Synopsis
Jimmy Eat World's "A Praise Chorus" video is a performance-driven clip built around the band's energetic delivery of the song. The members play directly to the camera in a rehearsal or live-show setting, with quick cuts matching the track's urgent guitars, pounding drums, and singalong momentum. Rather than developing a separate storyline, the video emphasizes the communal rush of hearing a favorite song and the unfiltered excitement that made the track a natural concert anthem.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was released in 2002 as the promotional clip for the fourth single from *Bleed American*, which was also issued under the title *Jimmy Eat World* in some markets.
- The song's bridge was completed with help from Davey von Bohlen of The Promise Ring. Jim Adkins sent von Bohlen the unfinished section, and von Bohlen supplied the string of borrowed song references heard in the final recording.
- Its "praise chorus" incorporates lines associated with songs including Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover," Madness' "Our House," and They Might Be Giants' "Don't Let's Start."
- Von Bohlen's contribution made the track unusual among Jimmy Eat World singles: he appears as a guest vocalist and also shares songwriting credit.
- The clip arrived during the commercial period surrounding *Bleed American*, following the major success of "The Middle" and "Sweetness." It received playlist exposure on music-video outlets including MTV2.
- "A Praise Chorus" became one of the band's most reliable live openers. Its repeated references to familiar songs naturally encourage audience participation, reinforcing the communal idea at the center of both the track and its performance-focused video.