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Writer's pictureSteven Grace

Music Video analysis: George Harrison -Got My Mind Set On You Version II (Gary Weis, 1987)

Updated: Feb 24, 2023



The music video for George Harrison's cover of James Ray's Got My Mind Set On You released in October of 1987, receiving significant playback on MTV. The music video is very performance based but also has few conventions that of a narrative video. The performance conventions of the music video have been used throughout to build up a representation of the artist. It is clear that the video has been made for laughs and isn't something that should be taken seriously, as the rooms furniture and taxidermy where the musician is seen performing including a grandfather clock, and the mounted heads of a moose and a warthog liven up animatronic like and start performing along to the song, telling us this is someone who we can find enjoyment out of and possibly relatability because of this shared sense of humour. The décor can also be seen performing on time to the uplifting beat, another simple yet thought out convention that has been used here. As well as this, George Harrison himself is clearly seen smirking and laughing along when he isn't lip syncing to the song (another convention), made clear through the CU shots. These shots also builds a connection between the musician and the audience, as the eye contact as he sings to the audience creates a closer bond between the two.

The music video itself is also a showcase of skills that the musician can demonstrate. Whilst it is obvious with the jump cut that the musician isn't completing the backflip, the dancing skills immediately afterwards are performed by him, revealing his performance abilities that isn't just singing.




When referring to ideology and themes of the music video, I would argue this isn't very complex, and just like the repetition of the chorus rather it is something minimalistic but still universal and relatable as it's about how expressive the devotion and affiliation we have for someone can be, and has been editied together to tell a story itself. This is seen through many technical codes but also many visual. For instance, the use of the CU shot of George Harrison performing maintains a one way focus between him and the audience, which I would argue conforms to the title of the track as it creates the impression that we the audience are the individuals he is singing about, and just like the performance conventions, this too strengthens the relationship between the two. There are also visual codes that support my argument, most notably with the nascent décor of the study and the dance sequence. These may initially raise enigma codes since they come out of nowhere, but again I would argue they are here to visually represent the devoutness he has for his subject. Considering the music video begins very formulaic, as we are introduced to the performer and he just sits down, these enigma codes allow the audience to become invested/engaged into the video and share this whimsical sense of humour that is being expressed, which is why I would argue there are no action codes to move the story along, because it isn't supposed to make sense and just be obsessed with the visuals, just like the themes of "obsession" of the song itself.


















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1 Comment


Unknown member
Feb 24, 2023

I agree with the points of ideology and overall I think you have wrote a great analysis of a great music video.

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