The Jukebox: The Body is a Blade (part 2)

Lyrics continued from last week, “The Body is a Blade” by Japanese Breakfast. I think the lyrics in this song convey a lot in a few words. A message that tells the listener to trust the power they hold. I was especially drawn to the titular line ‘the body is a blade’, a reference to Ocean Vuong’s poem “Headfirst”. Though in the original poem, it’s used in almost in a malicious way, suggesting one’s body is a weapon to do harm onto others. Here, Japanese Breakfast talks about the body as a tool to carry you through the difficulties of life. To visualize these lyrics I wanted to show a character’s internal struggles as walking through a field of tall grass. Overwhelming and all consuming, it must feel like there’s no way out. But the act of moving away from the thought of giving up and choosing to move forward allows the body to literally act as a blade, making a new path.