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Derek Hogue Jr

Mr. Slye

English 1201

12 Feb. 2022

What is Love

Small tweaks from the original songs can really alter the meaning and overall feel of the

whole song.“What is Love” is a very popular song that when sung in a different way or with a

different video attached to it, can totally shift meanings. Although the lyrics in both versions of

"What Is Love" by Haddaway and Jaymes Young are the same, the music video, the rhythm and

the message in the video, make these songs that have the same lyrics, have a different

meaning. Haddaway’s version of “What is Love” is an upbeat version that when combined with

the dancing in the video, it makes you feel good. Whereas James Young’s version of the song

will have you melancholy when watching it with the video.

In Haddaway's version, there are a lot of visual appeals as background girls are dancing

all throughout the video. The main setting is inside of the castle that the main character is seen

running through the hallways after someone. The video also features what looks like a female

vampire as she is always seen with the main character when he is under some sort of spell by

her. Both music videos offer many visual appeals that help you understand the overall meaning

of the songs. In Jaymes Young’s version, he starts off with a scene of him and his wife arguing

which ends up resulting in a fatal car crash. Then the song opens up with “Oh, I don’t know why

you’re not theorem I give you my love, but you don’t care.” Young says it in a way that you can

hear the sadness in his voice. Throughout the video, flashbacks of the relationship he and his

wife had are shown. Things such as laying on the couch, and past silly arguments. But it also

goes to the present day of the husband moping around in sadness because he has lost his

other half. Both videos have the same lyrics, but the overall feel is different.
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From the beginning of the songs, you can immediately tell the difference in the song by

the rhythm. Haddaway's version has a very uptempo rhythm that is contagious and will make

you move. Within the first 10 seconds of the music video, you see a man running through the

halls in slow motion and women begin to dance. With the upbeat rhythm and seeing people

dance, this creates a positive tone with this music video. James Young's version of “What is

Love” is a slow soft version. James Young’s voice when singing the lyrics “What is Love” is sung

in a way as a cry of help. While singing that part, the video goes back to the present moment of

the main character struggling with the loss of his wife.

The purpose or message being portrayed in both videos are drastically different. In

Haddaway’s version of “What is Love”, I believe he is confused running through the halls

because he feels as though he is in love, but when he comes to reality, nothing is there. Almost

as if he is chasing an illusion. I say this because throughout many scenes of the video, he is

running through the hallway and in the next scene, the vampire is in there with him non

responsive in her arms and she’s doing whatever she wants with him. In Young’s version, I

believe he is trying to convey the message that he doesn’t know what love is anymore, and he

longs for the pain from his wife dying to go away. There are many flashbacks that take place in

the video from the times the husband and wife had, whether good or bad. But after those

flashbacks are present day moments where the husband is just having a hard time being

himself as he is portrayed as being empty inside.

In both versions many visual appeals are used to help the message come across. In

Haddaway’s music video, he mostly uses pathos in his music video by having the background

dancers dancing. Dancing is such a contagious activity that makes you feel good. He also uses

logos in the lyrics of the video. Even though it is told in an upbeat way, the question of “What is

Love” still has that feel. Jaymes Young’s version of “What is Love” also has visual effects. He

uses pathos by having an emotional story tied into the video. The husband acting in the video
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really connected with the listener/person watching the video because you could feel the pain he

is feeling.

Although the lyrics in both versions of "What Is Love" by Haddaway and Jaymes Young

are the same, the music video, the rhythm and the message in the video, make these songs

that have the same lyrics, have a different meaning. Haddaway’s cover is a fun upbeat version

of the song that makes you feel good. But Young’s version is a version that will have you sad

and feeling his pain and sadness.

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Works Cited

“Haddaway- What is Love? [Official].” Youtube. CoconutMusicGermany. 18 Jun. 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXWRTEbj1I

“”What is Love - Jaymes Young (Cinematic Video).” Youtube. bonD. 28 April 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIvvHKp0JNI