Some artists create irritating videos to accompany their insipid music. With overly dramatic, fast-paced, angry imagery, pounding rhythms, and hollow lyrics about “love,” following one’s heart or dreams, toxic relationships, or rebelling against authority, it’s no surprise that many pop songs and their music videos feel grating. Fortunately, Rodney Atkins directly contrasts these traits in his engaging and meaningful country music video, “Watching You” (2011).
Unlike the chaotic city settings of other music videos, “Watching You” is set against a serene rural backdrop, featuring stretching fields of corn, an enormous barn, and a faithful old Jeep. Where many singers appear either manic or depressed, Atkins sports a cheerful countenance.
Most importantly, many of the video's scenes portray a positive father-son bond. In one moment, Atkins and his son explore tools in the garage together. Another portion depicts him hugging his son before they both nod off to sleep. In fact, the video begins with a touching clip of the son happily skipping to his father, who gladly takes him for a drive in the Jeep. These aspects are very refreshing, and even that is an understatement.
Alongside the images, the lyrics of “Watching You” also exhort parents to be excellent examples for their children. When father and son go for a drive in the Jeep, and “a green traffic light turned straight to red,” the father “hit (my) brakes and mumbled under (my) breath.” What does the son do? “Well, then (my) four-year-old said a four-letter word/That started with 'S' and I was concerned.” The father asks, “Son, now where'd you learn to talk like that?” Children intensely desire to emulate their parents; as the son explained, “I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool?/I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you.” By swearing in the car, he accidentally taught his son that foul language is acceptable. What does he do? Does he turn a blind eye to his own mistake? No. This father chooses to apologize to God and pray for forgiveness and wisdom: “I bowed my head and I prayed real hard/Said, 'Lord please help me help my stupid self.'"
Thankfully, "this side of bedtime later that night,” the son observes his father praying. After his dad's godly example, the child “crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees/He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands/And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend.” When the astonished father overhears this and asks, “Son, now where'd you learn to pray like that?” the boy meekly explains, “I've been watching you, Dad.”
What a contrast to the self-centered lyrics of some other music! Behold, a song where the singer genuinely cares about being a positive role model for the future generation! How does the music itself mirror the song's meaning? “Watching You” utilizes a gentle, happy rhythm, where the drumbeats possess a slow tempo coordinating with the peaceful melody of Atkins's guitar. Such a blithe beat emphasizes that Atkins enjoys spending time with his son and seeing him grow up.
Noticeably, “I've been watching you” has special emphasis in the song; the background music becomes slightly louder and Atkins sings this line more cheerfully than all the others. This reflects how much he appreciates his son following his example. “Watching You” differs from most other songs, yet again, by employing a relaxed rhythm and blissful singing, rather than a booming, ear-splitting tune with screaming or whining that can barely be called “singing.”
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