"Youngblood": Eternal Youth & The Lasting Effects of Vampires on Pop Music - (MASTERED)
A blood-sucking Halloween 🎃 analysis of 5 Seconds of Summer's 2018 hit. 🫣 The cultural obsession with the undead and the unfortunate, yet correlated relationship between love, time, & youth. 🩸
Disclaimer: You do NOT have to listen to the accompanying music to understand this piece…but you will not get the entire multimedia experience and/or message without it. Please at least turn it on in the background at a comfortable volume that still allows you to read and comprehend. Thank you and enjoy.
This is 100% an impromptu effort to make up for the fact that I didn’t plan anything super cool for Halloween—please enjoy this short, fun, completely random piece and let’s make out a REALLY big raincheck for next October…almost every word in here is meant for you, and you alone.
“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” - Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897)
Do Halloween heartbreak and pop music frighten you? Check out other songs here, including rap/hip-hop, rock, and my own personal melodies on mental health, media, addiction, travel, and trauma.
What am I talking about? Press play on the video a little further down and listen closely for what really happens when love & relationships go…bump in the night. ❤️☠️🎃
Warning: This is not entirely accurate to the plot of the movie, but considering the mixed media (and my own personal style)…I figured that I had some poetic license. 5-10% at most :) 🦇🦇🦇
Why Dracula? Why “Youngblood?” Why love?
It's almost Halloween.
I'm in love with it for now.
And…
You'll see.
This song, my song, it echoes the natural order of both writing and our love languages…give proper emphasis. Be bold.
Now come…listen to the music I make…
On to 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Youngblood”…and Francis Ford Coppola's “Dracula”
In “Youngblood,” —an older couple, obviously still in love, take a pill together…
This feeling of taking a pill or, “getting the magic solution” to your biggest fears (death, aging, the fading of beauty/attraction) is analogous to vampire mythology and the attraction we, as readers and listeners, have. It's a strong attraction—it has lasted centuries now.
Everyone wants to take a pill and become younger. Everyone wants to take a pill and become more beautiful. More handsome. Stronger. Faster.
PRESS PLAY— TAKE A PILL WITH ME…
Find love…try not to die.
Some people will kill for it. Some people will suck the life force out of others. This couple is the ideal—”give in, offer up your neck to me—just take a pill.”
Remember the words you told me, love me 'til the day I die
Surrender my everything 'cause you made me believe you're mine
They’re not going to die. It’s not a problem anymore.
The song quickly forms our darkly violent and erotic ambiance…
Yeah, you used to call me baby, now you calling me by name
Takes one to know one, yeah
You beat me at my own damn game
They are now both on this unnatural journey, together…
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
This is what we all want. Partners who take the pill with us and don’t question what it is or what it will do. But as romantic as this is, it’s harmful and not considerate of our supposedly equal partners.
And I'm just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah, you need it
All of the time
Yeah, ooh ooh ooh
But, this film, Dracula (1992) is a power fantasy after all. Its tragic couple is completely in step, dancing like bats fly and darkness creeps. He has bewitched her. They want to live forever. They want to be vampires. Together. At least at first.
He’s going to become young again and stay that way. If she doesn’t want to?
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Out of your life…
They want to be young again. They want to feel alive—they might even feel dead now…if they don’t do it together, they’re not doing it.
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Back in your life…
Back to “Youngblood”, while sweet and touching in the beginning, you can’t help but feel sad for the couple as you see the lines in their face…the tiredness in their eyes, even while they look at each other with love. I’m obsessing over them…
Lately our conversations end like it's the last goodbye
Yeah, one of us gets too drunk and calls about a hundred times
So who you been calling, baby, nobody could take my place
When you're looking at those strangers, hope to God you see my face
I’m jealous of their compassion and their obviously strong bond, but I feel bad for them. They’re elderly and nearing the end of their lives. I turn them into “monsters”. Separate from me and other humans, with more weaknesses and fewer strengths—but this is foolish.
They’re about to become stronger. But only for a moment…
Instantly, without work, they’re young and attractive again…
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Out of your life
We watch them get ready. Put on their expensive outfits, slick his hair, pop their collars, get ready to impress…and seduce…
And I'm just a dead man walking tonight
But you need it, yeah, you need it
All of the time
Yeah, ooh ooh ooh
The outfits (collars, slicked hair, black/elegant clothing, androgyny abound…) of vampires have always been integral to their abilities and how we perceive them.
In darker words, they’re vampires too.
Too scary for you? Check out my other songs here.
They’re going to prowl the streets again…
Youngblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Back in your lifeSo I'm just a dead man crawling tonight
'Cause I need it, yeah, I need it
All of the time
Yeah, ooh ooh ooh
So who you been calling, baby, nobody could take my place
When you're looking at those strangers, hope to God you see my faceYoungblood
Say you want me
Say you want me
Out of your lifeAnd I'm just a dead man walking tonight
He's a little angrier than in the beginning of the song…more raw. More power. More youth and less reservation. Less control. She's still herself. Confused, scared, and new to these powers. His powers. Powers he now radiates. Her partner scares her, but she relies on him for sustenance…
Dracula still wants to feed, especially at night. She feels drained. The sirens are ringing.
You push and you push and I'm pulling away
Pulling away from you
I give and I give and I give and you take, give and you take
He's lost focus on their love and is now obsessed with causing havoc with his crew…his followers…his outfits…his appearance has become more important than anything…
You're running around and I'm running away
Running away from you, from you
He truly believed that he could have it all.
The energy to take the city. Minions who do his bidding. Who follow behind him without question and back them up on their quest. Who take direction from him and do whatever he says…
Sound…
FAMILIAR?
But eventually, just like the song…the movie’s love story turns sour.
The previously natural, primal, and carefree order reverses…so does their love language. It contorts like their minions do. Like their insults twist and gnarl. It infects them.
The blood turns to acid. Problems that were supposed to be discussed are now screamed. The music is slowing down…it's getting weaker…and eventually…
One day, the music stops playing.
Love turns to disdain.
The weapons have come out and she ends the relationship violently…but not because she wants to. Because she has to.
He’s angry. He’s scared. He’s going to die.
But he understands. Life is not a movie. She doesn't want to take the pill. She doesn't want him to bite her.
She doesn't want to live forever.
But he does.
After all, he’s a monster.
I hope that scared you with how good it was.
Or terrified you with its ridiculous premise.
Either way…
Happy Halloween—Thanks, everybody.
Stay safe. Stay tuned for more about this guy…
IN PRODUCTION:
Track #3: “It’s A Small, Small World When You’re A Blackout Drunk” drops on Thursday, 11/10 (unless I need more time!) for subscribers and readers—stay tuned…explore the minor downsides of spending your younger years in theme parks and the major effects of alcohol……set to Lou Bega's “Mambo No.5”
AFTER THAT…
Ed, Taylor, Jim & Pam: For Fans of The Office 🚻 🏆💼…debuts sometime in the next two weeks.
The 21st Century’s original “Will They, Won’t They” couple—Jim Halpert & Pam Beesly.
This project will focus purely on media, tv writing, storytelling, and of course, music from these 4 artists that we all know:
Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Jim & Pam.
Writer's notes:
This piece was, as I mentioned in the beginning, completely unplanned and unexpected. I expect that's how many (shorter) songs might end up being on Audio Issues.
I hope I encapsulated the youthful energy (especially the slick, cool, and sexy delivery) of the song. It's a perfect and superficial pop hit—that’s what I thought made it perfect for this spooky “remix.”
It's also, if you can't tell, very timely and autobiographical. My relationship is ending on the road.
Being “young” is a matter of being happy. And that takes work. Hard work. Sometimes, we want things that our partners don't (or can't) want.
And I'm trying to learn to be ok with that.
I wasn't going to admit all of this when I wrote it…
But Happy Halloween!
I CAME DRESSED AS SOMETHING WEIRD.
An honest person.
Nice to meet you. I was born a little more than two weeks ago. So was this Substack.
I'm ok and so is she.
We're both good people.
My own composition ends with a shorter sentence that I liked, but didn't include:
I'm working on walking around in daylight—she’s already pretty good at it.
Give proper emphasis. Be bold.
Don't reverse the order. Don't die trying to find love.
Don't be mean to people you already love.
Don't forget how amazing the people you used to be close to can be. They will be amazing away from you too.
Or at least try.
Bonus Material:
Gary Oldman is my favorite actor—if he ever reads this…I will lose my sh*t.
Thanks for listening,
DL 🔥