Pay Close Attention To Tim McGraw’s New Video, Or You May Miss Something
on Nov 05, 2018 • Updated Apr 06, 2023
Tim’s Most Unique Single To Date
As soon as Tim McGraw started talking about his latest single “Neon Church,” you could tell that it was going to be something entirely new from the country music superstar. Sure enough, once the song was released, it was obvious it was unlike any of McGraw’s other tracks.
While the theme of comparing faith and alcohol is not an unfamiliar one, it’s the sound of “Neon Church” that makes it unique. It opens with organs, but those slowly fade away as the song progresses.
There is also an interesting play on volume, with parts of the song being significantly soft, and other parts blasting you with sound.
A Lyric Video To Match
McGraw kept the uniqueness going with the song’s lyric video. He invited light painter Patrick Rochon to help with the video, and the result was breathtaking.
For those of you who don’t know, light painting is what McGraw describes as using “light as paint and darkness as canvas.” So in the lyric video for “Neon Church” all of the lyrics were “painted” with light against a dark background.
It’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
And A Music Video Too…
As if that was enough, McGraw continued to build on the uniqueness with the release of the official music video for “Neon Church.” Unlike the lyric video, McGraw actually appears in this clip, though he is not the focus of the story.
Instead, the video focuses on four main characters, a drifter, a cop, a shopkeeper, and a preacher. Although they all come from different walks of life, every one of them is fighting their own hardships and is in search of salvation.
The video is so detailed and moves so fast, that if you blink for just a second you may miss an important detail. For example, after the cop comes home following a long day of work, the camera briefly flashes to show his discarded wedding ring resting on the edge of the kitchen sink.
Based on the cop’s somber mood, this tiny clue instantly fills you in on his backstory.
Bring On The Symbolism
Be sure to pay close attention as the video progresses, because more important details may go unnoticed if you look away even for a second.
Toward the end, all four characters end up in a bar, or in other words, the “Neon Church,” in search of something to soothe their souls. Eventually, they all return home, and that’s when the most symbolic part of the video unfolds.
You can interpret this how you will, but as each character makes their way home they remove their clothes to reveal a sprawling set of angel wings. One reading could be that after visiting the bar, they found the “salvation” they were looking for and can now move on.
What do you think it could mean?
One thing’s for certain, McGraw’s music video for “Neon Church” is a true work of art. Be sure to admire it below.
