LYRICS ANALYSIS
The start of the song consists of an electronic beat which is used throughout the song on it's own solo breakdowns. Instruments layered with a computerized element is used more than the instrument alone to complete the idea of an electronic vibe and add to the establishment of havin a dance track. This is effective as it shows the upbeat tempo of the song, already engaging the pop- loving audience.
Dear Lover - Little Mix
I've seen some places and so many faces
But you look like home tonight
You crave attention and I need affection
So let's walk the silver line
All you need is my
All you need is my love
I got a little bit left to give up
All I need is your
All I need is your touch
Baby, that's all I'm asking of you
Dear lover
I'm incapable of saving your heart this time
But if you wanna
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight
You've been believin'
There's more to this feelin'
I swear, I wish there was
But when the moment is over
We'll walk away closer
Maybe that's good enough
All you need is my
All you need is my love
I got a little bit left to give up
All I need is your
All I need is your touch
Baby, that's all I'm asking of you
Dear lover
I'm incapable of saving your heart this time
But if you wanna
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight
All you need is my
All you need is my love
I got a little bit left to give up
All I need is your
All I need is your touch
Oh, baby that's all I'm asking of you
Ooh
Dear lover (dear lover, dear lover)
I'm incapable of saving your heart this time (Incapable of saving)
But if you wanna
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight (Tonight)
I'll pretend to be your hero for just tonight
The idea of the girl writing the letter to her boyfriend comes from this lyrics 'Dear Lover' which is also the title of the song and suggests the idea of a girl writing to a boy about her feelings toward him in some form of a love letter.
This line suggests that the person who the song is about is going through a rough time and needs help which is offered by the artists. I will further the use of this idea into my music video as the boy is having a hard time at war so the girl is writing about the memories they shared to cheer him up. Although, on another note it could also suggests that that the girl in the narrative is only willing to help out the person who the lyrics are about just once, as they may have been in a relationship that she doesn't want to be a part of anymore.
Sticking with the idea of a girl missing her boyfriend who is at war, the lyric 'But you look like home tonight' could suggest she sings about how she feels safe and comfort when she is with him. This idea could also be flipped and suggest the mutual idea of they both feel safe with eachother. The memories of her make the boy feel at home when he is away fighting.
'I got a little bit left to give up' demonstrates the concept of uncertainity the girl has whilst the boy is away because she is not sure whether he will make it back. Her hope is nearly gone and she focuses it all on her boyfriend. However it could also suggest, on a more general term, that she has been hurt before and lost love and trust in that boy and is wary to place it all in her new lover.
This line implies that the girls of Little Mix are grateful when they find somebody who loves them for them and not their image, as the 'so many faces' exaggerates that they have found nobody special enough to remind them of their home which is very important and sentimental to them.
This verse hints that there has been a break up where the person expressing their feelings in the song believes that the distance between eachother is for the best. However from the line 'We'll walk away closer', I inferred the idea that when the boy goes away to war, in my music video, the idea is expressed that even though he leaves and is a distance away from her, they are still close and in eachother's hearts.
'I'm incapable of saving your heart this time' suggests that the artist is possibly fed up with saving the other person as they describe themselves as incapable. It could also suggest that the artist feels like they are not enough for their spouse anymore meaning that they think it would be best to move on.
This line shows that she is missing the person she sings about and is desperate to be close to them. We could show this concept of the irl missing her boyfriend in the video through shots of her looking upset and down whilst everybody else looks happy.
The bridge leading up to the chorus and the chorus itself are being repeated here which is a very common convention of a pop song as it makes is unforgettable and catchy.
At the end, we could shoot the girl looking up to the sky as if sending a hidden message to the boy in war that everything will be alright even though they are apart. Even if it is not clear what is happening, this is good as the whole music video shouldn't make a completely clear story as the audience should be left thinking about the video. The only way we could demonstrate the idea of the boy going to war with our limited amount of props is by him putting on an army jacket and heading into the distance. We are unsure if the audience will capture this idea or just believe her and her boyfriend are breaking up. However we aim to make the narrative effective by having shots of the girl upset as she is missing her boyfriend but also happy as she is creating a music video with her best friends and enjoying herself for a while.
There is a heavier beat here than the amount of lyrics so one option could be to add a flashing effect to make the video look like a camera flash happening to show different pictures of the girlfriend and boyfriend together.