Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz

CLINT EASTWOOD- GORILLAZ
1
Clint Eastwood- Gorillaz
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
Title: Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz
Introduction:
Clint Eastwood is a hit single by the British rock band called Gorillaz which was released in
their self titles debut album in 2001 and in my opinion, has become one of the most iconic
songs of the time that pushed the group into stardom..
First Response:
When I heard the song 18 years go for the first time on MTV, I was quite amused by the
lyrics, musical style and the video. The song made references to several popular films such as
‘Dawn of the Dead’, ‘The Good, The Bad and the Ugly’. The song follows an overall hip-hop
style structure with heavy bass lines and dub-reggae patterns on the drums, and synth. I found
the lyrics to be especially interesting due to the monologue style of the song and due to the
meticulous usage of both optimistic as well as sarcastic styles of writing, interchanging the
mood of the song between the verses and chorus creating a didactic feeling for the song. I felt
the song conveys a strong message to the society about how the mainstream media and
popular films influence our thoughts, experiences and behaviors and it is slowly changing us
and our lives for the worse.
Usage of language:

2CLINT EASTWOOD- GORILLAZ
The song uses the African American colloquial and speaking style, through repetitive verses
and chorus. The song has several euphemisms for drug use, violence and social conflicts and
utilizes sarcasms to paint a picture of reality. I could also recorgnise several slangs which
were also used in the lyrics to emphasize and impress upon the feelings intended by the band.
“I'm useless but not for long -The future is coming on” this line shows both a pessimistic as
well as an optimistic mindset used together to create an impression of a conflicted and at the
same time self assured mind of the singer who feels optimistic of the future. The line “Picture
you gettin' down in a picture tube” also creates a mental picture of people being stuck inside
the picture tubes of a television. I think that such an usage of language creates a feeling of
despair and oppressiveness of human constructs to our own independence of thought.
Description of the lyrical context:
The lyrical context of the song is that of a wild wild west movie as seen in films such as ‘The
Good, the bad and the Ugly’ and popular culture that have developed around the film. The
song recounts the story of an individual who has been let out of the cage (or captivity) and is
free to do whatever he wants and fantasizes of a life like in the movies where people can do
whatever they want. The story takes in a fictional setting, but reflecting upon the media
controlled society, impressing upon the fact that our opinions, fantasies and behavior are
influenced by what we see on the television and that leads to the corruption of our thoughts,
being ‘sucked into the lies’ propagated on the TV. The singer proposes salvation to the
audiences by helping them to see the truth and ‘survive in the lawlessness’ and dysfunction in
the society.
Description of characters: