Bastille has released the music video for “Send Them Off!” which acts as the first single off of their upcoming studio album ‘Wild World’. Staying true to Bastille’s style of music (which has been working very well for them so far), the band takes a gander at the ‘religion’ that blinds us and enslaves our minds. Looks as if they believe it’s time to free our minds and wills.
Watch “Send Them Off!” Music Video
Throughout the music video we see the main character in the video getting chased by a horned demon. The song calls it an ‘inner demon’ rising from his insecurities. Demons don’t occur from within, but they are forced on us from the world. He runs away and finally reaches a ‘church’ like construct only to find out that it is run by demons in human form as well. He turns back and he finds light. I don’t know if the satellite dish (resembling science) in the video is of significance to the idea behind the song. Either way, “Send Them Off!” sends a pretty clear message.
Lyrics Review of “Send Them Off!” by Bastille
First verse and they jump straight into the punchline.
I’ve got demons running round in my head
And they feed on insecurities I have
Won’t you lay your healing hands on my chest?
Let your ritual clean
The insecurities that have been enforced in him are haunting him and he asks ‘religion’ to lay their ‘healing’ hands on him and cure him. This is often seen being practiced in some branches of Christianity. “Ritual” is never an appropriate choice of words to describe something good, so you get the surreal idea behind these lyrics.
Soak the ropes with your holy water
Tie me down as you read out the words
Again, Bastille shows that they are not quite on board with the whole ‘cleansing’ rituals practiced by religions. They specifically use the words “tie me down” as a reference to that most of these cleanses are done against one’s will. “The words” are from “the book” I presume.
The chorus of “Send Them Off!” sets their intentions straight…
Set me free from my jealousy
Won’t you exorcise my mind?
Won’t you exorcise my mind?
I want to be free as I’ll ever be
Exorcise my mind
Help me exorcise my mind
I wonder why the lyricist specifically thought about “jealousy” as a trait that’s destroying him, when there are bigger issues to worry about such a greed, materialism and so on. Maybe jealousy of the differences set out in people by religions?
Notice that Bastille says “exorcise” as in exorcism. Exorcism is an act done to rid a man of a spirit or a demon possessing him. So, Bastille congruent the ideas of being brainwashed by religion to that being possessed by a demon and he seeks help to free his mind.
I should be thinking about nothing else when I’m with you, you
With you, you, ooh
The above lines speak of the close-minded belief that the religion has created among all the blind followers. Strong believers of their religion are not open to any other form of good deeds of other religions. This is worse than believing in good.
“Send Them Off!” continues to rattle in it’s nerving lyrics as the young man in the music video finds the light when he turns back on the places that promises light. This is an eye opening track and a music video and just how the Bastille band rolls.
We are excited for the new album to come and hopefully we will get a few more awesome singles before the album release.