Two boys are seen growing up in this Cold War Kids video, sharing every experience and forming bonds that should have lasted a lifetime. They got in trouble together, went hunting together. They even had the same tattoo — 1948, presumably the year depicted in the scene — inscribed on their wrists. Unfortunately, they also shared the same interest in a certain girl, thus leading to a falling out that culminates years later in a bloody boxing match that may or may not be metaphorical. As with the ambiguous lyrics of the song — singer Nathan Willetts seems to thrive on placing non sequitur references to "Italian opera" and "fish and chips" in the midst of a vague narative about being in a hospital ward — director Jay Martin maintains a lot of mystery in the clip, purposefully leaving out gaps and placing unexplained clues that could have possibly enabled you to piece the full story together. And speaking of non sequiturs, the boxing motif and the Cold War reference in the band name reminded me of the Frankie Goes To Hollywood "Two Tribes" video. --> watch "Hospital Beds"
Cold War Kids "Hospital Beds" (Downtown)
Jay Martin, director | Michelle Faucheux, producer | DNA, production co | Simon Thirlaway, DP | Jennifer Dean, editor
