Understanding Losing My Religion
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2019
- I'm back from vacation, and it's time to talk about REM. Losing My Religion is the song that brought REM into the mainstream, but to my ears at least, it feels like such a non-mainstream song. How was this the piece of music that finally captured the public's attention after a decade and six albums of work? Well, I'm not a critic so I can't say for sure (And honestly critics can't say things like that for sure either.) but I think it's because the song feels timeless: It speaks to emotions we've all felt, and it does it beautifully, with just a few expertly-deployed musical devices. It's a masterclass in the power of simplicity, but there's still some surprises lurking just underneath the surface.
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Also, thanks to Jareth Arnold for proofreading the script to make sure this all makes sense hopefully!
some additional thoughts/corrections:
1) If you're wondering what's up with the intro sequence, I talked about it in the announcement video on my side channel: czcams.com/video/tSenIkc0cR0/video.html
2) Another thing to note about the intro (of the song, not the video) is that there's this rising bass line underneath the A chord that makes the return to F major feel almost like a resolution, again emphasizing that, for that part at least, the song's doing its best to feel like it's in a major key even though it's not.
3) Oh also on that note under the F chord the bass does play D a couple times, which would technically make it Dmi7, but it's subtle and the guitar and mandolin don't change and overall I hear it more as a non-harmonic decoration than a real chord change. If you do want to count it as a real chord it gets a bit trickier to analyze, you'd probably have to start viewing the G as setting up a backdoor resolution with the Dmi7 serving as part of a sort of II-V, but to my ears at least, the whole thing feels too subtle for that analysis.
Tfw I never noticed the intro not being there until it played
There was certainly some audible confusion
But maybe it all the more proves that the movement of the sequence wouldn't bother much, I think?
Have you ever seen the version that was pitch shifted into major?
czcams.com/video/y6KmiIq2-m8/video.html
12tone Thank you for this. I used to believe that the riff has five notes instead of four notes. I guess it was sort of a melodic illusion.
Your Discord link doesn't work for me (could be a personal issue) great vid though.
@gregory brian: It kinda does! Depending on where in the song it's played, they'll often include a pick-up E an 8th-note before it. I left it out of my analysis because it doesn't change much of anything and it doesn't happen on the first statement, so I tend to view it as more an add-on than a proper part of the riff, but it's definitely not wrong to view it as five notes.
"Oh no, I've said too much. I haven't said enough" is one of the best lyrics in any song.
Necron681 or that he spoke too much but said nothing about his real intentions or emotions so basically said nothing but spoke too much
I always took the song as him awkwardly trying to get his conflicted feelings across to someone. Any time he starts to say something really personal, he backs off ("I've said too much") and then feels shame that he stopped short of what he needed to say ("I haven't said enough").
It sounds kind of like the one of the symptoms of anxiety; i.e. a constant battle in one's head of whether they've said too much or not enough in any given social interaction. I have experienced this.
@@mikesimpson3207 I came to the same feeling about that passage as you did, HOWEVER, the many great lyrics are ambiguous enough that they are open to personal interpretation. Those writers are the ones that refuse to explain what they meant, and in the case of REM, I seem to remember that Stipe once said they didn't print the lyrics in the album, because what the listener hears is their own interpretation of the song. At least, that was what I interpreted he was saying; someone else might have understood it differently, and I think I've gone 360 degrees now.
Kind of reminds me of Snow Patrol's line in Chasing Cars.
"Those three words are said too much, but not enough."
I always thought the three words he meant were, "I love you", which is said too much, as it's too often used vapidly and superficially, without any true feeling behind it, but also not said enough, as it's too often neglected where love is felt.
I really want to see a video of REM watching this video and commenting on how many of these things were concious/deliberate vs. how much just came naturally because it sounded right.
"It's almost like the two instruments aren't listening to each other..." Oh that is perfect, it fits so wall with many of the interpretations of the song: two things or beings that aren't listening or in a proper conversation with each other. Whether that be be interpersonal (argument, unrequited love, etc), or intrapersonal (our own inner thoughts, or that of our thoughts and the world not willing to mesh (which would fit the depression interpretation among others)). Well noticed, that really adds a lot to my appreciation of the song. Thank you for your great analysis!
Ah, that's the thing I've been missing all these years. That ties the whole thing together. Thanks for pointing that out.
"That hope it's creating is just a dream"
I see what you did there.
"It's not the end of the world (that's a different REM song)" 😊
I was reading your comment while it was simultaneously said in the video! 😀
That would be why I feel fine.
Eh, feel fine with that
(I actually just did a cover of that song lol)
I always liked the way the bass moves against the mandolin. Mike Mills is great at that sort of thing.
I was in a band that did a cover of Shiny Happy People, I played Mills' bassline note for note, the guitarist used to stop me at a certain point and say "why are you playing that note", my response was that's what Mills plays. I never completely convinced him. Mills is one of the greats, very musical, very melodic.
I like the way you moved the 12 Tone intro to after a brief intro of the song. I think it works well
a compositional choice
+
•
I know you don't usually break down the lyrics, but I find it exceptionally interesting! Especially when you integrate the instrumentation and the lyrics and look at them together to analyze them. I understand the basics of music, but I'm not a musician by any means, so personally, I relate more to the lyrics. Though I still find the actual music break-down fascinating. When you analyze more music with lyrics, I'd personally love to see more of the analysis of the music and lyrics and how they work together to portray a message. Just a thought! Love this song and I loved learning all the musical elements and how they've worked to create a meaning that I never really understood before. Love the video and your channel!
I agree wholeheartedly! I always really liked this song and have played it more times than I could even count, but learning deeper into a song like this makes me appreciate it on such a deeper level that it is now one of my favorites. And that intertwining of music theory and poetry just adds a whole other level of "wow" to a song
I agree…because when you look at the lyrics; it becomes more complex; you have a musical journey of someone’s emotions about someone who loves someone more than they love him…and that’s crazy
i have always seen this song as anxiety and self doubt singing to himself in a mirror. it starts with the first line.
oh life it bigger, bigger that you and you are not me. ( here it he is singing to the self every one sees)
the lengths i would go to, the distance in you eyes.
“Losing my religion” is actually an old southern expression for being at the end of one’s rope, and the moment when politeness gives way to anger.
Good stuff, 12 Tone! Loved it.
Great video as always!
But that Shrek burn though
Time stamp?
@@greatvalue_ethelcain 8:50
Ok 12Tone...show us on the Shrek doll where the mean ogre touched you...
Out of time came out in early 1991, several months before the "grunge explosion", that happened towards the end of the year.
exactly. I found that part of that video pretty imprecise...
Correct. I'll never forget. The summer started with Love Shack and ended with Smells Like Teen Spirit
I wasn't alive during that time, nor am I from USA, but from what I know, grunge started in 89 with Neil Young's album Freedom.
@@razputin7520 that's all kinds of NOPE
@@planepantsgames1791 I did not mean to say that grunge boom occured in 89 with this album, just wanted to point out that grunge was underway 2 years prior to the release of Losing my Religion.
God i love this video.
I believe that it nails so much of the song. "weaponizing simplicity" is such a good way to put it.
The arrangement, chord progression and structure of this are a re-tread of "Swan Swan H" from Lifes Rich Pageant (a song that was specifically meant to invoke a Civil War-era folk song (as told by a captured prisoner... or perhaps a a corpse). It's hard for me to hear this song without thinking of that one, which is pretty grim.
"doing its same pentatonic-y thing" is now my favourite quote from your videos
David Byrne’s vocals = anxiety
Michael Stipe’s vocals = depression
Not always. There has always been a blend of happy and sad to Stipe's voice. All depends on the song. Listen to Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, he even laughs in the song because he keeps fucking up Dr. Seuss, he always says it so it sounds like Zeus, and it made him giggle. He brings the gravitas that every song requires.
I love all of the subtle and some of the not so subtle references to the song in particular and other videos here- when you go into the lyrics and their interpretations it's absolutely wonderful too!
I think you did a great job relating the lyrics and what's happening musically. Just like when you said the notes in "Message in a Bottle" never go "home"
Bravo!
Stipes had me with "That's me in the corner..." I've never been diagnosed depressive, but believe me, I've been in that corner.
Loved this one. Do please talk about he lyrics more. Without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing. And would you please do The Night, by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons? Four chords (sort of), but *man* there is something else going on there!
I felt the urge to disagree with your sentence "without the lyrics, half the meaning of the music is missing". ^^
In my opinion a good song is where the lyrics equally support the message of the tune, not vice versa. In many, many cases I believe that the lyrics are what follows after the music.
I kinda feel sad when people put too much effort on lyrics and don't realize the effects and atmosphere the music itself is carrying already!
Anyway, I agree on the quality of this analysis of lyrics ;)
First; I was talking about GOOD songs. A bit of disco-rubbish with "Love ya Baby" as it's only lyric - well, that doesn't need Ira Gershwin or Paul McCartney. But for a real song, yes, the lyrics *should* equally support the tune. Otherwise, it might as well be an instrumental.
Isn't that what I said?
@@alanbarnett718 Well, maybe I just misunderstood you there - it just sounded a little uncomfortable to give lyrics half of the meaning of the tune. I think my point then is, that it's less than 50%, but that might also be just me as a musician hoping to have a bigger impact to the overall message of a tune.
@@miqla I think it depends on the song. R.E.M. always wrote the whole song together before they started on anything else especially during this time period. So that makes their lyrics more intertwined to me.
Goodness as a massive R.E.M. fan. I am thoroughly impressed by this. It won tons of awards. Guitarist Peter Buck came up with the idea to switch his Rickenbacker for a mandolin. Totally not popular even for "Alternative" music at the time. You're close about the meaning behind the lyrics. "Losing my Religion" is a southern metaphor for losing a love to the point where your religious beliefs are questioned.
I was going through this song in my head yesterday and it struck me that none of the lyrics rhyme. I didn't notice before because of how they work with the song so well.
There's some slant-rhyme stuff going on "I said too *much*, I haven't said *enough*" but yeah, it's not a very rhyme-y song.
I love it when you discuss lyrics on songs I play. The connection between lyrics and harmony are why I learn most songs I play
When you analyse a song that i don't know i always go listen to it first. And like the metalhead addicted to tech death that i am, i didn't knew anything from REM.
I am glad i did listen to it, it is a very nice song. And your analysis of it is very interesting.
The song that propelled R.E.M. into the spotlight was "The One I Love" from Document, two whole albums before Out of Time.
I knew that song, but ignored the hype surrounding them until "Losing My Religion." Being a completist, I went backwards into their catalog, and found that they had actually peaked a few albums before. "Fall on Me" amazes me still.
I've always loved this song. When I learned to play the mandolin, I realized this was the song that everyone learns when they are starting out. I'd never attempted to think of the song deeply like this and now, my eyes are opened to what it's doing and I love it even more. Wow.
I love R.E.M. but never really cared for Losing My Religion in particular (the opposite of another comment I've seen), and this video gives me a new appreciation for it. Great work!
If you ever decide to tackle more R.E.M. songs, that'd be awesome.
REM is an Amazing band, go listen to all of their albums, especially their early records
Darn yes, so good. Don't ever miss Chronic Town
Orange Crush fuckin slaps
Many years ago I was at a clinic at Berklee with Dicky Betts from the Bosstones. He recalled that in 1991 after Nirvana released Smells Like Teen Spirit, their label was so confused that they looked at their stable and dropped everyone but then and the Scorpions. That was in the fall. Losing my religion came out in February and the summer charts were dominated with Salt n Pepa and KLFs cross over hits “let’s talk about sex” and 3 am eternal, respectively. It’s easy to forget that when Nevermind came out, Nirvana was on tour as the opening act for Sonic Youth, and they’d played shows the previous year with way out their art punk bands like Sun City Girls and Nomeansno. 1991 was a weird year.
It’s also notable how the song makes you wait. I heard it in the car the day before yesterday I was waiting for the climactic part I remember. The song went “I think I thought I heard your try.” And then “nope, we’re going back to the verses.” And then it does it again. The lyric I was waiting for “that was just a dream”
Came in as part of the bridge and then it came in again… at the end. It’s the end of the song! Not even the chorus! Yet that’s the part I remember. Probably the ultimate example of a song that makes you wait.
This was my first impression of the song too, before I really knew it, I thought of it as "that REM song that just kinda goes on and on" (which is what caught my interest). The chord progressions feel very repetitive, the chorus doesn't distinguish itself very strongly from the verse and overall the lyrical hooks feel kind of buried, like you said the first "I think I thought I ..." feels like it's heading somewhere bigger, to a higher intensity, but this time energy dissipates and it falls back into verse 2, and you have to wait... when it comes again it subverts itself again even more strongly by leading into "that was just a dream" but all the instrumentation has dropped away (the bridge), he sings the line twice but it's just a preview because then it jumps back to the pre-chorus "that's me in the corner ... losing my religion". Only at the end of the song does the "that was just a dream" part finally resolve the tension of the whole song. Also the song title sitting in a sort of rhythmically unaccented 3rd line of the pre-chorus, feels like sort of a red herring for the song's hook, which for me added to the "goes on and on" feeling of the song.
I also hadn't noticed all the vocals are constrained to a fourth interval but that definitely contributes too to that feeling of lack of motion, which instead of being boring actually adds a current of tension to the whole thing.
Thank you for making this video. Losing My Religion is one of my favourite songs of all time and is one of those rare songs in which my family's and my musical taste come together... I think that says a lot about the song itself...
Always talk about lyrics! And definitely melody/vocals! I feel like lyrics are often underrated, and sometimes they're nonsense, but REM feels like a band whose lyrics matter. I think the lyrics and the music often tie in on a more subconscious level, and then hearing someone verbalize a connection that the person had previously just felt can be an amazing little "wow, neat" moment, as with your analysis of the lyrics here.
I love how you talked about the range of the melody. That fact has stuck out at me for ... decades. I dig your analysis of it and I really appreciate your emotional takeaway relating to depression, which is relevant for me now. I love bringing one's own personal connection/response to the song as part of the analysis, rather than trying to be impartial.
I absolutely agree! MORE LYRICS PLEASE!!!
I was about 10 when I first heard this back in '92. I knew, without ever having fallen in love before, that this was what it was gonna be like for me. unfortunately, i was right. What a song. Not even a huge REM fan, but boy...what a song.
"You shouldn't try to find the key, you're wasting time...'Sitting still'? I can hear you...can you hear me?"
--R.E.M., slightly paraphrased
👍😉
That bit about the lyrics and the melody is interesting because the band have always said that Mike, Peter and Bill would always compose the music first and then Michael would add the vocals later, so those probably weren't initially intended, it's really Michael that was able to capture the "mood" of the music and bring everything together with his vocals and lyrics, which makes you appreciate his role in the band even more.
I've always loved this song, and although I've watched this video the day it was released if often come back to it as your explanation so wonderfully puts in words this feeling of safety yet discomfort that this song puts in me
Harsh but accurate Shrek burn
Just to clarify it is just one mandolin part, it is played on two strings, one is the high E string which is just always playing the E note (a "drone" string) and the other notes are just a walk-down on the second string. You sort of implied that it's two parts e.g. overdubbed but it's not. I think a lot of the mandolin parts aren't intentionally a certain way but dictated more by the fact that Peter Buck was just noodling on the mandolin and came up with a couple of riffs and they used them, he's not exactly a virtuoso mandolin player but it works for the song obviously
That's a fair point: I didn't mean to imply that they were two separate tracks, just two separate melodies, but I can certainly see how the way I worded it would make that unclear. Thanks for clarifying!
A new one of my favorite videos on this channel
I fully agree with what you said about the message and meaning to the song. It really hit home... perhaps a little too well lol.
Also loved the illustrations in this video!
My alternative name for this song is "hookup attempt at a mental hospital"
The original music video definitely backs that up.
ROFL! 🤣 😂 😅
Awesome stuff. You always do loads of great harmonic analysis but I'm often left hungry for melodic analysis - was nice to have some of it here. Very excited by the idea of a podcast.
Fantastic analysis! Thanks!
you put amazing effort in this, great video, keep it up :D
As a huge R.E.M. fan, I really appreciate this. Much thanks.
I have no idea about music or about your channel but I love the song and the way you’re drawing with everything you say it makes me really understand what you’re saying
Love this song, love your work analyzing it.
I recently read that the term "losing my religion" is a colloquial way of saying about to lose one's temper, so I guess the song's about someone barely keeping hold of their rage and anger. Thanks for the analysis - great vid, as always.
This is the most epic thing I have ever seen on CZcams, like ever! Wow! 😲
Welcome back. You were missed. Terrific clip.
The timing of this song’s success seems a little less strange if you listen to the rhythm of the mandolin part - it is a rock guitar classic but in mandolin form. The way it punches insistently while moving between hitting on the beats of the bar and hitting off beat is an evolved example of rock guitar writing a la The Stones or The Who - all the more fresh and new because being on mandolin forces it into new shapes. Months later Nirvana repeated the same trick when Teen Spirit took a less sophisticated rhythm (Louie Louie) and transformed it using a Boss overdrive pedal and a modified Fender Jaguar. I guess in the summer of ‘91 the market was ready for a new spin on the old ideas.
Wow, best one yet. I've been playing this song live for decades and still learned from this. Including the bass in the sequenced bits is great, the bass is the secret weapon of this tune. That third page about the vocals just slew me, well done
There's an oral history article about this song, where Mike Mills describes his trial-and-error in creating the perfect bassline for this song. What's funny is that the band members repeatedly cited Fleetwood Mac as an inspiration for this song. In fact, they cite Fleetwood Mac as an influence far more than I've ever heard them cite the Byrds!
@@DeflatingAtheism Got a link?
Just...... WOW!!!!! AMAZING video!!!!
Talk about a breakdown.
the whole re-using the intro reminded me of the Woodie Guthrie quote, "anyone who uses more than two chords is just showing off"
Fun fact: this was, I believe, only the second song to chart at number one to feature a mandolin. The first was Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart, which... is an interesting pairing.
I love this song and this vid is great! My favourite of their songs is World Leader Pretend. Also one of the first songs I ever learned to play on acoustic guitar!
I identify so much with this song. It's like every time I try to lift myself out of depression, every time I feel hopeful, things fall apart and drag me back down.
I never knew any of this stuff but you make it seem so intuitive... Like the emotions associated with the tone, not music, I've never understood and of it.
Very cool. Thanks for this.
Well done as usual
The balance is teetering left and right, he is about to make a decision and time is ticking away. Differently colored chords are just his attempts to see the same problem from different angles and figure out what he was missing that would allow him to resolve once and for all. But he can’t find it.
Hey.You really know what you're talking about,not just another "music prof".NICE JOB.You are great and music knowledge is super.CONGRATS.Ciao from sLOVEnia
Great as always! Would love to see an "Understanding Karma Police" vid!
Great tune.....timeless, and on all my playlists
That Shreck reference was just perfect
so.... Stipe has said in an interview that the song is about unrequited love, interesting that you got depression out of it... Nick Cave said that once a song is released, it's not the artist's any more, it belongs to the listener... (his quote was in the context of trying to justify still liking the music of an artist who turns out to be an asshole, like Morrissey or michael jackson)
i love watching your videos and Rick Beato's videos because i don't have a musical bone in my body, but the progressions and tones and how they're structured fascinates me... i would LOVE to hear like... Peter Buck or Stipe respond to this video though.... was it a conscious decision to mix the major and minor keys to get that feeling, or was buck just noodling and it sounded right....
i'm a photographer and have studied and know the rules, and when to break the rules, and i have an eye for it...
i see a lot of people who struggle with photography, and then some people (have an eye) and just know what looks good. how much of these great songs are conscious decisions and how much just sounds good....
is more analysis going into it after the fact, than went into it in the beginning....
That's interesting! In that context... I feel like it means compromising yourself, your integrity and your values, for someone else. Trying to maintain the illusion of having the upper hand despite being the one who's in a vulnerable position.
I seem to recall that the specific phrase "losing my religion" was used by Stipe's family to mean "losing my mind", so it all fits together for me. It's a song about losing your mind over unrequited love, which is definitely depressing.
Beautiful analysis. Music is an extension of poetry, after all.
I only vaguely understand what you're talking about but I love seeing all of this depth hiding in the music. Also, it makes me wonder how much of this is conscious decision from the artist or just "that sounds good", especially with a band like rem, (the greatest) who deal in stream of consciousness and moving into new music world's but also have a crazy understanding of what came before
A descending cascade works better for me but you are movin' pretty fast! I'm impressed with your analysis. This is my first view of one of your videos. Thanks, I'll have another.
His vocals are such that he's almost talking to us, as if he's drained of energy and it's all he can muster.
I just loved it!
I've noticed one thing I've subconsciously loved about your videos, you talk about the songs doing these things and telling these stories and not the artists. The idea of the artists writing like "F will be a glimmer of hope then Am comes and shuts it down" is kinda ridiculous at times and I'm glad that you put that responsibility on the song itself. A song is its own entity which tells its own story and I'm glad to see someone recognize that
I remember the first time i heard this song on the radio. I had never heard anything like this. I still don't know any other mainstream song on a mandolin. While it is not my favourite REM song i can really understand why it became such a classic. Once you have heard this mandolin riff or the outro with the "just a dream" part you can never forget this song
Also, video idea! I think both you and Vihart working together could make something really cool in a bunch of different ways.
Fantastic video
"''Out Of Time' propelled them into the spotlight"
A-haaaaaaaaaa
I actually just heard Live do a cover of this last night in concert, so the timing is perfect. :D
You're talking about my favorite song of all time here.
Sublime song, excellent analysis.
Listening to the opening’s pieces in isolation, it strikes me now how much it sounds like one of my other favorites from the album, Half a World Away
For a second I thought you were going to analyze Graveworm's cover. Loved the video.
This is amazing and I want to be able to do this - and I don't mean the drawings, although they are just as cool.
This page makes you appreciate music
As a mandolinist, your mandolin soundfont playing an octave lower than the notes you wrote drove me nuts, lol.
Loved the Shrek reference! 😅
Awesome video, as always. Thank you!
My dad calls this song the photo book song “that’s me in the corner”...”that’s me in the spotlight” as a joke, but when you said that it’s like the instruments aren’t even listening to each other, like the guitar is harmonizing to a melody that no one is playing. I’ve always associated really strong imagery with this song, in some sort of bar setting, maybe it’s because of the guitar? He’s performing to the crowd, or sometimes people who don’t care, but it’s not him who’s “there” everyone is distracted by something somewhere else. It’s difficult to explain, but I imagine a kind of overlap of different times(mainly like an affect that memory or dream has). I’m probably a little over imaginative, but the guitar goes with what I think of when I hear this song
I don't know a thing about music theory,but I love this dude's videos.
A small correction for the part at 8:09: When the vocals come back, the chords actually alternate between C and D7, so the 3rd and 4th riff notes become the minor 7th and the 5th in D7.
And when you take the totality of that analysis and add in what “most people” would relate to, and take from the perspective…the song is about un requited love…you get a roller coaster of a story…it’s art.
That subtle shrek joke was a masterpiece. You earned a subscribe for that.
I don't know why youtube decided to show me this video/channel, but I'm really pleased that it did.
I would love it if you talked about lyrics and the meanings of songs more, I feel like it added so much to this analysis and would work really well with other songs.
Fantastic
This always struck me as a song that could have been written and performed (at least the vocals, mandolin, and guitar) from a lying down, or reclined position. Like, the vocals aren't particularly out of comfortable range, and there's not much in the way of leaps. The strings aren't doing anything nuts. Beautiful phrases and runs, yes. But simple and low energy. Just... the image I always get is someone idly strumming/picking the mandolin, and singing simply over it while lying back. Almost like the music is all they can manage to put their low energy into, but it's also the thing keeping them awake and going.
A lot of that definitely comes from my own experience with depression, but I definitely think it's fitting.
this is f&^&ing awesome
Obviously your graphics are great, but this entire video was really enjoyable.
Thank you.
Sub'd.
Yes!!!
oh jeez my god SLOW DOWN YOU MANIAC haha, the content's insanely interesting but I can't keep up with your speedy delivery! :D
I agree; I’ve always thought the song was about depression. Which is weird, because “losing my religion” means you’ve lost your ability to act civil. Usually it means you’re really angry
Stipe has stated the the phrase "Losing my religion" means to lose one's temper. The song appears to be about the empty feeling you get after you lose your temper and look back at what you said and did. So I am not sure it's about depression as much as is regret. Though regret can lead down that path too...
The song is about unrequited love and dealing with the emotion of not getting back what you give, or even knowing that the person knows you exist. I can completely see how people get depression out of that scenario. R.E.M talk about it here czcams.com/video/Qd9r7sd-Ueg/video.html
HE'S BACK BOIS!