Courtney Barnett - Elevator Operator

Courtney Barnett - Elevator Operator

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Starring (in order of appearance)
Sleater-Kinney
Glory! Bangs
Courtney Barnett
Bones Sloane & Dave Mudie
Magda Szubanski
Tim Rogers
The Finks
Tweedy
The Drones
Garret and Will Huxley, Gabi Barton
Sunny Leunig
Vincent Juggernaut
Tain Stangret
Izzi Goldman and John
Nicholas & Thea Jones
Batpiss
Loose Tooth
Camp Cope
Jo Syme (Big Scary)
East Brunswick All Girls Choir
Paul Kelly
Michael Leunig
Meaghan Weiley, Jess Tyler, Thommy Taranto (Milk! Records)
Jen Cloher
Fraser A. Gorman
Ouch My Face
Marni Kornhauser & Radar Rad

DIRECTOR: Sunny Leunig
DOP: Matt Wood
PRODUCER: Emma Haarburger
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Danielle Thiris
ASSIST CAMERA: Anthony Rilocapro
ART DIRECTOR: Marni Kornhauser
ART DEPT: Josephine Wagstaff, Sarah Hopper
GAFFER: Thommi Hacker
BEST GIRL: Hannah Palmer
GRIP: Fraser Lever
COLOURIST: Matt Wood
VFX: Tristan Mclachlan
EDITOR: Sunny Leunig
MAKEUP/COSTUME Selena Pretzel, Lou Mclaren
DRONE OP: Christopher Lansell
SOUND: Sunny Leunig, Mark Mitchell, Jack Pender
STILLS: Helga Leunig

Thanks to: John and Izzi at the Nicholas Building, Joel Barnett, Brad @ Phoenix Post, Katie Saava, Pippa Martino

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LYRICS

Oliver Paul, twenty years old, thick head of hair worries he’s going bald. Wakes up at a quarter past nine, fare evades his way down the 96 tram line. Breakfast on the run again, he’s well aware he’s dropping soy linseed Vegemite crumbs everywhere.

Feeling sick at the sight of his computer he dodges his way through the Swanston commuters. Rips off his tie, hands it to a homeless man, sleeping in the corner of a Metro bus stand. He screams “I’m not going to work today! Gonna count the minutes that the trains run late. Sit on the grass building pyramids out of Coke cans.”

Headphone wielding to the Nicholas Building, he trips on a pothole that’s not been filled in. He waits for an elevator, 1 to 9, a lady walks in and waits by his side. Her heels are high and her bag is snakeskin. Hair pulled so tight you can see her skeleton. Vickers perfume on her breath, a tortoise-shell necklace between her breasts. She looks him up and down with a Botox frown, he’s well used to that look by now.

The elevator dings, and they awkwardly step in, their fingers touch on the rooftop button…

“Don’t jump little boy, don’t jump off that roof, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you you’re still in your youth, I’d give anything to have skin like you!”

He said, “I think you’re projecting, the way that you’re feeling, I’m not suicidal just idling insignificantly. I come up here, for perception and clarity, I like to imagine I’m playing Sim City. All the people look like ants from up here, and the wind’s the only traffic you can hear” He said, “All I ever wanted to be was an Elevator Operator can you help me please?!”

“Don’t jump little boy, don’t jump off that roof, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you you’re still in your youth, I’d give anything to have skin like you!”

[stvbrsn]

This is actually one of the best written songs I’ve ever heard.

[elsiechicken]

How is Courtney Barnett not more famous? She's incredible.

[Jayv]

Imagine only just hearing about Courtney Barnett, listening to a random song, loving it, seeing there's a music video, clicking on it and immediately seeing your favourite band Sleater Kinney. Thats when you know your gonna vibe with this music :)

[nickdryad]

This isn’t about suicide. It’s about someone rejecting society (tearing off his tie) and going to the roof to look down on a crazy society filled with crazy people. He understands elevator operator’s job is a humble job. They understand life’s ups and downs. The person who sees the boy on the roof thinks the boy is on the edge literally and metaphorically, and is going to jump, but that’s just a rash conclusion based on stereotypes. I am an English teacher and I know and.... I’m in love with Courtney.

[brettparry]

Courtney is a total legend. The amount of thought that goes into her songwriting in unsurpassed. Soon she might even be able to afford to replace the 'Sharpie held on with a rubber band' capo?!

[joef]

Shes so elegantly awkward. Love love love

[znido]

The cameos from all of the legendary Aussie artists is amazing!

[dw]

Her lyrics always make my brain tingle 😌

[clyn]

I love this so much because I've walked passed that elevator so many times but never in it cos i use the stairs to go to retrostar and muses of mystery and even the sewing shop where the store lady yelled at another lady once and it scared me, and that means i can't dispute that this elevator does in fact lead into all these places and i love that

[madeleinep.]

As a fellow 20-year-old now revisiting this song, hearing "you've got your whole life ahead of you, you're still in your youth" made me feel a lot better.

[frannybellotti]

The first time I hear this song I became immediately obsessed with it. I have been studying it ever since. I love the hand clapping and that third chord progression change (the rise). It is so cool and the way the rhythm changes is intoxicating.

[librarykils]

gotta love all those cameos, i saw sleater-kinney and jeff tweedy for sure

[marcbackman]

Wow! What a fantastic homage to Melbourne music and culture! Magda, Tim Rogers, Paul Kelly, Michael Leunig! Brilliant work.

[Rageify]

I love how the stories in the songs are so clear that it would be very easy (and trite!) to make a video clip about them but the videos always tell a completely different story! <3

[marsinthestars]

Yes my girl Courney killin it!!! I remember the first time i heard her. I was trying on a shirt in a california shop that was way too expensive when "depreston" came on. Now whenever i hear that song it has such a special feel to it. Love this girl.

[akamisdarth]

this song kinda changed my life. I'm extremely suicidal and just having one of your personal idols sing this songs really does it for me.

[dillydean]

i could not stop smiling through this entire thing! fav Courtney song! i was expecting a literal visualisation from the story in the song but i love this just as much

[TheSfaok]

Saw her at Longitude in Dublin at the weekend and she was easily the best thing about the whole weekend. Amazingly talented woman.

[lovaloo]

That strange 30 second stretch where she quietly walks over to the balcony and looks down strikes me in the gut every time I see it. I'm not sure why.

[MotherGallery]

after giving it another listen the lyrics are pretty genius