The Last Dinner Party Explore Death, Grief and Lasting Love: ‘The Scythe’ Music Video Review

The scene is set at what could be any grandparents house: The Last Dinner Party introduces us to what I believe is one of the best music videos of this year. The song itself is undeniably beautiful, but when paired with the video,“The Scythe” becomes monumental. A black and white filter with simple shots of two people, as we follow them through their last moments together, watching them fall in love over and over again, what more could you want?

I am currently on a The Last Dinner Party kick, so have been loving everything about them however this music video in particular stuck out to me. I must admit I cried while watching it due to how relatable and emotional it is. Firstly, I think the way it depicts the couple moving through life, along country roads, into fields and in their home makes it so personal. We, the viewers, are all going through similar motions, what connects us all is the love for people. ‘Make it quick so I can’t see the scythe in its sheath’, it’s clear that this is a story of death and loss. The heartbreaking ‘Don’t cry, we’re bound together’ solidifies the idea that they want to get the death done quickly and painlessly because they can’t bear to lose the other. Hearing these words while seeing a couple you can imagine as young people, full of life and love and knowing that soon this will end really does pull on the heartstrings. This music video has a simple and clear message, hold the ones you love close.  

‘I’ll see you in the next one’, drives home this yearning for eternal life and mourning of mortality. The universal hope to see our loved ones again is painfully visualised as this line is sung while we see the couple together, an image later mirrored while the man stands alone. There are obvious references to The Last Dinner Party in this video such as Abigail Morris, the increasingly iconic lead singer, in the chip shop with the couple whilst the mirror charm in the car resembles a cherub, like their logo. I think these little references are well done and offer relief from the moving narrative. In this chip shop, we see, for the first time, the woman protagonist, while Morris chants ‘nothing lasts’. This is wonderfully and painfully portrayed as you truly see the couple for the first time. As I watched them happily together, I found myself trying to hold on to this feeling and block out the inevitable, just as the male protagonist must have been doing. I think it is clear how emotionally evoking this music video is as it encourages us to empathise with the characters. Furthermore, you see him going back to the places he was with the woman, almost to suggest that wherever she has been, she will always be. 

This music video is a perfect visualisation of the song, and also an excellent depiction of being on the verge of grief, and later, its effects. As with any piece of art, your own meaning can be imposed onto it based on your own experiences. This music video is no different as it allows for any form of love to be projected onto it, not just romantic. “The Scythe” is for anyone who has lost someone as it encapsulates exactly how it feels. TLDP have captured, beautifully, the harshness of not wanting to let go of someone you love so dearly but once they have gone, knowing they have not truly left as you continue to see traces of their presence everywhere, and in everything. 

Words by Evangeline Krupa