1. In the introduction to the song the
artist dedicates it tothe girl
whereby he says “That special
one I used to be with, this for you
girl”. This shows that she really
meant a lot to him. Translating this
part of the lyrics into a visual, I Introduction
can imagine him (person playing Yo (laugh) this your boy Big Quan You already know
Big Quan) having a flashback of man
him and his ex-girlfriend in a plac
This to that special one I know, you feel me
e that they used to go together,
for e.g. him and his ex-girlfriend That special one I used to be with
chilling together at his house, This for you girl
playing xbox, laughing and him I got you, you know how I mean
being in the room rapping to the Liverpool artiest family entertainment entbaababyy
audience.
“Maybe I’m trippin, maybe I’m
just slippin” at this point he is
thinking to himself and trying to Verse 1
get his head around them not Maybe I’m trippin, maybe I’m just slippin, or maybe
being together any more. The I’m jonzingina funny sense
visual to this lyrical content could
be him walking through a
Shorty... We took a six day seven night ocean cruise
shopping centre rapping and trip
using hand jesters to illustrate the Come on baby see inside its up the palm trees ,
lyrics. This could then be followed see insiders of the sun,
by a green screen of pictures in seeing signs of you smiling girl,
the background of them
together. “Smiling girl” could be
You really had me yo going girl
shown in a high key lighting shot I thought I was your man
of her smiling then giving him a I thought I was your main boogie
kiss. The use of the lighting could
display that they are happy Man you switched up on me,
together.
How you gonna leave me for the next nigger man
“I thought I was you man” could And have me jonzing in a funny sense
be shown through a flashbackof But nar man this is my song to let you know I didn’t
them having a good time which lose my mojo
then turns into another shot of her I’m doing everything that we did, but better ina
walking with her bags and getting
funny sense
into the new guys car - while the
new guy is sitting on the car With the next brard, and this is my song
bonnet waiting for her. These two To let you know that I really really think about you yo
shots could be shown through a
transition such as a fade or
crumble of the screen.
Chorus
“To let you know that I really really Always on my mind
think about you yo” could be And still in my heart
demonstrated by him looking at You’re always on my mind
pictures of them together in a Although we are apart
bed room to show that he is
Your always, your always
dwelling on the past.
Always onnnn my mind
“Always on my mind Baby (always on my mind)
And still in my heart
You’re always on my mind” is the
first half of the chorus
whichconnotes that he can’t stop
thinking about her. The visual to
this part can be of what they
used to do together shown
through aflash back in fast pace,
portraying all the good times.
2. “Although we are apart”
although they are apart he still Verse 2
thinks about her this visual to Pain is pleasure and pleasure is pain
this is flash backs of when she So when you ask yourself do you all think it’s the
left him same
Nar man it aint the same
“Always onnnn my mind” can
That word comfort got me all messed up in the
be shown once again by him
looking through pictures of game
them together in his room. Yo, I was there for this chick more than her own
blood
I sware to god man someone to hold
Second verse Someone to talk to, someone to encourage
“Pain is pleasure and pleasure Someone to be there when you need that extra
is pain” up to “Nar man it aint step
the same” will be him walking
alone in the shopping centre But you must didn’t appreciate it
rapping.
So I guess I was just waistingintensity
Or just wasting my life line
The next part of the lyrics will
be him looking back on the To even be ina relationship with you girl
time he took her out to a But look man, its besides that point
restaurant. I aint worried bout you
This aint a dis song this ainta love song
That flash back then smashes This is a song to let you understand that I’m re
(transition) as he goes into the birthed and I don’t need you no more girl
next part of the second verse
“But you must didn’t
appreciate it”. Chorus
Always on my mind
“It’s besides that point” and to
And still in my heart
the end of that verse, he is
You’re always on my mind
shown in his room putting all
the things she bought him in Although we are apart
the bin. Your always, your always
Always onnnn my mind
Back to the chorus is shown Baby the reason why I know
through pictures of them all I can’t forget your face
over the screen and with her Coz everywhere I go
driving off in the car with the I see you every place
new guy. Your always your
3. To summarise the lyrics to this song always on my mind by Big Quan, it is a
narrative structure telling the listeners a story about him and his ex-girlfriend.
He dedicates the song to her form the very beginning “This to that special
one I know, you feel me That special one I used to be with, this for you girl”.
Throughout the song he is reminiscing on the good times that they had
together “We took a six day seven night ocean cruise trip”. He then moves on
to how she became his ex-girlfriend by rapping about he can’t believe she
left him for another guy, “How you gonna leave me for the next nigger”. The
chorus then goes saying “Always on my mind” etc. basically letting her know
that despite her leaving him for someone else she’s always on his mind. The
next verse he is thinking back to what he done for her, how he was always
there, “I was there for this chick more than her own blood” and thinks that this
relationship was a waist of his time. He then moves onto the point of this song,
and that is that “This is a song to let you understand that I’m re birthed and I
don’t need you no more girl”.
Throughout the song the lyrics are represented through the meis- en- scene
and the codes and conventions of this genre. The codes and conventions
that conform to the R&B and Hip Hop genre in this music video are the use of
props such as, expensive car, money and designer clothes. Not only are
there elements that conform, there are also some codes and conventions
that subvert to the expectations of this genre. One of them is the female
costume. The main female in our music video subverts to what the audience
would expect her to ware in this genre. Her costume is classy and appeals to
male and female a target audience ages 18-21. Whereas the codes and
conventions the audience would expect her to wear would be something
revealing and appealing to the male audience. We decided to portray this
image because it wouldn’t show much relevance to the narrative of the
song. Her costumes fit the location she will be in, as we will be filming in
London at the moment we are in winter that is why as part of her costume
she is wearing a jacket and scarf.
All the characters that are mentioned in the song eg “This to that special one
I know” and “next nigger” are included in the video to help tell portray the
narrative. At the beginning of the track the artist introduces himself by saying
“this your boy Big Quan” at this point the character Big Quan will be on the
screen rapping on a green screen with pictures of that special girl to show
the audience who he is talking about.
The new boyfriend will be introduced to the audience when Big Quan raps
“Man you switched up on me, How you gonna leave me for the next nigger
man” another part of the song that indicates the lyrics is when he says “I was
there for this chick more than her own blood” at this point he will see a flash
back of the two of them in a restaurant. A particular prop that will be used to
indicate the lyrics will be pictures of the two of them and Big Quan will be
ripping them up on the last verse to show that he doesn’t need her anymore
and he is re born.
4. The choice of language shows that the target audience is young. This is
shown through colloquial language. “yo” is the first word that is said this
straight away lets the audience know that it is aimed at a young audience
and that is the way to say hello in certain areas and age groups. On the track
Big Quan sounds America to me; he uses colloquial wordsthat I am not
familiar with as I am not from his country/area. Egjonzing, boogie, mojo.
The artist is young so that would straight away indicate that his target
audience is around the same age group. There are a few genre specific
terminologies used in the song such as referring to the girl as shorty and
calling her girl rather than her name. This is commonly used in this genre of
music.