Synopsis

The Strokes perform "You Only Live Once" inside a bare, windowless room as thick brown-black liquid begins pouring through the walls. The band keeps playing while the rising flood gradually covers their equipment, instruments, and bodies. Julian Casablancas continues singing as the liquid reaches him, turning a straightforward performance into a grim endurance test. The stark setting, monochrome clothing, and steadily tightening framing emphasize the song's fatalistic mood, while the final submersion leaves the band seemingly defeated by the force overtaking the room.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video is commonly identified as "Version 1" to distinguish it from the later alternate video released in 2007.

• Julian Casablancas connected the flooding concept with the band's smoking habits. The room can be read as a symbolic set of lungs, with the dark liquid representing tobacco tar and the group's insistence on playing reflecting the song's fatalistic attitude.

• The liquid-filled performance recalls The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)," in which the band performs inside a tent that is gradually overwhelmed by bubbles.

• The UK premiere was originally scheduled for May 24, 2006, but last-minute edits delayed it until June 21. In the United States, Yahoo premiered the video on June 27, 2006.

• The video appeared during the promotional campaign for *First Impressions of Earth*, released in January 2006, and helped give the album's opening track a striking visual identity.