Media Blog #2: Give Me Love

 

 

               "Give Me Love", a song written and performed by Ed Sheeran, conveys a very deep and meaningful message to its viewers. I loved this song the very first time I listened to it but when I watched the music video, I couldn't grasp the significance of it. You know what they say, third time's the charm.

 

               To begin, this song is basically about someone craving the feeling of being loved. In my opinion the music video shows this creatively and efficiently. The music video is focused on a young girl, with exotic features and drab clothing. The opening scene begins with the girl with wings lying on a mattress with an arrow jabbed in her neck, blood splattered on the mattress, and a highly attractive male police officer inspecting the crime scene. Once the music starts, it shows the girl, before she is dead, sadly watching happy couples express their love for each other. It then shows back-to-back flashes of sharp objects to the depressed girl sitting in this dull room. The beginning shows how lonely and unhappy the young girl is. As the music speeds up, so does the video. The girl is next seen in a café, with a pair of white, beautiful wings. In the café, you see Ed Sheeran, sitting alone at a table. Interestingly enough, this is the only time you see him the entire music video. The young girl then constructs an arrow and represents a version of cupid, giving love to everyone by shooting them with an arrow, since she cannot obtain it herself.

 

              I thought the use of pathos was the perfect way to convey the message of this song. It establishes emotional appeals that will connect with the viewer in an intense way. Word choice has a lot to do with the emotional appeals. In the song Sheeran sings, "Give me love like her, 'cause lately I've been waking up alone." The lyrics strongly express how the young girl is feeling and Sheeran hopes it relates to his viewers. The most unique quality of this video is that it gives a voice to all sexual orientations. Usually in a video about gaining love and affection, it is about a man and woman. We have come to expect this in the creations of media but in this video, gays, lesbians, and straights are all represented. Another interesting feature of this video is that there is a variety of races shown. There is no boundary in this video.

 

             This music video is truthful in the way that it portrays love. I think that it is inspiring that Ed Sheeran chose to honor this. Again, this is an example of pathos. It is Sheeran's personal anecdote to the music video that correlates to the song extremely well. Love is not defined by gender, race, religion, or background. This is one of the reasons why I admire this video and respect Sheeran as an artist.