RM - The Killers - Bones Deconstruction

Band: The Killers

Song: Bones

Genre: Indie Rock
Director: Tim Burton
Audience: Primary audience: 15-24 

                Secondary audience: Fans of 80s music as the band take inspiration from that decade.

Year Released: 2006

The Killers’ “Bones” is a narrative music video which follows the two protagonists, which are in a relationship. As well as this the music video features the band performing live in locations the protagonists have featured in these locations include an outdoor cinema, a beach and in front of a swimming pool which the female protagonist dives into. The latter sequence follows the lyrics as it is shown to the audience the female protagonist dives into the swimming pool whilst the vocalist sings the lyrics “Don’t you want to swim with me” this anchors that the music video is narrative based music video.


Throughout the music video the performance element is linked to the narrative story. This is created by the lyrics Flowers sings, the lyrics Flowers sing follow the narrative as if the male protagonist is a younger version of himself and the band are in important locations to him during the relationship. As well as this the male protagonist and Flowers are never in the same place at the same time, this anchoring that the male protagonist is in fact Flowers. As well as this during the parts where the two protagonists are watching the film, at the outdoor cinema, the band is playing in front of the same film. This is anchored by the same shots can been seen after a cut away from the band to the two protagonists and vice-versa. However the couple and band are never in the same shot.

During the performance aspect of the video, the majority of the focus is on the lead vocalist, Brandon Flowers, which is a common convention. As well as this the audience focus on the bands skeleton counter parts. For example whilst Brandon Flowers is lip-syncing as says the lyrics “Don’t you want to feel my bones” his right hand is a skeleton hand, this is pictured left. Another way this is anchored is if one of the band members is their skeleton counterpart the audience’s focus is taken off the lead vocalist and now on the band member that is in a skeletal form, this is pictured above.

Despite this the majority of the audience’s focus is on the narrative aspect of the music video. Like the performance aspect during the narrative element the two protagonists keep changing to their skeleton counterparts. Although once they have turned into their skeleton counterparts they don’t turn back into their human form unlike the band. This happens from the scenes where the couple are on the beach till the end of the music video for the scenes which are on the film. This also happens during the scenes where the couple are watching the film footage of themselves from 1:48. This is pictured to the right.

Film footage is also incorporated into the music video.

"Scenes from the films “Lolita”, “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, and “Jason and the Argonauts”, more specifically the scenes with Ray Harryhausen's skeleton-men, are shown behind the band.” and “The beach scenes from “From Here to Eternity” and "10" are recreated with skeleton figures.” Sourced from Wikipedia.