image, music and text

Below is the single cover for Snow Patrol’s ‘You could be Happy’. We denote a lady walking through town, however the fact this cover is so simple, breeds many connotations. Primarily the woman acts as the connotator.  Juxtaposed  with  song title you  assume  it  is  an  ex  lover  watching  on  the  girl  he  loves  hoping  she’s  found  happiness.  Focusing  on  her  pose,  she’s  oblivious  to  any passers-by,  simply  going  about  her  life,  which  could  suggest  innocence.  The  reason  she’s  alone  or  the  emotion  she’s  feeling  is  unknown,  which remains  an ambiguous  answer  to  whether  she  is  happy.  She  is  making  no  eye  contact  which  suggests  the  cover  is  giving  information.  The  tone  of  black  and  white  have  connotations  of  bleak,  or  may symbolise  memory.  Overall,  the  simplicity  of  this  cover  creates  its  salience.  ‘You  could  be  happy’ suggests there’s  no  knowing  of  whether  they  are  and  also  implies  he  prioritises  her  happiness  as  much  of  letting  go  may  hurt  him.  This  cover  shows  every  aspect.  It  foregrounds  a  woman  we  don’t  know  is  happy,  which  the  song  will  clarify  and  almost  invites  us  in  because  we  empathise  with  him.  We  can  clearly  see  he  still  loves  her  and  thinks  about  her;  the  dark  circle  could  portray  a  lens  almost  into  her  life  and  so  we’ll  want to  listen.

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