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Jodie Pierce

Professor Calhoun

English Composition 1201

16 February 2020

Comparative Analysis: Two Music Videos of “Lost Boy”

In Ruth B.’s breakthrough song “Lost Boy,” she laments that “I am a lost boy from

Neverland” during the main chorus, relating her feelings of loneliness to the popular story of

Peter Pan’s adventures in a magic-filled world. “Lost Boy,” Ruth B.’s first successful

soundtrack, launched her into stardom in the pop music world. The official music video was

released in 2015. The following year, Windsyr Maughan released her cover video of “Lost Boy”

on Youtube, garnering almost 3.3 million views since. Maughan’s rendition of the song proved

similar in style, but the music video itself exuded spirit and liveliness the original video lacked.

While both music videos incorporate the song “Lost Boy” sung in a soulful manner, the

accompanying video by Windsyr Maughan captures a more heartfelt, loving narrative that

involves a family coming together and enjoying a world of imagination whereas Ruth B.’s video

feels lonesome and mysterious for the entire duration.

To begin with, the two music videos share several similarities considering the inspiration

for Maughan’s video was drawn from the original song. The lyrical aspect is nearly identical in

both videos; Maughan perfectly channels Ruth B.’s soulful singing. Both singers push the

emotional input for this song to connect with the audience in a sincere way. The music videos

also target the same audience: teenagers and young adults, since pop music generally attracts that

demarcation. Ruth B.’s offers a viewpoint directed at more introspective individuals, while

Maughan’s version specifically attracts fans of the original song or happy individuals. Even
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though both videos contain the same singing style, genre, and target audience, the whole

experience differs substantially by means of different, compelling narratives.

In each music video, the atmosphere and narrative create a message to the audience that

are distinct from one another. In Ruth B.’s video, she chose to capitalize on the lyrics themselves

by cutting alternating scenes together- one in which she plays an unadorned piano in the middle

of the room, and the other in which she walks amongst the decorated room. The atmosphere

exudes a mysterious sensation as books, chairs, tables, and open umbrellas appear to be floating

in midair. When coupled with a chiming clock, the video is perceived as both ominous and

magical, especially at the end when the umbrellas are replaced by ballet dancers suspended from

the ceiling, turning in the air. In contrast to this lonely interpretation of the music video,

Maughan accompanies the same song with a joyous, make-believe event with family and friends.

Initially, the youngest daughter in the household tries to engage in pretend play with each of her

family members, to no avail. Noticing this, the older sister reads the story of Peter Pan to her

sister and two brothers, who all become so enraptured in the fairytale that they dress up as the

characters, meet up with other kids in the neighborhood, and recreate the story through

swordfighting and serving tea. This version of the song exemplifies a less ominous or mysterious

version and instead claims the power of make-believe as its main message to the audience.

To coherently convey the differing messages in the music videos, both Ruth B. and

Maughan use pathos as their main form of rhetoric. In Ruth B.’s video, although it lacks a clear

storyline, the message that reaches the audience is one of longing for a world of friends, in

reference to the magical place of Neverland. The “floating” decor, meaning the books, chairs,

table, and dancers, help develop this message. Typically, floating objects are associated with

feelings of magic, mystery, and Alice in Wonderland-type landscapes, so this builds the setting
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of a fantasy world in which her song takes place using pathos. Additionally, “Lost Boy” takes

inspiration from the story of Peter Pan, a boy known for daring adventures with his friends.

Because Ruth B. features the song and the emotions connected to it as the central message, the

meaning of a search for friendship comes through to the audience. By comparison, Maughan

uses the song as the backdrop to her own music video, thereby altering its main message. Pathos

is used here, instead of evoking mystery or loneliness, to create feelings of joy and happiness.

Family, and especially young children, are universally recognized symbols of exuberance and

hope, so the unfolding of a heartfelt story in which a family comes together is bound to make the

audience happier. While both music videos use pathos as their form of rhetoric, one uses the

emotions evoked by the song itself, and the other uses emotions evoked by the story.

Even with the same song vocalized in similar manners, the message communicated

through each have little overlap due to the setting, characters, and rhetoric used. Maughan

utilizes a natural landscape featuring a forest and lake, involves many characters of all ages in

the video, and features pathos oriented around familial love. On the other hand, Ruth B creates a

dramatic, fictitious setting with floating objects, stars alone in her video, and uses rhetoric

centered on desolation. Evidently, the two videos demonstrate the importance of visuals in

conveying a message to the audience.

Works Cited

Maughan, Windsyr, director. Lost Boy - Ruth B Windsyr Maughan Cover Music Video.

YouTube, 10 Aug. 2016, youtu.be/Y8vcSZDL4nU. Accessed 30 January 2020.

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Tanedo, MaryAnn, and Lanette Phillips. Ruth B. - Lost Boy (Official Music Video).

Performance by Ruth B, YouTube, 9 May 2016, youtu.be/58TBZnvyGwQ.

Accessed 30 January 2020.