaline as well? I feel both their vibes on the simiilar nodes of our hearts :)
@@holbvgbbbbkfz can i get the link boy
This was so beautifully made that I wish I could personally meet the people who made this and congratulate them for this piece of perfection!
My Life just wouldn't be the same without The Lumineers in it. :) Good old fashioned story telling & earnest, heart-felt music is just vital to space travel. Thank you.
The most underrated music piece that shall be underrated to preserve its beauty. this ballad is ethereal and eternal, pure heaven to the ears mind and soul, its a melody unasked for.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen this and let me tell you that I’m in tears. I actually bawled like a baby. The storyline was so beautiful and the message really struck me. This is nothing more than a true work of art.
This was a real story too, about someone they interviewed.
The story is simple: Choosing between life and what you imagine your life could be.
so true
really? so simple?
its simple but in same time is complicate
:( lifefucklife
Not that simple.
All the five songs and formed them into a story... beautiful.
This will forever hold a special place in my heart and soul. Moving through life and listening to this within those different phases will always hit differently. All the feels since 17!
This is a cinematic masterpiece
I want The Lumineers to get nominated for grammy 2017 and win ☺
I just want to point out how in Sleep on the floor, they packed everything but the toothbrush the song asked.
Eyram Seshie lmao 😂
Eyram Seshie that's the point 😏😂
Congrats on being the 3,233,322th person to point that out.
Eyram S1eshie data
lmaooo i noticed that too
I wasn’t ready for this… I’m crying so hard rn. Wow. Just wow. This music is - it’s beyond anything I’ve ever heard before. It’s just beautiful.
Your songs help me to cope with this situation happening in my country. A hug from Venezuela and I'm grateful to relax my mind with your lyrics and your music. i am sorry if i don't write very well, but i need to write it. just thank!!
mucha fuerza
Alejandro Gabriel Martinez Dominguez I am from Venezuela too. Te entiendo, porque yo estoy pasando por lo mismo, pero pronto saldremos de esto. We won't be late for this, late for that
Amanda Patiño es asi...!! nada dura para siempre, bendiciones para ti y para los tuyos.
Fuerza amigo. Saludos desde Colombia, cuando veo la Orquesta de músicos jovenes que tienen dirigida por Gustavo Dudamel me lleno de orgullo de mi pueblo latinaamericano, se merecen un destino mucho mejor es una lastima que un pueblo se divida por politica!! por Dios mi padre siempre me ha enseñado que en politica hay otro mundo otras leyes y son las de la hipocresia la falsedad y el camaleonismo. Mientras tanto el mundo restante se rige por la leyes que creemos que son para todos si robas vas a la carcel, si matas te condenan y por suppuesto que esta bien pero cuando entras al mundo de la politica no esperes nada NADA de eso.
Fuerzaaa Ale!!!! que nada es en vano! SON UN PAÍS VALIENTE! todos estamos con Ustedes! saludos desde Bolivia!
I'VE BEEN LISTENING THIS SONG SINCE THEY CAME OUT, I PLAYED THEM FOR MY GIRLFRIEND THROUGHOUT HER PREGNANCY & NOW MY SON LISTENS TO THEM EVERY DAY WITH ME. ONE OF THE GREATEST STORYS EVER TOLD
STOP SCREAAAAAAAAMING
Senorali 04072019 sToP sCrEAmInG
the loudest story ever told
This entire album's story is so beautiful and bitter in the end. But what i love about it most; is its real life. it's not pandering like the movies we watch and the stories we hear as children. It's reality. And unfortunately majority of the people in this world, including myself, have regrets. And we all have that one person. That one person that always makes us wonder "what if?". (if you haven't heard this whole ballad you won't get that statement until you do) The Lumineers aren't just musicians, they are a voice for every single one of us just out here livin man. L-I-V-I-N.
Apparently the Lumineers have mastered the secrets of time travel. For 24 minutes I was sent back to 2017. Pretty good year tbh.
I just love the fact this masterpiece is finally trending.
I could not express how well done this film was. Every single aspect of it was beyond words and each part tied itself so perfectly to the scenes prior. for the combined hours and days that I have listened to and supported the Lumineers, I'm shocked that this video JUST showed up on my recommended. quite honestly the best video I have ever watched on any platform. Phenomenal.
Honestly this ballad deserves to be in our English textbooks!
For real
A girl which I met introduced me to The Lumineers, they are her favourite group. I have to admit that she has an awesome taste in music. Thank you Maria 😊.
let me know why I'm sobbing LIKE A BABY. I've listened to the lumineers for years like on repeat and i found this video for the first time. now knowing the meaning behind it all it hit's so diff
The songs makes me feel really lonely and emotional but I love them.
In 24 minutes I've had more feelings than I've had in 24 years of my life.
Aaron Castillo So your 24 years old.
mhm
*you're
Aaron Castillo that's the cheesiest shit I've ever read
Isn't it beautiful?
I am 24 and have never had a relationship, girlfriend, or connected with a girl. I lead a very isolated life in a corner of a small town. I hope that I can feel the magic of love in a world that is so cold, so discouraging, and so disparaging.
As soon as you find out that this world is also a wonderful, blessed place, true love will come to you whereever you are
love appears when you least imagine it, love is in how you look and how you choose to live with who you choose. Be allowed
Same. Thaaanks to these wonderful works of art, that makes me feel sooooo much emotions. The closest thing i get not experiencing the real ones yet.
I need to stop watching this because It just fills me with deep sadness to the point where I have to pause and stop my crying.
The scariest depiction of life the world has ever seen.