Hey Soul Sister: The Music Video
Contents
Hey Soul Sister is a song by Train. The music video features footage of the band performing on a stage, intercut with footage of them interacting with people on the street.
Introduction
“Hey Soul Sister” is a song by American rock band Train. It was written by lead singer Patrick Monahan, Amund Bjorklund, and Esbjorn Oslo. The song was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. It was also a top five hit in Canada and New Zealand. The music video for “Hey Soul Sister” was directed by Declan Whitebloom and premiered on VH1 on March 18, 2010.
The making of the music video
The music video for “Hey Soul Sister” was filmed in a single day in San Francisco. The video features the band members dancing and singing along to the song while they are walking through the city. The video was directed by Josh Gold, who also directed the music video for the song “I Will Follow You into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie.
The concept
Hey Soul Sister was directed by JoshISONFIRE, and the concept for the video was his as well. He wanted to create a “feel good” video that would be representative of the band’s personality. The result is a fun, energetic video that perfectly captures the spirit of the song.
The video starts with a close up of lead singer Pat Monahan’s face, as he begins to sing the first verse. The camera then pulls back to reveal that he is sitting on a subway train. As the train moves through the city, we see Monahan singing and dancing along with the other passengers.
The second verse features Monahan walking down a busy city street, while he sings about how he can hear his soul sister calling to him. The camera then cuts to a montage of different people dancing along to the music, including a group of construction workers and some school children.
The chorus of the song is sung by Monahan on top of a roof top, as he dances with a group of people. The roof top scene is intercut with shots of people dancing in various other locations throughout the city.
The third verse sees Monahan riding his bike through the streets, while he continues to sing about how much he wants to be with his soul sister. The camera once again cuts to shots of different people dancing, this time including some seniors at a retirement home and some office workers.
The final chorus is sung by Monahan back on the subway train, as it arrives at its final destination. The camera then pans out to reveal that everyone on the train has been dancing along with him throughout the journey. As the song comes to an end, we see all of the different groups of people still dancing and enjoying themselves in their own unique locations throughout the city.
The shoot
The shoot for “Hey, Soul Sister” took place on August 21, 2009, at various locations in San Francisco. The first location was the Marine’s Memorial Club in Union Square, where the opening sequence of the music video was filmed. The scenes inside the club were shot on a soundstage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. The second location was atop Corona Heights Park, where the scene with Train lead singer Patrick Monahan driving a convertible while singing to Haywood was filmed.
The third location was the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. The scene of Monahan walking along Pier 45 and singing to Haywood as she sat on a bench near a parking lot was filmed here. The fourth and final location was Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, where the remainder of the video was shot. This included the scene of Monahan and Haywood riding bicycles together and the closing sequence of Monahan playing guitar on stage.
The post-production
After the shoot, the post-production for “Hey, Soul Sister” started. In an interview, Ryan explained that the video was shot in San Francisco and Los Angeles over two days, and called the video a ” very organic production”. The challenge for him was to find a way to make the stops on their train journey interesting without making it look too busy or feeling like product placement.
The video features quick shots of various landmarks in San Francisco and Los Angeles as the train goes by. In addition, there are short clips of the band performing on top of the train. These scenes were filmed on a green screen.
The use of special effects made it possible to give the video a dream-like quality. For example, in one scene Ryan is seen playing his guitar in front of a sign that reads “San Francisco”. The sign then changes to read “Los Angeles”. This is an example of something that could not have been done without special effects.
Overall, the video has a very positive and upbeat feeling. This is in keeping with the song’s message of hope and togetherness.
The analysis
The music video for “Hey Soul Sister” by Train was released in 2010 and was directed by Josh Forbes. The video stars the band Train and Hayley Williams of Paramore. The video follows the band as they travel on a train and perform for the passengers. The video also includes footage of the band’s live performances.
The music
Hey, Soul Sister is a train-themed song by the American rock band Train. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Pop Songs chart.
The music video for Hey, Soul Sister was directed by Josh Wish and premiered on August 24, 2009. The video features the band members playing in various locations around San Francisco, including Alcatraz Island, Chinatown, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
Hey, Soul Sister was well received by critics, with many praising its catchy tune and positive message. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
The lyrics
The lyrics of “Hey Soul Sister” are about a guy who falls in love with a girl he sees on the train. He is instantly smitten and can’t stop thinking about her. The song is lighthearted and fun, and it’s easy to see why it became such a big hit.
The video
The video for “Hey, Soul Sister” was directed by Sarah Chatfield and filmed in Brooklyn, New York. It features Train front man, Patrick Monahan, as he lip syncs the song while walking around different parts of the city. The video also includes shots of the band performing the song in a studio.
The video was released on YouTube on May 28, 2010 and has since been viewed over 18 million times. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its simplistic approach and Monahan’s charming performance.
Conclusion
Hey Soul Sister was an instant hit when it was released in 2010, and the music video only added to its popularity. The video features the band Train performing the song in a variety of colorful locations, including a carnival, a beach, and a forest. The visuals are eye-catching and add to the upbeat tone of the song.
Overall, Hey Soul Sister is a fun, feel-good song that is perfect for summertime listening. The music video is well-done and adds to the enjoyment of the song. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, feel-good tune, this is definitely one to check out.
