Garden Party - Madds Buckley (Official Video)

Madds Buckley’s original song, “Garden Party”
Stream here - go.mhe.fm/mb_g...
//
Credits
Video Direction: ‪@orbitalmoonrat‬ and Madds Buckley
Character design: ‪@orbitalmoonrat‬
Art/Animation: ‪@orbitalmoonrat‬
Featuring ‪@MiaAsano‬ on Violin!
Written and performed by: Madds Buckley
Production/Mastering by: Josh Sebek joshsebek.com/
Recording/Mixing Engineer: Connor Wang www.connorwang...
Drums/aux Percussion: Josh Sebek
Bass: Mike Petillo / mikepetillo
Electric Guitar: Madds Buckley
Dulcimer/Baritone Guitar: Connor Wang
//
Lyrics:
By the time you’d have woven the casket
The sheets will have started to smell
By the time you’d remember the windows
The insects will be kissing me farewell
You’d never stomach me in the closet
Like all those rooms you'd never clean
Darling, there’s no better hatchet to bury than me
So let’s throw my garden party
You promised roses, but gave me thorns
You’d leave me rotting till summer’s over
Guess I’ll be digging alone
By the time you’d remember my favorite dress
You'd have put me in yours
By the time you’d be asking for makeup
My body would be halfway out the door
You’d never bother showing up in your best
Cause who’d wanna dirty their sleeves?
Darling there’s no better hatchet to bury than me
So let’s throw my garden party
You promised roses, but gave me thorns
You’d leave me rotting till summer’s over
Guess I’ll be digging alone
If you wanted to kill me
Missed your chance long ago
I can tell you won’t miss me
Guess it takes one to know
You never bothered with any respect
You won’t treat my death differently
Darling, there’s no better hatchet to bury than
So let’s throw my garden party
You promised roses, but gave me thorns
You’d leave me rotting till summer’s over
Guess I’ll be digging a-
Hole, just my garden party
Feeding my roses on dirt and bone
You’ll be here rotting till summer’s over
Guess I’ll be digging
All the while singing
Guess I’ll be digging alone

[@zlecyz2744]

Two things! 1. I don't know why but for some reason I get the vibe that he robbed her of the spark she had before they got married and now he's mad at her for not having it, even though he's the one that took it from her. 2. I find it really beautiful how throughout the whole mv she is in mourning attire (all black), as though grieving the joy and light she once had. But after she kills him she puts on her favorite dress-a lovely, happy, and soft yellow. She's got her spark back, it's probably not the same one as before but it's still hers, she's free, and that's all that matters.

[@SigmasFunkyEarrings]

That is exactly what I think too!

[@rhythmspinner]

It was legal for Far too long in most of the world (and still is in some of it) for husbands to gRape their wives. Many, many women wore layers of trauma as petticoats.

[@ladylightning1741]

Love the "any murder you can plan, I can plan better" vibes

[@LittleMaitea]

„So you were planning to murder me?! Guess two can play this game!“

[@MoldyWormz]

Realizing that the lyrics like "you'd remember my favorite dress" and "my body would be halfway out the door" aren't past tense, they're instead thoughts or ideas of what would happen is such a huge thing to me

[@Oble_Noceda]

Oh wow

[@tumblingartist]

so many feelings,,,,

[@icarus4302]

OH MY GOD all the double meanings that are so relatable, the flies biting him with "kisses" when she talks about bugs kissing away her flesh, "why would you wear your best, don't want to dirty your clothes" not wearing your Sunday best or even wearing laundry for the person you love because you don't care about them, her side of the bed being covered in shadow, the silver cross above their bed, her working in the garden and doing the chores while all he does is the wood, her dancing in the garden ON HIS GRAVE, the contrast between a geniunely happy wedding, the axe and bouquet being the start and end of their married life (good luck to whoever caught the bouquet), the fact that there's no clues of what time period this is makes it even scarier because it could be now or ancient past, the fact that he was planning to kill her in her sleep for some reason, and that TERRIFYINGY AMAZING shot of her in her white night gown and long messy black hair like a ghost, and the fact that she killed him in her favorite dress and her favorite dress being a night gown so she doesnt have to see him while sleeping, the CROWS/RAVENS AT THE END, MADDS AND ORBITAL YOU SLAY ME ONCE MORE

[@blinkfilms1]

you killed me in my sleep... gentle, easy, slow and sweet...

[@Mmmkaramel]

I really like the contrast between the wedding scenes and the scenes of their married life. At the wedding, both characters look genuinely happy and cheerful, which is obviously very different to how things were afterwards. The animatic really shows the story of a relationship that started off well but quickly grew into resentment. I really like that aspect of it; it shows that characters like the husband aren’t always obviously malevolent. Sometimes misogyny is more subtle, something you can’t understand the extent of until you’re with that person all the time.

[@caylasudie4475]

Something that might add to that is the way the house and the wedding look. It doesn't look small, and the wedding seems pretty nice. So it makes me wonder why the wife is doing most of the chores herself. Gives me vibes that the family hit hard times and the husband isn't handling it well. Course, then he dies and his wife gets to be a happy widow

[@blackivy7582]

So, obviously I know this probably is a personal interpretation, but I have to pose the question. Listening to this and watching the video, I do wonder if her decision was just "Oh I don't want to die" or also mixed with "I can't let this man murder me because he will literally not give any respect to me, not even in death". And if it was a bit of the second bit, how awful this relationship must have been to have had that thought.

[@koikun]

ITS FULLY ANIMATED I SCREAMED... THE PARTS WHERE SHE FOUND THE HATCHED... THE SECOND *SHE* STARTED DIGGING??? I COULD SAY SO MUCH AHH?? 💔🍂

[@tumblingartist]

IKR !! WE GET A FULL ANIMATIC HERE !!! :D

[@Oble_Noceda]

Oh yeah never noticed that in other videos!

[@nadstrays]

LMAO the way I screamed “YES! GET HIS ASS!” when she grabbed the axe omg this exceeded my expectations i love this so freaking much !!!

[@Hades_Daughter]

Get his axe, or get his ass?😏😏😏

[@athe7revx1]

​@@Hades_Daughter axe obviously -_-

[@Hades_Daughter]

@@athe7revx1 🤣🤣🤣

[@HauntedMushroom96]

This is the alternative "happy" ending for "Leave Luanne"

[@kris778]

That’s what I was thinking too!

[@arandomqueerfanpeep7655]

I was thinking that too!!!!

[@quirky5813]

the foreshadowing of the murder plot is what really got me the second time around. i marveled at the masterful work of the animation and song, but the pieces falling into place now that I know what happens is so intriguing, like how all the husband seems to do is chop wood but he goes to bed in dirt covered boots with a shovel leaning against the bedside table - it implies how long he had been planning her death, especially if he was digging the very same grave she disposes of him in. at first you might think his body language only speaks of his resentment towards our mc, but there are multiple inconsistencies In his behavior, like how he very obviously slammed down his axe in front of her as some sort of message, and the next few scenes show him turning away with unchopped wood from his tree stump that was now missing an axe. this scene contrasting with the discovery of the axe in the closet was my favorite part aside from the darker, less implicit scenes towards the end

[@meeeeeeeeeeeee.eeeeeeeeeeeeeem]

the fact he doesn't take off his shoes and drags mud through the house (presumably) leaving her to clean it in the morning AUGTVAYYGSGDYDHY 0:26

[@jasonmaserton]

Leaving her to clean the mess made from him digging her grave is *chefs kiss*

[@starpines4010]

I absolutely love the wedding/funeral bells! They add so much weight to the song!

[@salemthewitch7]

saamee

[@chiinnsu]

the bouquet and the axe parallels!!! amazing animation!

[@sobbingsillylilguy]

after watching this over fourty times or so, here’s a few things I noticed, both things people have already said and not. 1. The hair in front of the woman’s ears. Throughout the segment when she was with her husband, hair wasn’t in front of her ears. But, post/peri-murder, in the wedding sequences, and the small flashback-like scene at the end, there was. I think it shows when she was happy and had the freedom of her life, not burdened by her unhappy marriage. 2. Lyrics being literal. For example: ‘You never bothered showing up in your best ‘cause who’d wanna dirty their sleeves?’ could insinuate dirtying the sleeves with blood when the husband would kill the woman. 3. This one was clear, but the fact she buried the husband where her flowers were planted. I don’t know much about what that could mean, but I have a feeling it signifies something. Perhaps the betrayal of ‘promising roses but giving thorns’ like in the lyrics? 4. The amount of foreshadowing and parallels. For example: The opening sequence where the husband is in the room, A) putting the hatchet in the closet. B) the open eye of the woman when she’s under the covers, which I think shows up during the burial sequence, but instead of being the woman under the covers, it was the husband’s corpse under the soil. I TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE THIS HXICBJSJDHDS

[@koikun]

"If you wanted to kill me, missed your chance long ago. I can tell you won’t miss me; guess it takes one to know" AHH WHAT..?? it so captures fall and hallow vibes.. 🫠🍂💗

[@GoodKid4Life]

Love this part so much ^^

[@koikun]

@@GoodKid4Life SAME OMGGG MY HEART DROPPED.. she started to whisper... soft singing. I exploded.

[@koikun]

@@GoodKid4Life OMG WAIT RODY PFP I SAID HI TO U ON THE LIVE!!!

[@GoodKid4Life]

@@koikun ah I’ve been recognized!! yes Rody 4 life lmao 😌🙏

[@koikun]

@@GoodKid4LifeUR SO AWESOME!!! YES, GET RECOGNIZED MORE BB, ILY!! 🫶💗

[@raindrop6566]

Love the Chekov's gun of the ax showing up throughout the first part of the song, I knew what was coming and it was delivered perfectly!

[@locuzpokes741]

recently made a character who faked her death in order to run away and become a knight after her mother sent away her lover, and i couldn't stop thinking about her this whole time. you CAN'T make me wanna do an animatic

[@icarus4302]

God as someone who grew up religious in the countryside Madds and Orbital when I get you I will find out how you captured my greatest fear

[@faith4858]

The lyrics??? the production??? the animation??? [ drowns in a puddle of my own tears ]

[@jact1300]

HOLY CRAP I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT TWIST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS MADDS THE WIFE IS SO AMAZING

[@GalaxyNyxGxcha]

Madds has only given me 3 months to make this my most played song on spotify wrapped, but I take that as nothing more than a challenge.

[@Sarah-vj4rq]

Something that bugged me but that I didnt realize until my like fifth re-watch - hiding the axe in the closet seems like a dumb place And it is! She finds it instantly! But it makes sense for him to put it there - he never does the laundry, so thinks that place is somewhere no one checks regularly!

[@utstargirl3441]

I love how there's slow parallels being drawn between her and the axe "Cant stomach me in the closet" where he was keeping the axe the whole time, "No better hatchet to bury than me" i like to think she buries the axe with him to show how he should have been faster, not to mention that when she kills him she becomes the axe chopping down the wood, the symbolism is just beautiful. Not to mention how the whole animatic has a green colorscheme/undertone but everytime we see something happy (her garden, her dress, the wedding) and at the end when she finally kills him her eyes turn from green to yellow showing shes finally happy again

[@wafflelord8617]

"like all those rooms you'd never clean" as it shows muddy footprints from his boots that he didn't bother picking up.. i love this so muchh💖💖💖💖

[@SofiaOfOpal]

This song is incredibly amazing omg. The way you combined a sweet sounding melody with a sinister undertone is literally insane. Your songwriting skills are truly amazing and this song will be on repeat along with literally every song in your discography. I cannot wait to see what’s to come because I know it’ll be great. 💗

[@itztiny-zo2937]

I may have ascended, i did NOT realise that this would be animated and ohhhh boy im gonna be obsessed with this song for the next week

[@Andy_Anonymous]

I love the echoey feel of some of the lines, the story is beautiful, I'm so curious about their history, the art is phenomenal, and it might be one of my favorites from you since dogbird. I had to restrain myself from comment something more than just "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I was SO excited!

[@nott_pocket]

I'm processing a breakup after 5 years so my GOD does this play into how I feel and have felt. No song more perfect and beautifully constructed, animation really driving it home

[@ellison_4710]

Omg!!! This has been my earworm for the past 3 weeks IT'S HERE!!!!

[@FairFeline]

The instrumentals, the animation, and especially the lyrics & vocals in this song were phenomenal.

[@matheusribeiro4733]

This man is so dense, that he really tought he could hide his axe on her side of the closet while she was taking the clothes out of the line. There was no way in life she woudnt see that.

[@koikun]

oh my GOD!? madds, THE *LYRICS.* please, you never miss.. we're all in love! garden party, new fall fave.. 😭🌷❤️‍🩹

[@rayneydaze]

I'm fascinated by the implications in the beginning, before the words kick in, where he's walking into the bedroom with his hatchet, and the woman in bed (who I can't confirm is the same later) has a dirty hand and is covered by a dirty blanket, with her eye watching him the same way that his eye shows up when he's the one being buried..... Has he done this before? Is this some kind of sick routine? And has doing this before numbed him to death and giving a single solitary bother to the point that half the reason the speaker is mad is that she knows he won't even be moved by her corpse or take care of it? Gorgeous art, fascinating lyrics, I love love love this

[@kris778]

0:24 I know the whole theme is a marriage but this line always makes me think of queer people with unaccepting families who would rather their child be dead than accept them

[@theconfusedcrow]

This kind of reminds of Leave Luanne from 35MM in a less abusive relationship. The ghostliness at the end when she kills her husband compared to the actual ghost of Luanne killing her husband, the husbands trying to kill their wives but wives figure a way around it (killing first and su!c!de), and overall the wife just wanting to be free of the husband. Absolutely beautiful!

[@poofytanuki363]

I genuinely can't express how much I love this song

[@MiaAsano]

Yay thanks for having me on this track!!! 🎻🎻

[@ocean-3]

THE CHANGE???? THE VIOLIN??????? guess what’s going on loop for the next three months :33333

[@seamoose1714]

Don't know if it's just because I've been on a Folk binge recently... but this is an absolute banger. The lyrics, the vocals, the chord progression, everything in this is fantastic. Not to mention the animation!

[@viperv6768]

God, the art really elevates this song! The second I saw 2:15 I had to hit save cause the impact was so awesome. Then the parallels between the murder, cover up, and the wedding? Perfection.

[@arandomqueerfanpeep7655]

I love how triumphant the music at the end is

[@insertsomethingcreative]

I wish I could watch and listen to this for the first time again, you truly never miss!! Props to orbitalmoonrat for the mv too, it's so good

[@zephyr-i6z]

EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU NINI FOR THE GORGEOUS ART

[@lucasshibuya3907]

I've watched this a couple of times, the burial scene still gives me chills. Love this song. Long the animation. Love this.

[@adrianbata4325]

Absolutely amazing I always thought that the first few lyrics was talking about a woman and how she died but this was a twist

[@starssnikki]

AAAAGHHH SCREAMING ITS DO GOOD OH MY GOD😭😭😭😭😭

[@Oble_Noceda]

I know right?

[@sowhat792]

WOW!!! I came from tiktok and didn't expect the amazing music video to accompany the beautiful singing and instrumentals! I'm totally obsessed, bravo

[@pastelpigeon1340]

i’m so excited you have no idea

[@mikeyvoid007]

This is so good I love the stark contrast between sweetness and murder

[@tumblingartist]

oh my GOSH??? we get the full song AND AN ANIMATIC TO BOOT??? THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! 💕💕💕💕

[@lordofdarkness5505]

I wonder if this is just a growing paranoia on both sides, them thinking the other person is going to do them in until one of them decides to do it before the other one can

[@violet999ab]

That’s an interesting interpretation! I wonder why the husband would have thought the wife was planning to kill him, though. (Well, I guess there’s the general poorly-concealed resentment, but that’s not typically cause to assume your spouse is plotting your death.) Also, to be fair to the wife, I don’t think she was planning to kill the husband until she found the axe hidden in their closet, which is… fairly damning evidence that he was planning to kill her. You can’t really put an axe in the bedroom closet by accident.

[@lordofdarkness5505]

@@violet999ab the only real reason I’m thinking it is because of this part: “If you wanted to kill me Missed your chance long ago I can tell you won’t miss me “Guess it takes one to know”” Witch makes me think she had wanted to kill/would not miss him if he was dead. For the axe I don’t really know why it would be in the closet, maybe he took it in to the house for maintenance and then put it in the closet. Don’t really know why the husband would kill his wife in the first place. But to be honest I have no idea why he would believe it from just her not liking him anymore😅

[@violet999ab]

@@lordofdarkness5505 I still don’t think there’s any good reason to put the ax in the closet, but fair enough. As for why the husband might have wanted to kill his wife: it seems pretty apparent that the husband and wife resent each other, and based on vibes I’d say the marriage is probably deader than a dinosaur. In a lot of times and places, divorce has either been outright unavailable or heavily stigmatized. So if the husband wanted to escape his dead-end marriage, he may have viewed making himself a widower as his best or only option.

[@RebeYerfdog]

AHHHH AMAZING GOOD FOR HER!!!! DID NOT EXPECT A FULLY ANIMATED VIDEO BUT AM VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT

[@cjsstone_studios]

Ooooo the bait and switch to with which one of them actually died is amazing

[@lil_crafter10]

this was SO worth the wait holy shit... discovered your music like 6-ish months ago and i love everything youve done! 10/10 would wait with the chorus playing on loop in my head for a month again.

[@dragon9261]

I AM SO GLAD THAT THIS HAS AN ANIMATIC!! I recently just listened to this song and I immediately thought "PH MY GOD SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE AN ANIMATIC" and I just aaahhhh so glad!!!

[@rubinleigh2756]

are we going to get more of these two characters like we did with Dog and Bird? It would be so cool to see more of these new guys!

[@firefoxphoenix6845]

This mv is SO GOOD Incredible job Nini!! And ofc the song is incredible the church bells are haunting

[@koikun]

1:57 THIS PART AHHH OMG... 2:15 TOO MY GOD.. 💔💔💔

[@tumblingartist]

Also 2:59 !!

[@koikun]

@@tumblingartistyou are so right omggg ily

[@cora_jones]

THIS IS AMAZING OH MY GOSH. EVERY FRAME WOW THE DETAIL THE SONG???? IM IN TEAES GENUINELY

[@ashleyscherr9998]

Omg I love it!!! The plot twist!!!!

[@corncobbob2326]

"Wake up! Madds has another song!"

[@JnotJayy]

OMGGGGG JAW? ON THE FLOOR. PLAYING THIS ON REPEAT FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS THANKS

[@woogusboogus9947]

Something about the art made my brain scream that something was reminding me of an artist and...hamilton LMAO the style is so different now and idk how I recognized them but its crazy how much theyve improved

[@vroomian1979]

Thank you so much for writing my new favorite song ❤

[@JnotJayy]

OH WE HYPERFIXATING BABY FUCK YEAH. THIS SILL BE MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY FOR THE NECT M O N T H

[@sarahheineken1114]

It’s giving Tamlin and Feyre

[@samuelthoms6171]

can't wait for the music video

[@sherb1750]

oh my good god. That was incredible. SO worth the wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thekazuhafanf2p-uf8sy]

I JUST WOKE UP TO THIS MASTERPIECE AGHHH ITS SO GOOD

[@megthefrostdragon]

WOOO JUST IN TIME FOR SPOOKY MONTH

[@JustSome_Kid]

Dear madds, ik u dont know me. BUT JESUS U KEEP DROPPING MUSIC THATS PERFECT FOR REN FAIR AND LORE

[@Ranter2]

Let’s go

[@luciellawliet]

A LITTLE LATE CAUSE KZbin REFUSES TO GIVE ME NOTIFICATIONS-BUT HELL YEAH!!! IT’S FINALLY HERE AND ANIMATED!?!?

[@LynIsVerySnazzy]

LETS GOOOOO JSUT GOT OUT OF THE LIVE🗣️🔥💯‼️

[@mnmnmnmnm4220]

DEVOURED

[@ShadowStarzYT]

"guss ill be digging, all the while singing" Yea we love women singing while burying their husbands😍🥰

[@BriannaGibbsLovatictaylorcyrus]

Good for her!

[@TheHighLadyOfTheNightCourt]

I just listened to it the first time and at the end I thought oh she totally just murdered the guy lmao he probably deserves it Then I watched the music video and good to know I was right with both

[@bailey_lockheart]

I'M SO OBSESSED WITH THIS IT'S SO GOOD UGHH 😭😭😭 THE SONG THE VIDEO THE VIBE ALL OF IT 😭😭😭😭

[@zoeluvsnge]

SOOO GOOD AS PER USUAL!!! THIS IS FANTASTIC AGHHHH HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON AFTER TONIGHTS STREAM MADDS

[@too_morrow_34]

The music and animation came to together so well! The story was so well done to!!

[@xxfellowjellyxx3425]

ATE LIKE ALWAYS ONG

[@sophisticated_1614]

I love absolutely everything about this, 100/10

[@raynerousell8139]

Damn! I did not see that twist coming but I love it so much! Very cathartic in a way, I like the ending

[@meribelmozee6456]

I love that there eyes are a lighter color and I love the flower too how it’s a lighter color of yellow I love it❤

[@SkyJetcom-pq3uo]

THIS IS SO GOOD! The visuals, the lyrics, the instrumentals, the singing, THE STORY, it’s all amazing! So glad I could listen to this as soon as it came out! ❤️

[@aceaszwall8333]

A doomed love ending in murder. What not to love amazing work as always Madds!

[@grellie4845]

AGHSHYSYS IM SO EXCITEDDD 🎉🎉🎉 AHHHHSHSYSH I CANT BELIEVE I MISSED THE PREMIER 😢 BUT THIS IS SO SO SO GOOD IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT I CANT WAIT TO LISTEN TO THIS A BILLION TIMESSS WOOOO ❤❤❤

[@actionheroguy]

god DAMN irish lesbians can write a song

[@SeerOfTime577]

This is beautiful in every way. WOW. Definitely worth the wait!

[@annabanana8267]

Oh my goshhhhhhh this song did not disappoint! I love the music video with it as well!

[@neonlights836]

FANTASTIC BEAUTIFUL SHOWSTOPPING

[@MazieJR]

i was audibly gasping, such a cool song and idea my jaw was on the floor awestruck

[@kenmaspudding2392]

I don’t know if any one will get this but, the beginning beat sounds a lot like the tiktok she made in 2021 maybe 2022 where she’s singing about megumi philosophy, I hear it every time I start playing this, I love both songs so much

[@Aristotle_Writes]

THIS IS SO FREAKING AMAZINGGGG!!!!!!!!!

[@karmabun]

How is this not viral?

[@_oatmeal_123]

STOP THIS WAS SO GOOD

[@sprinxti]

ABSOLUTELY STELLAR

[@AvesIsSleeping]

SO HYPE!! I love the characters and the foreshadowing in the music video

[@orphanobliterator9373]

Is anyone else getting Lucy Gray vibes from the ballad of songbirds and snakes???? Cuz she's all I can think of !