With help from creator/cartoonist James Bagden, Jack White opens up his world to the popular dimension of music video animation in his new video for “Black Bat Licorice.”
At first listen, the song sounds almost reggae. However, this illusion clears as images of an Egyptian goddess and bats fly across the screen. The video encompasses poor Jack lying in his bed dreaming of the love that the goddess Horace could provide him, constantly yearning for her companionship as he is oh-so-alone.
Another element is the song’s literal translation in the video. A precise picture accompanies every lyric on your screen, including when Jack sings about cutting off his tongue…gross.
Luckily, there is some humor attached, as men dressed in George Washington masks head bang along with you as you watch.
One critique I do have is that, although this “lyric video” style is classic, I’m getting a little bit of a been-there-done-that feeling. The masses were consumed with Girl Talk and A$AP Ferg’s rendition of a very similar style video for their song “Suicide.” This video seems like the Rock knock off. Regardless, “Black Bat Licorice” definitely adds some pizazz and will leave Jack White fans saying, “What guac?”
