Synopsis
Shot in crisp black and white, the video places Kristin Hersh and her 50 Foot Wave bandmates in a stylish performance setting. The trio plays through the song as large blocks of lyrics scroll across the screen in a Vogue-like typeface. Hersh appears unexpectedly playful, smiling and moving with the music, while the clip also includes images of a child dancing. The result is an energetic, deliberately informal portrait of the band rather than a narrative treatment of the song's title character.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Clara Bow" first appeared on 50 Foot Wave's self-titled 2004 EP before being included on the band's 2005 debut album, "Golden Ocean."
- The song runs for approximately three minutes and ten seconds on "Golden Ocean."
- A contemporary video roundup described the clip's lyrics as scrolling across the image in a Vogue-inspired font, giving the performance footage a graphic, fashion-editorial quality.
- Kristin Hersh later identified the dancing child in the video as her son Wyatt, who had already made an impression by dancing onstage at an early 50 Foot Wave show.
- The video's black-and-white presentation and focus on the musicians contrast with the song's intense, abrasive rock sound. The clip emphasizes personality and visual style rather than attempting to recreate the life or screen persona of silent-film star Clara Bow.
- "Clara Bow" was also a regular part of the band's live repertoire during the 2000s, appearing repeatedly in documented set lists.