The Day I Died
Encyclopedia
"The Day I Died" is the second single from electronic music
artist Just Jack
taken from his third studio album All Night Cinema
. It was released on 17 August 2009. The song has already made the Radio 1
A-list, and XFM
B-list, before the single was officially released. The song is fairly upbeat but somewhat satirical, as the lyrics illustrate slight, fortunate changes to an otherwise uneventful day-by-day life, implying the protagonist was decidedly unlucky. It took Just Jack three years to complete the song, after he wrote the first verse and a half.
, premiered on 28 July 2009. Though Just Jack's song tells a story, the video does not follow it literally, and presents an expanded expression of the be-here-now theme: appreciating the small details of life before it is too late. The video was directed by Ben & Joe Dempsey and stars Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt
, as a man waking up to the "best day of his life" only to discover at the end that he has already been killed by a taxi and has been reliving that day.
As the video (and the day) begin, the man wakes up fully dressed, although visibly injured and with torn clothing. At breakfast, his son plays out an accident between toy cars and brings in a toy ambulance, foreshadowing the final death scene. During the day, the man's injuries and torn suit are not noticed by his family or the other characters, and are easily missed on the first viewing, but they suggest that we are seeing the day reinvented by the dead man, or at least informed by the dead man's hindsight perspective. This could be his "do-over," how he would have lived the day had he known it was his last. Nesbitt plays the off-to-work goodbye scene as a man intent on making the most of what could be a final farewell. Another interpretation could be that we are not seeing a re-write of the day but a re-reading of the day as it was; the book he reads in the park is The Day I Died (a prop created for the video). The sense of an imminent conclusion is emphasized by his closing the book after reading only the last page. In this light the torn jacket could symbolize the mark of death, the unseen but inevitable future that awaits us all.
When the man arrives at the accident scene he is at first one of the spectators, then as he walks into the center, the crowd claps. This applause puzzles many viewers because it is unlike the "normal" actions of the other characters. Are the clappers ghostly witnesses to the improvements in the dead man's re-imagined day? Do they represent all of us who value finding the treasures in daily life? Like the song, the video leaves room for us to write in our own conclusions. In fact, the video is directed with a deliberate ambiguity from the opening shot, in which the bruise on the man's face vanishes. And as just one interpretation of the song, the video illustrates the breadth of possibilities inherent in Just Jack's creation.
Just Jack is in the video as a paramedic at the end declaring the man dead. Elton John
listened to the song, and decided James Nesbitt was the only man for the role, and called him personally.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist Just Jack
Just Jack
Jack Christopher Allsopp , known by the stage name Just Jack, is an English musician from Camden Town, London. He first came to prominence with the release of his 2007 single "Starz in Their Eyes", which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart...
taken from his third studio album All Night Cinema
All Night Cinema
All Night Cinema is the third album from British electronic music artist Just Jack. The lead single "Embers" was released in March 2009 and reached #17 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single was set to be Doctor Doctor but despite a video being made and receiving over 15,000 views, the song...
. It was released on 17 August 2009. The song has already made the Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
A-list, and XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
B-list, before the single was officially released. The song is fairly upbeat but somewhat satirical, as the lyrics illustrate slight, fortunate changes to an otherwise uneventful day-by-day life, implying the protagonist was decidedly unlucky. It took Just Jack three years to complete the song, after he wrote the first verse and a half.
Jay's Radio Mix
The song featured in the music video is actually called 'The Day I Died (Jay's Radio Mix)'. The album version 'The Day I Died' is more acoustic, whereas the more famous, 'Jay's Radio Mix', is more electronic and upbeat. Jay's Radio Mix is a radio edit version which is featured in the music video. This version reached the charts, and was wrongly recognised as just 'The Day I Died', which is false as the original acoustic version on the album is, which had little attention.Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, premiered on 28 July 2009. Though Just Jack's song tells a story, the video does not follow it literally, and presents an expanded expression of the be-here-now theme: appreciating the small details of life before it is too late. The video was directed by Ben & Joe Dempsey and stars Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
, as a man waking up to the "best day of his life" only to discover at the end that he has already been killed by a taxi and has been reliving that day.
As the video (and the day) begin, the man wakes up fully dressed, although visibly injured and with torn clothing. At breakfast, his son plays out an accident between toy cars and brings in a toy ambulance, foreshadowing the final death scene. During the day, the man's injuries and torn suit are not noticed by his family or the other characters, and are easily missed on the first viewing, but they suggest that we are seeing the day reinvented by the dead man, or at least informed by the dead man's hindsight perspective. This could be his "do-over," how he would have lived the day had he known it was his last. Nesbitt plays the off-to-work goodbye scene as a man intent on making the most of what could be a final farewell. Another interpretation could be that we are not seeing a re-write of the day but a re-reading of the day as it was; the book he reads in the park is The Day I Died (a prop created for the video). The sense of an imminent conclusion is emphasized by his closing the book after reading only the last page. In this light the torn jacket could symbolize the mark of death, the unseen but inevitable future that awaits us all.
When the man arrives at the accident scene he is at first one of the spectators, then as he walks into the center, the crowd claps. This applause puzzles many viewers because it is unlike the "normal" actions of the other characters. Are the clappers ghostly witnesses to the improvements in the dead man's re-imagined day? Do they represent all of us who value finding the treasures in daily life? Like the song, the video leaves room for us to write in our own conclusions. In fact, the video is directed with a deliberate ambiguity from the opening shot, in which the bruise on the man's face vanishes. And as just one interpretation of the song, the video illustrates the breadth of possibilities inherent in Just Jack's creation.
Just Jack is in the video as a paramedic at the end declaring the man dead. Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
listened to the song, and decided James Nesbitt was the only man for the role, and called him personally.
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
11 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
192 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
16 August 2009 | Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| 17 August 2009 | CD Single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
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