Kenneth Branagh's "Love Too Much"

 

In our reality, this is the video for Keane's "Love Too Much." In the reality I visited last night, Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in his own "Love Too Much" video. In Branagh's version, he appears as a dancing vaudeville performer, wearing a bowler hat, suspenders, brown trousers, and a button-up white shirt. He wields a cane, which he uses throughout the video as a prop as he tries to woo a variety of women on a London street circa 1910 or so; there are horses and carriages, street vendors, and shops housed in red brick buildings. 

While he's had a couple of misses in his career (Aremis Fowl, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, I'm looking at you), Branagh remains one of my favourite artists, and the video he created in my dreams last night suited Keane's song perfectly. 

The more I explore Keane's catalogue, the more I love their focus on humanity, decency, our failings and foibles--and our ability to be better. Unless I'm reading their work wrong, Keane seems to lead with empathy with their music, and I love them for it. They gave me a lovely dream last night, when these days they're mostly nightmares. 

One for Joy, One for Desire, One for Despair

More and more often these days, I'm stricken by dark melancholy. Fortunately, music helps, and for this particular shade of darkness, I play Keane's "Higher than the Sun." The lyrics and melody fan the dying embers of my optimism. 

There's a song to ease your fear; a song to take you far from here; one for joy, one for desire, one for despair

Need a Lift? Go Higher than the Sun

With human civilization approaching collapse, I feel a bit guilty indulging in upbeat art. But sometimes I can't help myself, and I need to indulge the fantasy that we'll somehow pull through <gestures at everything> this. 

"May you go on and on" is my favourite line. It's a lovely sentiment in the context of the song, a sort of "peace and long life" for the non-Trekkies. 
 

Keane Leads with Empathy

 

As I've said in the past, I don't have the knowledge or vocabulary to explain why I like certain pieces of music. All I can say about Keane's "The Way I Feel" is that the percussion makes me want to pretend to play the drums, the keyboards make little flashbulbs of multicoloured light go off in my head, and the guitar (a rarity for Keane in my experience) has me seeing retro, rocket-shaped 1950s starships doing barrel rolls. 

But the lyrics, I get--I hope, anyway. I love how supportive they are--a message of understanding, reassurance, and comfort to someone suffering from some kind of mental illness, low self esteem, or a combination of both. 

The lyrical message is: It's the voices in your head telling you there's something wrong with the way you feel. You're not alone, and I'm here for you. 

It's beautiful, even if by song's end the problem remains. Maybe more beautiful because of that--the support continues no matter what. 

Somewhere Only We Know, Everybody's Changing

 

I stumbled across Keane last year--late to the party as always when it comes to music--and I fell in love with two tracks: "Somewhere Only We Know" and "Everybody's Changing." 

"Everybody's Changing" really resonated with me last year, and that resonance consists. I get the sense that Keane intended the song to be a reflection about how young groups of friends tend to drift apart with age, but in 2025 and 2026, I interpret them in a different way: as a person dying slowly without understanding what's happening. My interpretation appears after each verse. 

You say, you wander your own land
But when I think about it, I don't see how you can 

(The singer doesn't understand what a loved one is trying to tell him) 

You're aching, you're breaking
And I can see the pain in your eyes
Says Everybody's Changing, and I don't know why

(The singer knows their visitor is upset and she doesn't understand why) 

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But Everybody's Changing, and I don't feel the same

(The singer rallies and gets some limited understanding back, fighting for her life and mind) 

You're gone from here
Soon you will disappear, fading into beautiful light
'Cause Everybody's Changing, and I don't feel right

(The singer thinks he's singing about someone leaving and not caring about him, but it's really what's about to happen to him. My favourite verse.) 

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But Everybody's Changing, and I don't feel the same

(She rallies again) 

So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But Everybody's Changing, and I don't feel the same
Oh, Everybody's Changing, and I don't feel the same

(A final rally, and he's gone) 

It's a sad, lovely, mournful song, either way you look at it. 

Here's "Somewhere Only We Know," which makes me think of Leaf Rapids.