The Killers are pulling our heartstrings again with their beautiful songs that you would have to deny your own soul to say you can’t relate to the feelings and emotions the Killers present in their lyrics. Maybe that is why there is “Caution” or it could also be “My Own Soul’s Warning”. Please laugh at my jokes, or at least exhale through your nose when you get it.
Their latest song Caution set to be on their 6th studio album, Imploding the Mirage. Hearing this song, I felt nostalgic vibes creep up my spine. I imagined playing this right after screaming the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run out the car windows in the summertime. It has that same elated feeling of freedom and youthful happiness. But there is something different about Imploding the Mirage, or rather there is something different about the music videos being released with each single.
The Killers Are Mixing Their Media
If you look below The Killer’s Caution music video you will see they said:
“Official Video for “Caution” – this is a sneak peak from the short film we did with director Sing Lee, coming soon on Apple Music!”
– The Killers
What I believe this means is their album Imploding Mirage is crossing from music videos to a full film. The Killers have always been innovative in how they present their art. I hope they are essentially trying to create a new form of producing music. Will albums be accompanied by short films moving forward? I would pay to see that! With all of the overproduced rewrapped storylines, let’s see a song transcribed visually into a short film. This has the potential to make songs even more dynamic.
So What Is The Meaning Behind The Caution Music Video?
There is a slow introduction to the song. I believe what we are hearing is actually another song off of their upcoming album. Gah! I get excited about that! But we are shown a few clip scenes of different characters in their roles. When the music finally starts we are greeted by the Killers in their own film.
So when this film comes out we will already be familiar with the wide variety cast and we’ll be waiting in anticipation for the Killer’s performance in the short film. I am hoping that their performance in the film is where they have the storylines collide and the guy gets the girl, the woman accomplishes her dreams, the old man comes to peace with his place in life. And all of them throw caution to the wind.
While we do not know the exact storyline of Imploding Mirage‘s film, the snippets accompanied by the lyrics lead me to believe it is a grand depiction of making it in a small town. Where the characters are giving it their all for the American dream, then they find their joy is not in status or their paycheck, but in the people they love.
Too cheesy? Too bad. It is what I hope, and think the short film might hold in store. We will simply have to wait and see. No matter the storyline I believe the Killer’s short film will be enjoyable. Why? Because I watched a bunch of Sing Lee’s past work and it is wonderful. Or, since he is working with the Killers, it is “wonderful wonderful”. If you want to get a feeling for what might be in the upcoming Killer’s short film, I would recommend you watch Sing Lee’s collection to get a feel for his artistic edge and approach.
Caution & Coronavirus or Covid-19
I kind of can’t believe I have to write this section. This is a side note and topic that must be discussed because of the questions I’ve seen arise on social media. I believe that this song is not relative at all to the present Covid-19 crisis. It is unfortunate that the lyrics suggestively say “throw caution to the wind”. They can be associated with Covid-19 being airborne and the disagreements about facemasks and all of those wonderfully dividing topics. Do not think that! Not for a second! This was written and produced well before the coronavirus was on anyone’s radar.
If anything, I think this song is a breath of relief from the present covid crisis. As we have had a chance to sit in silence and self reflect, maybe a lot of us are realizing the career, the education or the relationships we are in were simply out of comfort and habit. With this new revelation, we should throw caution to the wind. Through the recent life experience so many of us have gone through, maybe it is time we start truly living again. What a perfect dog for this time we are in. As we feel cooped up in our small towns and cities, throwing caution to the wind just might be the perfect solution we find in our months of self-reflection. So post-covid-19-crisis, live your life with more clarity and without caution because these months should reveal to us just how frail we are.
Back to the main topic! The other reason I believe it will have a small-town American dream vibe is because of what Brandon Flowers said about it.
What Brandon Flowers Said About Caution
For Brandon Flowers personally, he indicates that it was connected to him leaving Los Angeles:
“It’s sort of about having the wherewithal to listen to that angel on your shoulder, even if they’re telling you something that you don’t want to hear. And I think for me with this song was a lot about leaving Las Vegas. I was having this sort of hunch or impression that that was something that I was supposed to do for my family. And it was hard for me because I’m an ambassador for [the city], and so it was tough for me to leave. I thought I was able to harness that energy and there was a sort of a relief when it happened, and you kind of feel that the spirit in ‘Caution,’ I feel like.”
– Brandon Flowers
Maybe Brandon Flowers was leaving Las Vegas and like me was singing new lyrics to caution out the window as he embarked on this next adventure.
Join Me (And The Killers) & Throw Caution to the Wind
I’m still throwing caution to the wind. As I turn 26 next week with a smile I greet the next years of my life. My youth will always be in my bones and my heart. I’m getting older, but I’ll never grow up.