G324 - Analysing Lyrics - Craig David

It is important to analyse lyrics as it allows you to gain an understanding of the artist's intentions within the song. It can also help to create an image of a narrative that you can develop for a music video. It s for this reason that I completed an exercise in which I analysed the lyrics for part of a song I had never heard before and then developed a basic idea of a narrative for the song. After completing this exercise, I looked at the real music video for the song to see how it's narrative differed from the one which I had developed. Below are the lyrics for the song followed by my analysis of them. I have also annotated the lyrics with my narrative ideas in red.

Craig David - Seven Days

On my way to see my friends - Craig walking down the street singing at the camera, long shot

Who lived a couple blocks away from me. (owh) - Craig walking down the street singing at the camera, long shot

As I walked through the subway, - Cuts to Craig walking through a subway station, medium tracking shot

It must have been about quarter past three, - Cuts to close up of watch face

In front of me - Camera pans left and up

Stood a beautiful honey with a beautiful body. - Camera stops panning at a medium shot of a stereotypically "beautiful", blonde young woman

She asked me for the time, - Cuts to close up up of Craig singing in a studio

I said it'd cost her her name, - Close up up of Craig singing in a studio

A six digit number and a date with me tomorrow at nine. - Cuts to medium close up of woman, writing a number down on a piece of paper

Did she decline? - Cut to a medium long shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
No. - Cut to a medium long shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Didn't she mind? - Cut to a medium long shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
I don't think so. - Cut to a medium long shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Was it for real? - Cut to a medium shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
Damn sure. - Cut to a medium shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

What was the deal? - Cut to a medium shot of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
A pretty girl aged 24. - Cut to a medium shot of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

So was she keen? - Cut to a medium close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
She couldn't wait. - Cut to a medium close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Cinnamon queen? - Cut to a medium close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
Let me update. - Cut to a medium close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

What did she say? - Cut to a close up of a male friend sat at a bar, asking Craig the question
She said she'd love to rendezvous, - Cut to a close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

She asked me what we were gonna do; - Close up of Craig at a bar, answering his friend's question

Said we'd start with a bottle of moet for two. -  Cut to extreme close up of Craig's mouth, zooms out to reveal him speaking to the woman

[Chorus]

Monday. - Cut to close up of daily calender, flip's from Monday to Tuesday

Took her for a drink on Tuesday. - Fade to long shot of Craig and the woman at a bar together
We were making love by Wednesday - Fade through calender showing Wednesday to the two in bed together, long shot

and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. - Fade back to calender and flip through the days up till Sunday

We chilled on Sunday. - Fade to a medium long shot of the two cuddled up on the sofa together watching TV, OTS of the couple towards the TV

I met this girl on Monday. - Repeat as above

Took her for a drink on Tuesday. - Repeat as above

We were making love by Wednesday - Repeat as above

and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday. - Repeat as above

We chilled on Sunday. - Repeat as above

By reading through the lyrics, it is immediately obvious that Craig David is singing about meeting a girl. This is a common narrative for pop music and remains simple. This means that the music video is also likely to be simple. However, there could be a hidden meaning behind the lyrics. It is possible that Craig David is writing about the way in which men are pressurised into being smooth and quick-witted with the ladies and therefore constructs this story to reflect the way in which men often make up situations in order to boost their ego and to seem cool to their friends.

Below is the real music video, which I had never seen until after having completed this analysis and brief narrative idea: