SELF-iSH: A Deep Dive

[@ravsucks]

more video essays kzbin.info/aero/PLTDI2Ca2o6Ahia5On4F0j4CZOc3UT35IU&si=60eBF5YLIcA-qb3V

[@LonelyGamer4]

This is leagues better than the last WW video essay where William Woodson was doxxed at the beginning

[@Jax675]

HELP I THINK I KNOW THE ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

[@Jax675]

they also were just wrong most of the time

[@LonelyGamer4]

@@Jax675 yea, I was so excited for a 30 minute Willard Woodrow video essay, only for it to be one of the worst videos I’ve watched 😭. Written in 1 day by a highschool freshmen type essay.

[@Jax675]

@@LonelyGamer4 if you want a good ww analysis, look at critical reactions breakdown of the normal album. it's 3 hours but so so worth it

[@Outliars_and_Hyppocrates]

I KNOW THE EXACT ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE GUY STRAIGHT UP NAME DROPPED HIM AT THE BEGINNING 😭

[@dinkledonk9272]

a massive pro to this video essay is that it's way less invasive than a certain other one

[@ravsucks]

@@dinkledonk9272 i haven’t watched the other one but my friend who’s into will wood tipped me off about it, so my goal was to try to tell the story without prying

[@wasolaso1840]

Missed opportunity to start dissecting the meaning of the album with "Hand me the shovel, I'm going in"

[@lesbianetherea]

thank you for not doxxing this man like most videos on him tend to. i do not understand why so much of this fanbase is so persistently invasive.

[@ravsucks]

@@lesbianetherea that was my intent! when i cover the normal album i’m gonna try my best as well esp around sore subjects like i/me/myself

[@lesbianetherea]

@@ravsucks as someone who’s heard a lot of what will wood says about his own music (from the podcast he does), i don’t really think i/me/myself is a “sore subject”? it’s moreso that strange people use it to INSIST that he’s transgender when he’s… just not. the song has a note from will himself on the genius page that he put out after some OTHER strange folks accused him of transphobia due to the song and it’d probably be a good resource to check out. glad to hear you’re gonna discuss the normal album too, it’s my favourite one ::)

[@ravsucks]

@@lesbianetherea oh yeah i love that he contributed annotations to genius, certainly gives me a head start. i had heard i/me/myself had been the subject of a lot of debate about will, even if he’s been clear about it, so i’ll try to stay true to his stated meaning while not being like “oh this is about will wood’s own experience! this is what he went through!”

[@lil_ct6184]

​@@lesbianetherea ALSO, I WAS TRIPPING BALLS AT A CASINO, LEAVE ME ALONE 🗣🗣🔥🔥

[@tostadorakuantica8142]

Will Wood music will always have a place in my heart. I love how the lyrics are so erratic, almost ranting, the themes In the songs, the medical terms, and the screams. Will Wood surely saved my life.

[@godzillaeyes]

The medical terms..wow, I never really put it together but that makes sense for me. As someone with a degree in psychology and a special interest in medicine/pathology and works in a pathology lab.

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

Me too.

[@Somezoomer]

This was my favourite interpretation of this album, been a couple years since I first heard it and indeed there is a whole lot of deep to dive in (I wouldn’t understand a word of it if it weren’t for others on the internet lol)

[@ravsucks]

thank you, glad you enjoyed it!!

[@flammywam]

Will wood got me through some of the hardest times of my life, and I never really understood why it resonated so hard. This video did an amazing job going over the journey of oneself and how to live with the past and future. I just finished this video, and I’m in full tears. You opened something up and I think I have more to think about again. I’m going to immediately go and listen to the album again, keep crying, and soak out more of this, but I want to thank you. Your words are powerful in putting this cycle into terms. You expressed it perfectly, and I couldn’t agree more with any of this. So, thank you once again. A beautiful and powerful video, you’ve earned a like and sub and I’m 100% going to be coming back here.

[@ravsucks]

i’m kind of speechless honestly - i didn’t imagine while making this it would mean this much to someone! but music has the power to move us. different songs have gotten me through difficult times in my life, and i’m sure will wood turned his own pain into passion. whatever journey you’re on, i hope these songs can soothe, and help you through it. thank you for your kind words - i’m honored!

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

We're all in the same boat.

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

@@ravsucksIt does

[@suburbiaa]

ww video essays that are both good and respectful of his privacy are hard to come by, this is a fantastic video, I really like your interpretation of the album, and how you explained it.

[@ravsucks]

@@suburbiaa tysm! i’m glad you liked it :)

[@ohuddy4283]

My biggest flex is he gave me a free shirt 5 years ago. I’m glad he’s getting the attention he deserves but I always cringe when I see TikToks (mostly of The Main Character) because he’s noted so many times he doesn’t want his songs used there

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

I hate that we don't get much fan content about him, he's so cool yet yknow. Main character is actually great but gets overrated usually by tt.

[@PallasTheNavigator]

This is an AWESOME analysis of the album, one I would have never thought of! I myself am working on a (text-document) analysis of all of WW’s albums, and this will contribute greatly as a second perspective! (Bonus: “Dr. Sunshine is Dead” has a title that aligns perfectly with your interpretation, as “Dr. Sunshine” was one of WW’s previous stage names (more or less)!)

[@ravsucks]

happy to help! i had heard about dr. sunshine being a stage name, though i excluded it bc i’ve heard he doesn’t like his music pre-2015 being dug up

[@goblinface306]

I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve never put together the messages behind SELF-iSH, but now that I know about them, it makes total sense why this album got me into WW. I have a very weird brain (I think) and I’ve always had a, want? need? to identify and quantify my SELF. The categories I fit neatly or not so neatly into. Why I feel the way I do about life and after. My sexuality and confusion about the concept of ‘true love’. My paracosmic dreams and nightmares. The Crows that I feel circle about me when darkness, like a veil, covers my soul. My primal fears and phobias. Every piece of my SELF I have tried and failed and tried again to find and see and catalog. For most of my life, I didn’t feel like there even WAS a ‘me’, I felt like I was just a shadow parading around in the masks that other people gave me. But I researched, I found, and I made my own mask out of the shattered pieces of my person, and I finally was. I can hardly think about this album without breaking into tears, for I remember all those other ‘me’s, but they have long sense corroded and crumbled into ruin, and their memory haunts me internally. As I listen to Self- and -Ish, I morn them, for no one else could. They are only dead to me. They only live through me. I really don’t know where all of that just came from but uh yeah, I cried watching this.

[@ravsucks]

@@goblinface306 You could probably write a kickass script for WW analysis based on this comment alone! I’m glad you enjoyed the video, and I never would’ve guessed it could’ve brought someone to tears!

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

ME TOO!!

[@cihloun]

I have all the lyrics of all his albums written in the back of my brain (even most of the not released) and I love it.

[@lysuudu8604]

this album means a lot to me for a couple reasons. i spent a lot of my youth quite unhappy with who i was (social anxiety, self-worth stuff), and i always kinda had this goal to become this perfect version of myself, to "become human," as i tended to call it, essentially just meaning to be a more social person. over the course of several years of working on myself and stuff i finally feel like im that person id always wanted to be - i dont rly have any self-worth issues or anything anymore and im far more social - however i went through a ton of changes in who i was fundamentally as a person over that time to the point where i barely recognize myself now as the person i used to be. sometimes i just think about my personality and actions and stuff and it just doesnt feel like me, like im not "myself," because the old me would never do stuff like this. this album and its themes rly resonate with me cuz i spent so much time pretty much erasing my old self, essentially "replacing myself" as Mr. Capgras echoes. on top of everything tho is a general identity crisis ive found myself with for a lot of my life, and self-ish does a phenomenal job at conveying how it can feel to not rly feel like yourself or know who you are. another reason it means a lot to me is cuz it fucking slaps hoooly shit this album goes hard my fav track is the song with five names lmao also banger video btw

[@ravsucks]

@@lysuudu8604 Yeah, I feel ya. I’ve looked at myself and who I used to be a lot of times with disdain, wanting to become this idealized version. But even though I’m happy with who I am now, I know that it was important to be who I was in order to learn and grow. There’s no fast tracking it. Also, sometimes it’s important to get outside of our own heads and just be who we are, and by the time we check back in with ourselves, we’ll have changed. Glad you liked the video, and thank you!

[@lysuudu8604]

@@ravsucks yea u pretty much summed it up lmao

[@SomePerson5]

Excellent analysis!! Self-Ish is such a great, meaningful, and complicated album in its themes and symbolism. You did a fantastic job of encapsulating it and delivering it in a concise, entertaining, and well-edited way! :] One thing I will say too is how I love you made the distinction between Will Wood, the singer, and Plato, the "protagonist" of this album. I find a lot of people see Self-Ish as Will's own experiences and being taken very literally as him discovering himself. While it is true that bits and pieces of the album is based on Will's experiences (most famously he really did take a lot of drugs in 2012 and forget most of the year), I find it kinda odd how people insist that Self-Ish is Will's personal journey and trip. I'm really happy to see that you treat Plato as a separate entity than Will Wood is all, considering that some people like to insist that Will's music is a complete reflection of his life This is a really well-made and lovingly crafted video and I'm so glad I was able to see it!!

[@ravsucks]

@@SomePerson5 That was my exact intent - I’ve heard Will Wood has had too many obsessive fans try to pick apart his life despite his insistence on privacy. The album tells a beautiful story that I’m sure is drawn from a personal place, but I wanted to make sure it was told respectfully. Thanks!

[@Thestuffdoer]

Leaving a comment here so I can edit it after I'm done watching Edit: wow… just wow. This album exists very close to my heart, so to see this great of an explanation is incredible. The only thing I’d change is adding an explanation for אהיה אשר אהיה in The Song With Five Names, it’s a quote from the Hebrew Bible (Exodus chapter 3 verse 14) it’s what God claims to be, it directly translates to “I am that I am”, which mirrors Mr. Capgras’s “I’m who I ought to be, and that is God to me”. Other than that, it’s amazing, great job!

[@JustSaturn]

Bros watching at .25 speed

[@Thestuffdoer]

@@JustSaturn I'm halfway through and I had something to do alright?

[@ImTired17]

@@Thestuffdoer it's been 9 hours Tsd

[@Thestuffdoer]

Okay guys, the long awaited edit has happened

[@ravsucks]

Glad I came back to read the edit! I saw the lyric when going over the song, but I didn’t think of that connection - that’s pretty cool!

[@YourMuseBillCipher]

Thank you so much for the dive. I needed it. I had to have it. *I needed to hit the bottom.* As you can see I love SELF-iSH... *Not enough, it's good enough but not enough for me!* This kinda made me emotional because I relate with everything in the album as I have OCD, ADHD, anxiety and autism in a combo and it makes me struggle alot with my identity... This is just *myself.*

[@ravsucks]

@@YourMuseBillCipher i appreciate the puns/references

[@ri_s9671]

This analysis is insane. I love how much thought and genuine effort was put into understanding it. One of my favorite things about Will Wood's music is his exploration of complex topics (especially relating to psychiatry) through allusions to religion, literature, medical conditions, ect. A lot of his music resonates with me and I'm so glad I found a video essay that explains a possible (and in my opinion, highly likely) interpretation of such a masterpiece of an album.

[@ravsucks]

@@ri_s9671 when i was finishing this video, i was tired and thinking “well, i hope that was coherent”. i’m glad that you and others not only understood what i meant but enjoyed it! thank you’

[@ravsucks]

@@ri_s9671 when i was finishing this video, i was tired and thinking “well, i hope that was coherent”. i’m glad that you and others not only understood what i meant but enjoyed it! thank you!

[@liamkelly3583]

I was FLOORED by the Heaven Sent reference

[@ravsucks]

@@liamkelly3583 12 was never my favorite Doctor but I can’t pretend that wasn’t my favorite moment in the show

[@snowflakeee]

Awesome video essay! Selfish is one of my favourite albums of all time, and i love how you incorporated the heroes journey into the analysis, really puts the album in a new perspective for me. One slight thing is that at the beginning you said his last two albums were "solo" albums, they actually featured about the same musicians as the tapeworms! The name change was mostly just for business reasons (like making playing shows easier since he can play solo without the others).

[@ravsucks]

Oh, I didn’t know that, thanks for letting me know! Most of my research was just on this album, so I went by assumptions for the others.

[@snowflakeee]

@@ravsucks no problem! Still an awesome video tho!

[@Jax675]

his solo albums are just a branding thing p sure! TNA is as much of a tapeworms thing as SELF-ISH, just being "solo" allowed for him to tour by himself and market easier as a pop thing

[@docjackson8165]

Best will wood video essay

[@JackVersteeg]

5:54 the start of 2012 will bring a smile to anyone’s face

[@kattyanimations]

My hyperfixation!! ^^

[@tostadorakuantica8142]

I'm so glad to find this analysis, very good 11/10

[@ILikeMenderMen]

I’ve been struggling with my identity for a while, with gender dysphoria, my relationship with God, the fact I find all genders attractive, my therianthropy, the fact I’m fictionkin, this album has helped me a whole lot with self discovery and thinking about who people see me to be, and I how I see myself to be, and how those two match up with each other. My PTSD, anxiety and depression piled on top of other things- really begs the question that if I can get better, will that mean the death of me- the death of me as a person, becoming an entirely different person, and forgetting who I am. If I forgot who I was, and became a shell of my former self, would that be for better- or for worse?

[@ravsucks]

@@ILikeMenderMen it’s often hard to see ourselves from the outside, but in a good way, we don’t always change as much as we think we do. and even if you’re completely unrecognizable on the other side of the tunnel, so long as you’re true to yourself and learning to live with who you are, “it doesn’t matter who I am.” i can’t relate to everything you said, but I hope whatever you’re grappling with, it gets better.

[@ILikeMenderMen]

@@ravsucks Thanks, man :D

[@willowblew9087]

This album has had an incredible impact on my life and I am so happy to see more people who want to analyze this art while being respectful to the artist.

[@Jax675]

wow.... this video essay is so well done hope will sees this because again, wow! the journey and narrative of Self-Ish is what makes it so strong imo, being my second favorite album behind ICIMI (for v different reasons) its use of different themes and progression is amazing. my only thing is i wish the tracks faded Into eachother s little better so it was like one big song but that's judt me... AGAIN TY FOR MAKING IT

[@ravsucks]

ooh, the tracks fading into each other is a good idea, maybe one i might use for my next one… i like to have distinct cuts between songs for intros like in capgras and song with five names but it could work well in other places

[@Jax675]

@@ravsucks I was talking about the album itself (sorry for the confusion) but I'm sure it would also work well in the VE!!!!!

[@Sjjdkdjf]

Dude this is the greatest will wood video I've seen yet tbh. Will wood has been my fav musician for sooo long now, sooo thank you :3

[@ravsucks]

@@Sjjdkdjf thank you so much! it means a lot to see the positive feedback :)

[@godzillaeyes]

This is very well put together, I love it! The visuals and video clips you chose were perfect. And it's really cool to hear a storyline flowing through the whole album, regardless of whether the interpretations were similar to mine or even similar to WW's.

[@Fern_Shad3]

Not me having listened to every song over 30+ times

[@PANCAKEMINEZZ]

This is a really good dive into the album. Its a pretty esoteric album to comprehend if you dont understand all the religious or philosophocal references, not to mention it's conceptual rather than literal on top of that. I oicked up on some things that are more obvious, and a few smaller things but you put a nice bow on it all to really bring it together.

[@ravsucks]

@@PANCAKEMINEZZ thank you! it was one of my favorite albums before i started writing, so that certainly helped

[@Bupropionville]

this is a wonderfully crafted video. thank you for your insight.

[@RoseRelisnot]

This whole album has made me ascend (EVERY one is amazing although the Song With Five Names is my favorite if I had to choose)

[@aubreyjane7536]

Been waiting for a video like this for a WHILE, I was about to make it myself

[@ravsucks]

lmk if you do make one, i’d be happy to watch it!

[@klank9409]

nah this led me to discovering some bangers and i'm only 4 songs deep so far thank you

[@ravsucks]

@@klank9409 just happy i could introduce someone to peak

[@EvilBenFolds]

WHAT THE HELL ONLY 10K HOW THIS VIDEO DESERVES MILLIONS

[@astral_shooting]

Love your voice man! Also live love laugh Will Wood..

[@ravsucks]

awww, tysm!

[@astral_shooting]

@@ravsucks of course!!

[@twisted_redeyess8990]

I am seriously impressed with this video. I really like how well thought you the takes are and i couldn't agree more. Love this album and i love will wood. helped me get through some horrible stuff myself and i related with this album alot and couldn't articulate why but this is as close as i can get to saying "yes this". Awesome video

[@ravsucks]

@@twisted_redeyess8990 I’m glad you liked it! As my favorite WW album, I had listened to it on loop quite a lot, through a tough time in my life, but I still discovered a lot of things in the lyrics while researching I had never realized.

[@twisted_redeyess8990]

@@ravsucks He's a very very good with his lyricism, there are still times in some of his songs where i find myself googling lines just to end up in a rabbit hole somewhere on the internet. Very smart man. Hoping he releases more stuff someday. enjoying the features he's done in the mean time

[@ravsucks]

@@twisted_redeyess8990 Did you see he did a remaster of the Normal Album recently?

[@twisted_redeyess8990]

@@ravsucks i did i loves hearing the live session demos. I studied music in college and getting to hear the raw audio was super cool

[@gabidlf346]

i loved this, i loved this a lot

[@ravsucks]

i’m glad you did! it was a ton of fun to make

[@phailure1014]

This video is an amazing deep dive! I love this type of analysis especially since this is one of the artists ive spent so long listening to and talking about! Subject mater aside your editing is very strong! made for an enjoyable watch! One thing I will note that i found interesting was that you mentioned the western feeling of Hand Me My Shovel was to not compare it with the sound of Chemical Overreaction and its messages of losing parts of yourself and lamenting the mistakes of your past. Then again that's not part of the album so it is a bit beyond the scope of the video

[@ravsucks]

It would’ve made for a cool comparison, but I’m not too familiar with the rest of his catalogue. I’ve picked a few songs from each, but I’ve never done a thorough listen of the whole thing like I did with SELF-iSH. But thank you, and I’m happy you liked it!

[@TaCoSiePrzysnila]

Man I have to say this, I am watching yourr 2nd video on Will, and I love the way you deep dive into his songs, into him as person, though keep being very, very understanding into how he feels, you respect it and respect others watching. I like the vibe of your videos and hope tto see more, that's a really goood interpretation of yours, and as a singer and songwriter myself I apprieccate your time into trying to understand and then explain it to others in most chronological order possible, just to make it simple and understable after first watch. That'ss a greatt video.

[@blossomoasis]

i love this video so much its very well edited and generally pretty correct u would love to see more

[@ravsucks]

@@blossomoasis Would love to make more! Stay tuned!

[@mollyharned6392]

This album along with others of his mean alot to mean especially his more older ones because of the themes of mental health that I really relate to also I always saw song with five names to be about religious trauma do I remember why no sadly

[@Funky.S]

hell yea this goes hard

[@Crocogator]

Hand me my shovel. ETA: I like your style. Maybe do Tally Hall sometime

[@ravsucks]

I’M GOING IN

[@Crocogator]

@@ravsucks gotta get to the bottom of this (bottle)

[@ravsucks]

oh also tally hall is a good idea - i was thinking of doing a similar video on hawaii part ii

[@Crocogator]

@@ravsucks Dream Sweet in Sea Major is one of my favourite songs of all time. That would be amazing

[@lucastheunfunnyguy]

​@@ravsucksdo not get blacked by the Hawaii part ii for being stupid with album urm BeatleBat *cough cough*

[@emmaruggiero6508]

omedetou!

[@juscreepin]

Great video overall but I’m super pissed you didn’t include my favorite interpretation to hand me my shovel I’m going in because the lyrics this is not enough to prove it yet no I need to hit the bottom are extremely reminiscent of someone struggling with mental illness addiction or the like procrastinating seeking help as they believe they are undeserving or less deserving than others of this help especially if they have pushed past their rock-bottom

[@formal_club]

great video!! subbed :) ❤

[@ravsucks]

@@formal_club tysm!!

[@scribbleshrimp]

Awesome

[@IkerContreras-qh6du]

cool!

[@Dandelion-Dreamz]

3:54 surprise omori reference???

[@ravsucks]

my process is usually listening to my voiceover and putting whatever comes to mind on the screen - that scene stood out

[@CLOUDRAWZ]

You are so underrated it makes me angry

[@ravsucks]

@@CLOUDRAWZ lol, we all start somewhere! i’m thankful for the attention i’ve gotten so far

[@arz9910]

Why do you call the singer plato when i no nothing about Plato,

[@ravsucks]

@@arz9910 One recurring allusion I make in the video is to Plato’s Cave, so I thought it appropriate to name the protagonist after him!

[@milanadabannana4063]

this is a TERRIBLE analysis!

[@ravsucks]

@@milanadabannana4063 damn