music video monday ~ 4
Is this how it is?
Is this how it's always been?
To exist in the face of suffering and death
And somehow still keep singing? ~ Florence + The Machine "Free"
I sense a common theme coming through on recent letters: things are no good, but... The "but" there is what I'm finding meaningful in 2025. Last Thursday, Calvino's big "but" was to search for things that weren't a part of the fire and to give them space and to help them endure. Here, Florence Welch's "but" comes as a statement: "and for a moment / when I am dancing / I am free." Music, and music videos, lift my spirits, and I hope this one lifts yours, especially if you need it today. Maybe you'll even laugh, as I do, when Bill Nighy is introduced as the personification of Florence's anxiety.
I don't have the connections or budget to cast such a talented actor as the personification of my anxiety. If I did, it would probably be Norbert Leo Butz from Bloodline.
But enough about anxiety, because by the end of this video, I've usually shed what's on my mind and I'm smiling like Florence is. I often sing. And, I actually want to get up and dance because I'm excited to exist no matter the circumstances surrounding me. Without further ado, the video:
But there is nothing else that I know how to do / But to open up my arms and give it all to you
indoor animal is curated by a human: Tim Papciak. On Mondays, he shares one link to one music video to help spark creativity in other creative types. On Thursdays, he recommends a book, movie, show, art piece, or link to some dusty corner of the internet that he believes either 1.) adds to the human experience, or 2.) serves as a coping mechanism in the year 2025. Note: this is not, and never will be, self-help content.