2. Word association
• Rihanna: Flirty, suggestive, glamorous,talented,
exotic,ardent,raunchy,emotive,provocative,artistic,musical,rhythmical
,independent, individual,assertive,paramount, elevated.
• The Video: Gothic, thriller(Michael Jackson),torture, suckerpunch
(movie)demonic/occult,BDSM, Silent Hill(Movie)
• ‘’Disturbia’’:Meaning contemplating or disturbed about something
3. Introduction
• The mise en scene of the video is dark colours, fast paced shots and
flashing lights relating to horror pop culture in some way aswell as the
quickpaced editing and the jerky quick motions of the characters
dancing and the jerky editing synchronises the features of the video
together aswell as portraying an complete message of evil and
negative feelings of disturbia in the meaning of the video and the
song.
4. • Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
What's wrong with me?
Why do I feel like this?
I'm going crazy now
No more gas in the rig
Can't even get it started
Nothing heard, nothing said
Can't even speak about it
Out my life, out my head
Don't wanna think about it
Feels like I'm going insane
Yeah
It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you
And consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
It's too close for comfort
Throw on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out, you might just go under
Better think twice
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise
Your mind is in disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like
Disturbia
Disturbia
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Faded pictures on the wall
It's like they talkin' to me
Disconnecting all the calls
Your phone don't even ring
I gotta get out
Or figure this shit out
It's too close for comfort, oh.
It's a thief in the night
To come and grab you
It can creep up inside you
And consume you
A disease of the mind
It can control you
I feel like a monster
Throw on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder (City of lights)
Ain't gonna play nice (oh)
Watch out, you might just go under
Better think twice (think twice)
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise (be wise)
Your mind is in disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like (what you like)
Disturbia
Disturbia
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Release me from this curse I'm in
Trying to maintain
But I'm struggling
If you can't go, go, go
I think I'm gonna oh, oh, oh
Throw on your brake lights
We're in the city of wonder
Ain't gonna play nice
Watch out, you might just go under
Better think twice (better think twice)
Your train of thought will be altered
So if you must falter be wise (if you must falter be wise)
Your mind is in disturbia
It's like the darkness is the light
Disturbia
Am I scaring you tonight?
Disturbia
Ain't used to what you like (disturbia)
Disturbia
Disturbia
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum
Full Lyrics
5. Lyrics
• Rihanna’s lyrics talk about confession and
opposition of thoughts which directly relate to the
scenes of her opposite roles in the video.
• An example of her opposite role is where she is
shown to be captive behind bars, couple with the
lyrics “im going crazy” alluring to the fact that she
is in a cage of her own feelings and mind which
pushes her to a very low and weak figure.But after
this the shot shows her in the front almost
commanding the dancers behind her, juxtaposing
the previous shot.The chair she is own seems to be
an old electric chair from the asylum type prison
she is in but is treated like a throne giving her a
feeling of majesty and power.This imagine has the
lyrics “it can control you” coupled with it, this lyric
can be interpreted as either the mental disease
and disturbia the characters are presented with ,
or it can represent Rihanna and the power of
control she has on the throne.
6. Editing and Pace
• Shots in the video aren’t longer than
around two seconds which keeps in
tune with the beat of the song (bum
bum be dum…) because of its quick
pace. Some shots fade over each
other(eg at 44seconds).Rihanna is
sitting on a throne but her face also
appears on the leftmost side of the
screen giving an impression of
deliriousness of disturbia of reality.(This
links to my previous point of
juxtaposition, the whole video is made
to seem confused and disturbed to
show the singers mind-set and resonate
with the lyrics).
7. Lighting
• Some scenes are lit but mostly with
dull long cylinder fluorescent white
lights emphasising the dark
atmosphere(its all artificial light
connoting horror, darkness, closed
spaces).The lighting is mostly from
behind the characters giving a
silhouette look to the actors which is a
fitting visual representation because of
the connotations of witches and
wolves and other horrific things in
front of the moon and lights, it also
blurs the detail and creates mystery
and suspicion of these characters and
fits with the running theme of disturbia
or deliriousness.
8. Previous Videos
• “Disturbia” is the follow up of “Umbrella” and it
describes the state of mind as a possessed
individual. Whilst possessed victims cant think for
themselves-thoughts are given by the possessor
and the possessed behaves according to the
thoughts they give. Lyrics such as “out my head”,
“a disease of the mind” and “disturbia” convey the
same message very blatently.The question is who's
the possessed and who is the possessor. Rihanna
or the producers have done all this purposely to
confuse the viewer and cause them to be in
disturbia.The producers and directors and the
agency who Rihanna works for could be the
possessors possessing her to create music for the
money grabbing company. Rihanna could be the
possessor possessing the audience into watching
her material. Rihanna could be the possessor of
the other actors in the story, or the other way
around, no message is the clearest again
reinforcing the theme of Disturbia in the video and
music.
9. “Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum”
• First words heard are a repetition of “Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-
dum bum” which can be read as a ‘spell’ to hypnotize the subject.A
‘bum’ is either a tramp or incompetent person and ‘be dum’ can be
heard as ‘be dumb’ which put together says ‘bum be dumb’ AKA
‘tramp just give into it and be hypnotized’ and increases my point of
the audience being caught by the video and possessed by the catchy
lyrics and tune.Or that she herself didn’t write the lyrics and she is
hypnotically singing out these lyrics causing herself and the audience
to ‘be dumb’.
