Synopsis

Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck perform amid a rapid-fire parade of bizarre, deadpan tableaux. A dinosaur in a wig lounges in a bathtub, a giant rat faces a knife-wielding attacker, a SpongeBob-costumed figure is pursued by police, and an astronaut sports a pancake-covered helmet. Elsewhere, Beck plays video games beside a person in a horse mask, while other characters encounter flying axes, giant walnuts, oversized cheeseburgers, and other surreal objects. The disconnected scenes unfold like strange internet snapshots, balancing playful absurdity with an unexpectedly melancholy performance style.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video's visual concept grew from a collection of random images found on photo-sharing sites and Tumblr. Each sequence was designed to feel like a separate image discovered without any surrounding context.

• The production recreated several of these images during a three-day shoot. The video was filmed in Paris and Los Angeles.

• Beck supplied all of the unusual clothing he wears in the clip. His wardrobe included a Beetlejuice-like suit and a hat with a bite taken out of it.

• The skateboard-on-cheeseburgers image was based on work by artist William Hundley. After viewers raised questions about the resemblance, Hundley was credited for the inspiration.

• Some of the video's participants were found spontaneously in Los Angeles. Two teenagers dressed in 1950s rockabilly style were watching the shoot and were invited to appear.

• The performances were deliberately kept serious rather than openly comic. The contrast between the performers' melancholy expressions and the ridiculous imagery became a central part of the video's effect.

• "Heaven Can Wait" was recognized at the 2009 Antville Music Video Awards, winning Best Music Video of the Year and Best Art Direction.

• The clip appeared on year-end lists from Pitchfork and SPIN, with SPIN placing it at number 16 among its best videos of 2009.