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Ashley Lukens

Professor Cassel

ENG 1201

12 February 2022

Learning Lessons Through Music

“Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd and the remix including Ariana Grande use different

videos to express similar ideas. Both versions of the song's lyrics are about a relationship in

which the music artists regret the mistakes they made and wish they could get back together with

their partners. The music videos, however, portray a completely different story than the story the

lyrics tell. “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd and the remix featuring Ariana Grande use

different videos to express similar themes and appeal to the audience using pathos although the

two versions are intended for different audiences.

The original music video shows everyone in the audience wearing shiny masks except for

The Weeknd. Although The Weeknd does not have a mask on he is shown with a prosthetic face

that is blatantly obvious to the viewer. The prosthetics make The Weeknd look happy throughout

the video even though it is clear he is in distress throughout the video. It is apparent to the viewer

The Weeknd is not happy because he is waving a prop gun around carelessly ultimately leading

up to him pointing the gun at his head and pulling the trigger shooting out confetti. Through all

this confusion and mysteriousness shown throughout the video, The Weeknd is trying to show

the audience not to present a fake representation of yourself to fit in or make yourself seem

happy to others.
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Like The Weeknd’s version, Ariana Grande is trying to show the audience not to present

a fake representation of themselves. She is also trying to make the point the viewer does not

always have to be robotic and perfect all the time, they can let their emotions or insecurities go

free. She makes this point in the video by over-exaggerating herself as a robot. The video begins

with her head on a conveyor belt traveling through a futuristic factory where her head and limbs

are connected to her body with a machine. Finally, she is pictured in a pink box that looks like a

doll or Barbie. The representation of Ariana as a robot shows the viewers they do not have to

hold in their emotions and act robotic to seem strong to the rest of the world.

The song lyrics of both versions are different in some points of the song, but they still

have the same overall meaning. For example, The Weeknd sings:

“So, I made you think that I would always stay

I said some things that I should never say

Yeah, I broke your heart like someone did to mine

And now you won't love me for a second time.”

While Ariana sings:

“Met you once under a Pisces moon

I kept my distance cause I know that you

Don't like when I'm with nobody else

I couldn't help it, I put you through hell.”

These lyrics are different but overall mean the same thing. In this excerpt of The Weeknd

singing he is saying he has said some things he wished he had not said and left the girl he was

dating which broke his heart and he wishes she would take him back. In the lines sung by Ariana,
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she talks about meeting a guy in March and regretting what she put him through and explained

how she kept her distance even though she enjoys her time with him more than anyone else.

After analyzing these lyrics, it is clear how they are similar.

“Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd and the remix including Ariana Grande both use

pathos to appeal to the viewers. The original video uses pathos by showing The Weeknd fake his

suicide which evokes emotions from the viewers. Making them consider the meaning of the

video and watching it multiple times because of its uniqueness. The remix uses pathos by making

Ariana seem lonely and emotionless causing the viewers to feel bad for Ariana. She is shown

with The Weeknd putting her hand up to his where she looks robotic and emotionless and near

the end of the video, she is in a box like a doll, which is not how a human should be treated.

The remix of “Save Your Tears” featuring Ariana Grande targets a vastly different

audience than the original music video. Ariana’s version includes a lot of pink and is more lively,

bright, and cartoonish. While the original version is mysterious, dark, and eerie. The original

version is intended for adults or the older age group of teenagers because it shows The Weeknd

fake his suicide. Additionally, most of the pop songs created by The Weeknd are listened to by

people around the age of 17-22. While the remix is intended for teenage girls because it is more

appropriate for this age group, and it incorporates pink which is stereotypically a girly color.

Furthermore, Ariana’s songs are typically intended for young girls because of her girly pop

music style.

Both of the “Save Your Tears” music videos are meaningful and portray an important

message to the viewers. After analyzing the music video, the overall message the music artists

want the viewers to take away is to be yourself. Although the intended audiences are different for

both versions, they both use pathos to appeal to the audience. The lyrics for both songs are
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almost identical, however they sound different and more lighthearted in the remix when they are

sung by Ariana Grande.

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Works Cited

The Weeknd. “Save Your Tears (Official Video).” YouTube, 2021.

https://youtu.be/XXYlFuWEuKI. Accessed 12 Feb. 2022.

The Weeknd. Ariana Grande. “Save Your Tears (Remix)(Official Video).” YouTube, 2021.

https://youtu.be/LIIDh-qI9oI. Accessed 12 Feb. 2022.