FTBR 2006: The Dresden Dolls Present "Half Jack"

[sc0tt5b0x3r5]

The video you did for this is simply amazing... I can't help but believe the Dresden Dolls would be proud... <3

[MyGrave666]

this is a brilliant video. You should be proud of the work put into it.

Am sharing it on my facebook for my friends to see. 100,000,000,000 thumbs up

[LucienLeSoleil]

A remarkable amount of fan-made Dresden Dolls videos is of very good quality and this video is one of the best among them. I hope there will be more where this came from ;-)

[redemption101caleb]

o.0

I'm not sure what I just watched, but I loved it!

[desmodopus]

goosebumps for your brilliance.

[SirSlenderMan]

I want that "Jack" costume....

[MrTigersShadow]

Fantastic!!!

[yaoibumblebee]

She's said the song is about her father and how he left when she was young and it left an emotional scar (the stitches), but she can't seem to get away from him (blood is thicker) and she hates him for leaving, and rejects his place in her life, trying to chase him even from her DNA (run, jack, run). "before the pills could take it away" and "corrective surgery gone wrong" are possibly in reference to birth control and a vasectomy respectively.

[nihilistgum]

amanda palmer would be fucking proud.

[ViolantaLuna]

woooooooooooooow love you

[imajugglette4life]

This is about her father? When I first heard the song I thought it was about a sex change I was wayyyyy off lol

[TheWhatevericanfind]

@imajugglette4life

well, her dads name is jack, and her moms is karen or somthing, she just put jill and jack together. its not about her hating her father, she was just pointing out that half of her was jack, but "half karen and half jack" dosnt have the same ring. its actually kinda about a hermafodite (spelled that COMPLETELY wrong..) that is half man and half woman, they tried to fix it at birth, but there are still stiches and she has half of jack in her, so your not so far off

[eribell]

@imajugglette4life ha i thought it was about a hermaphrodite

[GamerAmzadal]

Stunning!!

[lysergicgirll]

this song is so amazingg. she goes into the complexity of her relationship with her father so much. this really hits home hard to me. fuckk.

[imajugglette4life]

love the song and video

[lustrzanaswinia]

this music is so awesome it almost chokes me

[Bnsmith93]

very intresting group, I like this song

[imajugglette4life]

i thought this was the offical video O_o

[V00111111]

Greatest video ever! I love it!

[TheHopegiver]

Fantastic!!! Echoing what others have said, this could have been the official video, superbly done!!!!!!!!!

[themidnightzone]

This is such a beautiful video.

If I hadn't read the comments I would have certainly thought that this was the official video. Very well done. It looks very professional.

Also, the girl with the striped socks looks so sweet and kissable...

[LadyRemarkable]

wow. very well done. *____*

[lzcdf]

why did you lower the background vioce? you ruined the song.

[mortalxmelody]

Love this band!  Going to see them here in Chicago in November!

[porraprima]

i lol'd.

[trotskyicepick]

All kinds of awesome!

[MTheoryFreak]

I am in love with Amanda!

[Voguer92]

Love this song...as if I didn't notice the 120 days of sodom book lol

[OceanicCactus]

This is probably my favorite Dresden Dolls song. I've watched this video MANY times, and I share it with EVERYONE. It's perfect; You did a wonderful job! Thank you!

[Kibblesmith]

Thanks!

[murishal]

Great video Kibblesmith!

[moirystoirm]

beautiful video

[Iostatsea]

this isn't the official video? wow, I've seen it dozens of times and I always thought it was. wonderfully done.

[Kibblesmith]

@Iostatsea Wow, thank you. It's not the official video, it was made for a traveling film festival that included fan-work. Have you seen it elsewhere besides here?

[marlbere]

@Iostatsea

this is the official video dont let anyone tell you other wise

[oceanblue267]

oh man i loveeee corset piercings!!! <3 such a great video!

[ashlynapathy1]

whatever the story behind the lyrics is...we all agree that this is a great song right?

[captainjackie]

And what about the part that says "half corrective surgery gone wrong"? That's the part that made me think it's about hermaphroditism or trangenderism...

[captainjackie]

I always thought about this song as being about hermaphroditism haha... but reading the comments here I see other interesting interpretation.

[miazaki65]

i believe that she is refering to the male half of her as jack, who has their own personality, but at the end she asks him to run, so she secretly loves and needs him, but she is trying to rid herself of him, because he just brings more bad than good

[punisa]

wtf was that? Cool video though ;D

[amazingsierra]

I'm pretty sure it's about her father or someone who abused her, but I've also always thought it could be about multiple personality disorder. When you consider lines like, "I'm not big enough to house this crowd," and, "before they had these pills to take it back," it would make sense.

[throwingspiders]

While your theories are all...interesting, it's about the duality of self, of being the child of a father who has hurt/betrayed you in some way, and realizing that they are literally a part of you and that is unchangeable It's about trying to outrun yourself, who you reall yare.

[mamihlapinatapei2010]

does one have to have been molested to make music this awesome?

[RolandTheButcher]

damn. that's right. it's about her father.

And about get raped. :o

[XxVamireXprincessxX]

i want tht jack outfit!

[iloveronaldjenkees]

multiple personality.

[yehuda86]

Isn't it great that we all have different interpretations of the song? :)

[NykylaiHellray]

=/....Ok it might have been written about a father. But still it can be easily read as somthing about being transgendered.

[InesAidos]

Great video, I think it really suits the amazing song of the dolls!

[Juleundboris]

just amazing

[CriminalCandyscum]

I will always love this vid. I've been watching it from time to time ever since it was posted and I'm always amazed by it <3

It's so fucking amazing and the song is just...love it.

[beccaislikewhoa]

Awesome. This song is great!

[martynintendo]

*_*

[Rexthirteen]

this is incredibly awesome

[Auswandererin]

An awesome video for an awesome song.

[musiclover609]

VERY good song and video. I noticed at 5:34 the book 120 Days of Sodom (and other writings). I thought this strange because I just recently heard of the DD (and I LOVE THEM), and I just saw that movie The 120 Days of Sodom. Awesome!

[InesAidos]

What is it about?

[musiclover609]

Its really strange...its complicated, but its about like, how people can get used to humilation and suffering kind of, how people can cope with the worst things imaginable...alot about WWII also...you'd just have to see it. Its sick.

[NykylaiHellray]

I believe its about being transgendered

[VampireWolfess]

It's about her father. She can't change the fact that she's his daughter even if she wants to.

[stineisrad]

This.

It's not about being transgendered, people.

[runningwithsckizzors]

that was an awesome video thanks so much for making it

[MostBoringPersonEver]

I've seen this video so many times but I still cringe when she tries to cut the ribbon off her wrist! I love this video it really suits the song!

[Kibblesmith]

Wow, thank you.

[fourfootwonder]

i love this song it reminds me of me

[gulfcoastanthem]

Very well done, I loved it! Great song.

[MorphinaMuffin]

This video is absolutely creepy, but it fits the lyrics very well! and I really love the ambiguity of the song, imho that only increses its intensity and awesomeness :D

[ale3thethreat]

GREAT

[deliabookworm]

Ohmigosh that is an effing creepy video. I love it though.

[cedricthecentaur]

Rasputina:) I love dark cabaret!

[EmoXgirlX09]

ilove this so much!!!!

this song is addictive

[MurderdollsDevil]

This vid is so cool! Very creative

[StygianHues]

its a girl her name is Amanda

[peaceandparty]

its ok to question.

i think its a good idea to google third gender and also intersex,trans comes into it many times but in my controversial opinion the underlying root issue is middlesexedness that is natural----but sure who am i to talk-not like my videos are about this subject...lol.....not like i am xxy chromosomes and would understand the feelings of the writer of the lyrics!(sarcasm...lol)i am happy you asked,pity you got rated down for asking!

[Willenscrawl229]

Holy Flying Fuck; what the hell was that all about...? That video is freaking creepy!

Good, but creepy...

[rowr4life]

the story is about the girl that is singing i, amanda. her dad, jack, left her family when she was young. the song is about her trying to find her true identity. half jack. means she is half of her daughter. but she sings about blood being thicker than water, meaning even though she doesn't relate to her father, he is still a part of her/

[peaceandparty]

as with all art.

people can look at paintings and get different meanings!

as i commented before-check out intersex/third gender and true hermaphrodites and you may see a different angle.

then come to my channel and tell me if i am male female or another sex yet to be recognised and accepted as being both of the supposed two sexes and genders

[FauveAngelique]

imo it's about hating the fact that she is partly derived from her father

[Vanya46]

it says on the website it's about her fathet

[MissDumont]

I think she intended this song to be open to interpretation.

[PianoWist]

OMG!!! I love Amanda and his music.... u.ù

[PanoplyCabaret]

the song itself is about amanda's relationship with her father

[GingerJessika]

Its about amanda [the singer] hating her father. Shes half jill [her mother] and half half jack [her father] Get it?

[gypsyrain13]

It's about being born into the wrong body. In this case a male in a females body. "it's half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong you'll notice something funny if you hang around here for too long ago in some black hole before they had these pills to take it back i'm half jill and half jack" "i'm halfway home now half hoping for a showdown cause i'm not big enough to house this crowd it might destroy me but i'd sacrifice my body if it meant i'd get the jack part out"

[alienmuffin]

@gypsyrain13

That's the interpretation I agree with most. The suicide rates for transgendered people are much higher than the average, and this is something troubling me greatly because my ex-girlfriend whom I still love is trans and suicidal (she still loves me too, but she's not in a condition to be dating anyone). She had to move away to live with her mother, and all I can do is tell her how beautiful she is and how much I miss her. She looks a lot like the woman in the video, too...

[gypsyrain13]

@alienmuffin

I feel for you and your girlfriend. I hope she finds her peace. It's a hard road. She is indeed a beautiful person and very brave.

As far as the song, I believe she intended it to be left open to interpretation. So the song could appeal to a wider group of people.

[alienmuffin]

@gypsyrain13

Thank you. And of course. Art is for everyone to find what they will, though it is possible to go far off the mark (for example if someone claimed this song was about the French Revolution, it would seem unlikely). Your interpretation is perfectly valid.

[alienmuffin]

@gypsyrain13

Though I actually think it's female in male's body whose had some hormone treatments but was unable to have the operation - since she wants to get the "jack part out", making me think of male anatomy that won't GO AWAY.

[Dixonoia]

@GingerJessika What about the lyric "Its half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong" though? :/

[TheWhatevericanfind]

@Dixonoia

the answer to this question is explained in my reply to @imajugglette4life .

[Valdroth]

It's about an intersexed girl wanting to only be a girl. Jack is the man in red. Jill is the girl in the black dress. Both are the girl in the tub.

[ilovefluffysheep]

it's about this girl who takes medication or some thing and doesn't feel to good because the thing on her wrist (part of jack) is with her. then jack is made by the girl in the black dress. he goes through that box and tries to posses that girl in the bathroom, then the girl gets the scissros from the girl in the black and gets in the bath and tries to "get the jack part out." but jack sees this and tries to get the girl in the black dress, beause she gave her the scissors, but she kills him !!

[CriminalCandyscum]

I've always loved this vid, but I don't think I ever told you that :'o

Just so beautiful <3

This song...so perfect and you vid is amazing <3

thanks <3

[ohhmyynyaa]

I love this video but I can't grasp it's concept entirely.

Anyone care to explain?

[bleakXautumn]

i dont' reallt know what it's about either...

[Avissimus]

Love this kind of music piano and drums and such a beatiful voice *.*

just stunned

[filmart82]

The Dresden Dolls good music & intersting video

[kissesofapproval]

"I run as fast as I can run, but Jack comes tumbling after!"

Awesome.

[ShadowInTheDawn]

I seems that this version of the song goes slower than the song without the video. Are there different versions?

[kissesofapproval]

It does go slower, doesn't it? I think the other version might be a live one...

[TalkingAboutNothing]

The version used in this video is the actual studio version.

[lintu8]

AMAZING!!!!

[Addicted0oo]

I only just found out about them today, love them allready.

[legacyofsarah]

Excellent !!!

[madgithago]

that was AMAZING!

[camporosso]

sono contento che è tornato l'audio...

video strepitoso

[maiximillionFTW]

it makes me sad. no likey the cord on the wrist thing, kinda killed my favorite song there

[levybozo]

good

[ssjPedz]

audio disabled?! WTF?!

[Kibblesmith]

Sorry, I don't have any control over that. I had the band's permission to make the video, and it appeared in their film festival, but the label probably intervened, and I don't have any way of communication with anyone involved at this point.

I'm sure you can find the song elsewhere, or the CD for relatively cheap.

[bleakXautumn]

wow. fantastic!

[jjlieb]

Wow! I kinda had some doubts to begin with, but this is impressive. Very nice interpretation! The symbolism is stunning.

[xxxlondynxxx]

I dont get it lol

the video makes no sence at all

[ROXIO7]

Amazingly, beautifully, perfectly gorgeous :)

[camporosso]

Uno dei video più belli che abbia mai visto...

[Surutar]

Ommmm This is wonderful!!

[violetpair]

Awesome!

[Sonakaru]

This is amazing!

I think you really captured the essence of the song.

[epistrophy19]

i agree

[Lyco499499]

Wow, utter wow.

[notatyrant]

this is way, way too good for words. i don't even know how to deal with it. i'm going to watch it again now and be jealous.

[Kibblesmith]

Wow, thanks.

Meanwhile, I'm going to check out the Jeffrey Lewis videos in your favorites.

[Missyeru]

I can't get over how amazing this video is!

[Kokezaru]

<33

[steffdings]

Fantastic!I am speechless

[MongySpongy]

This video is ace!

[Griindel]

seriously, amazing.

[jejojuja]

spoczko

[kissesofapproval]

This song is seriously awesome!

[DeadLuwave]

This is fantastic!

[jibberandtwitch]

this is great, I wasn't too sure what to expect from this before and it was good to see a video that does the song justice.

[rapemerapemeagain]

this girl has a big nose AND it makes me feel betta, coz so have i.. it proves me dat we aint worse..

beautiful song by the way.

[Dibbyskye]

big noses are sexy. the girl is hot. Great fucking song...have loved it for a long time

[radicalrainbowofdoom]

beautiful. amanda and brian are truly artists. and this video just adds to the amazing song.

[Ravnegenta]

Awesome.

[shiguresbadgrl]

O_O that was awesome.

[xFutureSailorx]

that was so absolutely amazing

[alotofcheese76]

thats cool.

[missxmechanical]

wow, that was brilliant! :D

[xxria92xx]

insanely amazing.

[lelekalfalfa]

perfect! video fits song. Really dark and mystery

[susanne1310]

on topic,

I love the video!!

(L) *kisses you mad*

[susanne1310]

In the 'Companion' Amanda says its about how her father, whom she lost contact with and never realy felt connected to, sicnce her parents (Kathy & Jack) divorced when she was only one year old. Then in college she started thinking about how Jack had created half of her and started blaming him for the way she was.

She never ment to write this song. In her own words; "It just popped out of my head-womb *Splash* Its a girl! Or a boy. Or a whatever."

IMO, It's all about how a song makes YOU feel

[Nostii7]

I fucking love amandaaaa like seriously.

But thanks for putting this up. I never can find any explanations for the songs she writes.

[cpdavngr]

Same here, but the stuff I do find seem to be quotes or info from the companion. I think I'll havta pick that up... :)

[ohhmyynyaa]

Wow. Very amaazing. I loved this! It was beautifully made. :3

[camiflauged]

Not many videos like this keep me captivated the entire time.. this one did, and I'm so glad -

It was great.

[somerandom128]

its about her relationship with her father and/or hermaphrodites

[s1m0n54y5]

seems to me to be about gender's false binary

[Hollowroy]

This gives me the chills every time I watch it!

[Llokky]

I love it!

[randleshinola]

hmm i just thought it was about becoming the person your with, they take over and become part of you???

[iloveronaldjenkees]

I always thought this song was about someone having multiple personality disorder.... Lol. Makes a shit load of sense if you actually listen to the lyrics... Guess I'm wrong though... But oh well, A song can be whatever the hell you want it to be, haha.

[LollisTamalis]

I did too

[therealdarkhjustice]

DANG. well done :D

i enjoyed it fully.

[pintsizedpirate]

I love this.

[JSchnabbs]

Terrifying.

[Sayo7MaE]

Hey it's me again, I'm going to put you video on myspace, I really like it, I hope it's ok, but if it's not, please let me now and I will delete on there :) thanks!

[HardingFilms]

Also (ran out of characters), I liked the video, the colours were amazing. Not so keen on the look of Jack and suicide thing but the inner turmoil really sums up the song and its message... ish.

[HardingFilms]

If you get The Dresden Dolls Companion it has explanations for all the songs in their first album. Half Jack is not about inter/trans/anythingsexual. Basically, when Amanda was born her father left her mother who then met another man, so Amanda grew up with "two daddys" as she says, Daddy Jack (biological) and Daddy John (step). So when she was older she started thinking about what she inherited from her father, what parts of her personality were biological. No rape, no gender disorders. Family.

[FelineDanzi]

The way I see it, it's about someone being born intersexual rather than a hermaphrodite. Nearly the same thing but with some differences. The line "it's half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong" only adds to that because usually intersexual children are assigned a sex as soon as the intersexualitly is realized. Most of the time you end up with a child who knows outside it's male/ female on the outside but is the opposite on the inside.

[Mortackthegreat]

thats exactly what it is about

[indecisivelife]

It's plain that it's about someone being born a Hermaphrodite

QUOTE:

"i'm half my mother's daughter

a fraction's left up to dispute"

"it's half biology and half corrective surgery gone wrong

you'll notice something funny if you hang around here for too "

[smellslikechildren1]

Symbolism... metaphor. You have to look at lyrics on a different level.

[LifesIrony]

There were a lot of ticks and Jack was too cartoony for me, but well shot