Textual Analysis Two

Katy Perry One That Got Away

Summer after high school when we first met

We make out in your Mustang to Radiohead
And on my 18th Birthday
We got matching tattoos

Used to steal your parents' liquor
And climb to the roof
Talk about our future
Like we had a clue
Never planned that one day
I'd be losing you

In another life
I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world

In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away

I was June and you were my Johnny Cash
Never one without the other, we made a pact
Sometimes when I miss you
I put those records on (Whoa)

Someone said you had your tattoo removed
Saw you downtown singing the Blues
It's time to face the music
I'm no longer your muse

But in another life
I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world

In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away
The o-o-o-o-o-one [x3]
The one that got away

All this money can't buy me a time machine (Nooooo)
Can't replace you with a million rings (Nooooo)
I should've told you what you meant to me (Whoa)
'Cause now I pay the price

In another life
I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises
Be us against the world

In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away
The o-o-o-o-o-one [x3]

In another life
I would make you stay
So I don't have to say
You were the one that got away
The one that got away

Analysis

The One That Got Away is a song performed by Katy Perry from her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song was released on the 4th of October 2011 through Capitol. The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald and Max Martin and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin. The genre of the song is a mid-tempo pop ballad. I think that the target audience of the song and music video is mainly aimed at females that can relate to the story line. The age range for the video i believe is older women because of the narrative. The music video that accompanies the song was directed by Floria Sigismondi and premiered in November 2011 featuring the actor Diego Luna. Other versions of the song such as remixes, acoustic versions and covers have been released since the original song was produced. The Video was shot at the Lima Residence, a contemporary home located in Calabasas a city in Los Angles.

A narrative is produced throughout the music video due to four main elements which are: sound, editing, mise en scene and cinematography. The music video is based on a real life situation that could occur throughout a persons life. It begins with Kay Perry as an old women living in a home with her husband, he is played by Herman Sinitzyn. As the audience the first impressions of the couple are that the love in their marriage is lost because of their actions. The past is then explored as she remembers the good times. As the video continues it cuts back to a time when she was younger and had a boyfriend. Flashbacks of her having the time of her life when she was younger are included in the music video as well as shots of the present. She is seen having an argument with her boyfriend and finding the consequences upsetting. The younger Katy Perry and older Katy Perry appear to each other in a bedroom and both engage in the song. Her boyfriend has driven away from the house to let off steam and whilst driving he decided to make up with her but it's too late. He crashes his car off the end of a cliff and never gets the chance. Katy then visits the site where her boyfriend died and waits there until his ghost appears whilst the Johnny Cash song 'You Are My Sunshine' is playing in the background. She then snaps back into reality and the music video ends.

The mise en scene throughout the music video reflects the narrative completely in a way that shows how much Katy has changed over the years in a negative way as well as giving out the message that money doesn't bring you happiness . The first first shot in the music video shows a very large modern house. It then goes on to show the spacious inside and her and her husband. He is wearing a suit to show importance. She is wearing a long silver dress to show elegance and fortune. She is also wearing a lot of silver grand jewellery to show wealth and symbolize money. You automatically know that they are married as their wedding rings are visible. He is sat at a table reading a book whilst she sits in another room and drinks coffee showing that there is no love left in the marriage and she looks unhappy. As she starts to have flashbacks the audience discover a whole new person. She is now in an old fashioned small house with her boyfriend and they are having fun together painting. She is wearing a faded cream slightly dirty long shirt and she has long dark hair. He is wearing a checked shirt and jeans which looks very informal. He also has stubble and a beard making him look a little bit rough and ready. They look as though they aren't very wealthy and make do with what they have got. This is completely different to how she is now and this could reflect one of the reasons for her unhappiness. They go to a dance dressed as June and Johnny Cash laughing and joking where she drinks beer out of the bottle. This shows another dramatic change as now she is drinking coffee out of a mug living a boring life.

The cinematography throughout the music video captures the ups and downs of young love and romance. The first shot is an establishing shot showing the house that they live in. A two shot is then used to show the two characters the audience should focus on at this point in the video.A close up is shown of a pair of expensive shoes she takes off and puts away in the wardrobe. A zoom in is used as she pours the coffee until a close up of her stirring it appears on screen. A zoom out then occurs and she isn't stirring coffee anymore she is stirring paint and this is when the flashbacks start to happen. A lot of close ups and extreme close ups are seen in the music video to show emotion and passion for example when they are kissing and cuddling. A tilt is used from bottom to top of her so that the audience can see the difference in outfits from then and now. A close up of the couples matching tattoos are shown as a connection of the characters. A two shot of Katy now and Katy then is shown when the seen is the bedroom takes place. An over the shoulder shot can be seen when Katy ruins her boyfriends painting so that the audience can see what is happening from her point of view. A long shot is shown of Katy driving in her car now and her boyfriend driving in his car then to show the audience that they both have the same car. A low angle is used as he drives his car off the edge of the cliff so that it is clear how he died because of the big drop. Finally a two shot is used again to show Katy now and her boyfriend then as a ghost coming close together before he disappears.

The sound used in the music video varies from diegetic, non diegetic, synchronous and asynchronous as that narrative develops. At the beginning of the video diegetic sound can be heard through a conversation between Katy and her husband. Non diegetic sound is played over the top of the conversation and continues to play. Non diegetic music and lyrics are played until Katy starts to sing to the lyrics turning it into diegetic sound. Diegetic sound of the car swerving the rocks across the road and going off the edge of the cliff and crashing can be heard and seen. Non diegetic sound of Johnny Cash singing 'You Are My Sunshine' can be heard as she approaches where the accident happened to see his ghost. Non diegetic sound of birds and animals making noises can also be heard but not seen right at the end of the video.

The overall video is about the past and Katy's desire to go back in time for just one day so she could change everything that went wrong and still be with her boyfriend. She blames herself for losing him because of what she did. Other parts of the music video also give the audience the message that although now she is married to a very rich man and has everything she could ever want she is still not happy as money will never bring her happiness. The other message the video is trying to give is about young love and how things can go wrong and regrets will be made whilst you're young but to try and do things right when you are so you won't be in her position now when you're old and unhappy with somebody you don't really love.