When I was a child I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was always so alone. Everyday at recess I would lay on the hill and watch the clouds, or climb to the top of the jungle gym and talk to my brother in heaven because that’s the closest I could get to him. I just knew he would understand me, and play with me. I’m crying such big tears listening to this song, I feel so seen and understood in a way that I can’t begin to explain. Thank you for this beautiful song.
This is So bittersweet. You’re Awesome. Lots of us had lonely awkward childhoods. Your Not Alone. It’s too cool you shared this here. I’m approaching 40 and still feel so familiar to what I’ve just read. Take comfort in knowing that everything you think is common with So many other lonely unsettled people out there. We’re all so fortunate to live in this time. To hear and experience these artists🤘🏽❤️🔥🙏🏽💞Our loved ones are most at peace when we’re at our most happy.
Sounds like how I imagine my daughter would try to talk with her brother and me my son. Wish I could explain this to her it's been over 3 years since I've seen her and over 5 since my son died. I love and miss them so much. This song is the 3 of us all in 1.
I do understand nothing at all about the lyrics, but for me, the music makes me so sad that I can't stop thinking about my Grand Pa's suicide and my cousin's death !!!
@Double Vision I think they mean vague in a way that some people hear the lyrics and remember how they were misunderstood by others, and try to find someone that really gets them.
When you burst out to tears while hearing the first phrases because it feels like someone sings a song about your childhood. With the sad part that im 34 and still feel like this.. abandoned, not understood and lonely child. Those who know they know.. We are just like that we are different and thats our nature to be alone, the one questioning and outstanding ✨
As an autistic person who was non-verbal from when I was newborn to 5/6, this song means a lot to me... I’m constantly misunderstood and alienated because of my autism. This song reassures me and helps me feel like I’m not alone. I didn’t even know, for all these years, that this song was actually inspired by Ben Cooper’s autistic and non-verbal nephew. Knowing this makes it mean so much more to me.
I'm also autistic, and funnily enough, this song has become a special interest for me. I have played it probably 300 times on the guitar if not more. It makes me feel heard.
This song is, at least to me, very obviously about a nonverbal autistic kid. It hits me a little, as an autistic person, but I really like it. I was never nonverbal myself but many others like me are. The fact that Philip, the Mute at the centre of the story here, ultimately runs away from home is heartbreaking, mostly because it's a very relatable conclusion to come to. After all, if your dad loathes your existence, and you feel like you're nothing but a burden to your mother, maybe running away isn't that bad of an option. Running away from home is of course never the solution, but it's not an unrealistic response to a situation like that. Thank you, Ben, for telling a story like this. EDIT: It's been at least a year since I left this comment, and I've since had an experience where due to social stress I was left nonverbal for a day. It reinforced my perspective on the power of this song and its message. Listening with more than just your ears is incredibly important for communication.
@@francescapoteet5481 I appreciate that you were willing to share this story with me, however at the same time I'm personally struggling with something similar, and I'd rather avoid thinking about it myself. I hope you understand.
@@francescapoteet5481 I don't even know if I am on the spectrum (my parents never thought it was important), I am breaking of some of the clutches I put on my self in the past and have been forced to learn to deal with this world. I just wish your son all the strength and courage there is, I had to learn through a very hard process to deal with reality and it wasn't funny, but at least now I am glad that I can deal with it somewhat properly. I had a period of almost one year or two where (counting the pandemic) during which I didn't even know what to do with myself. I learned that changing my views about myself and my behaviors actually was the key, the key to face this world, which I find sometimes so disgusting and others so appealing. I send all the courage and strength to you and your son, take care.
Exactly. When you make the choice to have a child, you're signing on for the possibility of a disabled child - they could be born any way, they could turn out any way, and anything could happen to them. People have children and expect their kids to be all they could never be themselves, and then treat them like burdens when it turns out they're only human. It's heartbreaking and infuriating, and I'm hoping that in the future if having kids feels less like an obligation and more like a personal choice, that'll mean less kids growing up feeling unwanted and more resources for parents who need help getting their children support, therapy, and treatment when it's needed.
My favorite line is "If you only listen with your ears I can't get in" This is so true, there are thousands of people crying out for help silently, but just because you cant hear them actually cry out "help" it doesnt mean they are not suffering. I really really wish you guys would tour in Costa Rica in the near future, You are one of my favorite groups, Thank you for the art you make
I cried about five seconds into this video. I guess that it just brought back lots of memories from when I was a kid because I used to stutter all the time. The bullying and teasing made me stay as quiet as I possibly could at school and the beautiful song just got to me.
So true. Radical Face as a whole. In a way, I feel happy, it’s like my little secret, in the other hand I feel sad, because so many people missing this out. It all begun for me when I saw a Canon commercial with welcome home as sound track, then I was, oh my god what’s that. Huge fan since then.
@@robertomarin wow i just discovered Welcome Home because of 'Before I Wake', it plays in the credits part. I heard that song and i was just amazing... Radical Face songs really feel like a warm hug, a safe place
I thought the song "always gold" hit me hard! this one has totally broken me down because I have a son was diagnosed with autism and he sometimes feels like the lil girl in the video but if he only new how lucky I am to be his dad! Thank you Ben Cooper for another masterpiece 🙏🏽
@@caffeineandnicotine5882 Not to harsh the vibes, but that's not really a productive way of framing a parent with an autistic kid, or really anybody who has an autistic person in their life. 'Hero' implies they are taking on something dangerous, or something which the average person couldn't do. And, yeah, there are a real lack of resources for families with autistic members, and the infrastructure of the world is in many ways actively hostile to autistic behaviours and reactions. But I say this as an adult autistic person- no one is a hero for adapting to that kind of challenge, or surviving it. No one is a hero for taking care of their own child, much less accepting the neurodivergency of their own kid. That is just decency, that is just being a person who is coping with their situation in a positive and constructive and loving way. We should certainly celebrate it, but not in a way that others. When you say 'hero' you kind of alienate them, the family and the kid, by implying the experience is so challenging and away from the norm that it becomes worth of celebrating. Instead, we should be normalising this kind of constructive and loving attitude towards autistic people, and creating a world where it isn't so remarkable that a parent expresses love for their child's whole identity, including the neurodivergent parts.
I'm an autistic teenager and I can absolutely relate to the kid in the video. I want to let you know that you seem like an excellent parent, and I hope that you and your child have an excellent life.
Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead And they thought my broken, that my tongue was coated lead But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them If you only listen with your ears I can't get in And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives And I would dress myself up in them through the night While my folks would sleep in separate beds and wonder why And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair My dad considered me a cross he had to bear And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare As my mom would hang the clothes across the line And she would try to keep the empty from her eyes So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned And in my head I said goodbye, then I was gone And I set out on the heels of the unknown So my folks could have a new life of their own So that maybe I could find someone Who could hear the only words that I'd known
.Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead And they thought my broken, that my tongue was coated lead But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them If you only listen with your ears I can't get in And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives And I would dress myself up in them through the night While my folks would sleep in separate beds and wonder why And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair My dad considered me a cross he had to bear And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare As my mom would hang the clothes across the line And she would try to keep the empty from her eyes So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned And in my head I said goodbye, then I was gone And I set out on the heels of the unknown So my folks could have a new life of their own So that maybe I could find someone Who could hear the only words that I'd known
How could you write so precisely about my childhood? And the video... I used to use clothes alike, keep shut in my room feeling ashamed for being so damn different to her... trying to feel better by dreaming, writing, reading, dancing, looking at the stars from the ceiling. I "ran out " from my country escaping from all of that just like the child, 10 years have passed and ghosts still knock on my door. This breaks my heart and at the same time makes me feel a little better... not alone. Thanks for ur music, it's really meaningful for me.
I really love this song. It captures such a good feeling and such a sad feeling. In the end, children hear all the things that adults yell and swear. The children understand despite being 3 or 4 what good feelings and intentions towards them are. Versus the feelings of no desire and no support. So this song, really lit a fire in me. I ran away too when I was 5. Because I didn't want to be a burden to my family. I wonder, why these things still have to happen to children everywhere. Being loved and accepted in the journey we all take. And it first starts at home. If not at home, then somewhere else with someone else. Or with yourself. I hope the kid in the video found their happy place.
This song speaks to my heart as a person on the Autistic Spectrum and having been trough moments of selective mutism throughout my life. I've been even called "the mute" or "ghost" by people who tries to make fun of me in university and out of it. I've always struggled to maintain friendships or just make friends. For me the concept of friendship is sometimes kind of blurry and confusing and I know that as an autistic person is difficult to find people who understand. I sometimes wish I could make them or find friends like that but I know that people perceive me as different and people hate the different. The rate of suicide among autistics is so much higher than allistics and I comprehend why, at the same time I know that out there, there are a lot of people who feel like me so I hope that your life is full of peace and great things, you can achieve anything even if the system not on our side.
Wow, just stumbled upon this song once again five years later after recently finding out I am autistic... no wonder I related so much to this song, it meant so much to me back then. :')
This Song goes out to the ones who are SCREAMING yet cannot be heard, the ones who are crying but ALONE the ones who are called cold hearted & SHUT themselves off the ones who are taken for GRANTED. ---This song is for U PEOPLE.
I don't know if you'll ever read this, but thank you for your music. Everything you've done strikes an amazing chord with myself. From someone who had the ability to play the instrument they love taken away from a careless car hitting them, thank you for doing what you do.
"The Mute" Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead And they thought me broken, that my tongue was coated lead But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them If you only listen with your ears... I can't get in And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives And I would dress myself up in them through the night While my folks would sleep in separate beds... and wonder why And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair My dad considered me a cross he had to bear And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare As my mom would hang the clothes across the line And she would try to keep the empty... from her eyes So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned And in my head I said "goodbye, " then I was gone And I set out on the heels of the unknown So my folks could have a new life of their own And then maybe I could find someone Who could hear the only words that I'd known
I can't properly express my love for this song. It reminds me so much of me as a child. Just phenomenal and tear-jerking. Radical Face, never stop. Please.
I know I can speak with words but this video just gets to me because speaking with words isn't always enough. What's going inside my head isn't the same as what's coming out and I just love this song beyond belief and the video because it's explaining exactly what I feel.
I didn't. My mom told me about the time my uncle (her brother) ran away and my grandma changed the locks when he did. He lived with a friend for a week before he could come back. I don't think my mom would do that to me but I never chanced it.
you're songs have shaken my core more than once, you're really an inspiration to us all. if only others made songs that could actually make change. i hope you're songs get heard all over the world, thanks man seriously.....
***** muslims who follow western culture and not follow islamic values. muslim women should submit to their husbands and follow them instead of becoming more like western women.
This makes me remember so many things from my childhood that I ignored, took as normal, or pushed away. This song brings back parts of my life that I didn't think about or didn't want to think about, in a way that's somehow beautiful.
Вспомнил про эту песню спустя много лет. Конечно, я не болен, как герой песни, но текст напоминает мне о том как не сложились мои отношения с отцом. Как далеки мы с ним от понимания друг друга. Напоминает мне о постоянном чувстве одиночества в отрочестве. О том, сколько грустного довелось пережить, но так и не вышло отпустить всё это. Спасибо автору за его труд.
As a child who had verbal issues this really meant so much to me I had so much trouble speaking when I was younger I would just cry if they did try. I still don't know why I was like that but seeing this song years later really brings tears well up in my eyes.
I have a 5 year old non verbal autistic son, this song hit me so hard when I heard it. Thinking about what goes on in his head, the struggles my wife and I have had with his condition. I love this song. Just discovered it.
As an OSDD system, this brought memories back of the core - the original person we used to be. We were autistic, never knew how to do things 'right' or 'normally', struggled with abuse from his father, peers and authority figures (teachers, even), and after one horrific incident he just... died. We split, never saw him again. Not really. We've had amnesia about him for so long we didn't remember how bad it really was until we saw the music video. It all makes sense, now.
First of all, I love everything about this video. It's heartbreaking in such a particular way to see this kid doing the best with what he's got and escaping further and further into his imagination, first for fun and later for safety and freedom, just doing what kids do and looking for happiness even while miserable. But also, as someone who's autistic and relates to these lyrics so bad I cried when I first heard this.... thank you. I may not be non-verbal, and I don't really know what that's like, but I grew up with a speech impediment, and more than that I was spoken over and ignored enough times that eventually I stopped trying, so I definitely felt mute lol. It's a struggle to figure out how to find my voice without taking on someone else's.
The running away in this can be as metaphorical as the listener makes it … running away into oneself where it’s safe … disappearing into an alternate world. It’s a very sad song.
I first saw that video a long time ago and of course loved it. But now I know a lot more about Ben's music and friends, it's funny to recognize the great singers-songwriters-musicians of "the little books / rickolus" playing the parents. The music, the lyrics, the video... everything there is heartbreaking and Ben's voice is wonderful!!!
This song is amazing. On one hand it infuriates me because I am a disabled person and I know that many parents of disabled children are fucking up this bad or worse. On the other hand it fills me with hope that someone understands and is shining a light on it, and with such a pretty song too.
Since discovering this song, it always comes back to me when I’m alone by the sea :) along with the memories of time elapsed, keeping it together isn’t always easy
I've been drawing a kid named jakson for 5 years, were he was mute, and he could see things souly on the fact that he knew they ere there, and could never ask himself if they were real or not, this made it come to life, especially at the end when he disappeared.
Ben your a great artist! I've got all of your music that I can find!! At 57yrs. old I know a lot of bands!! and you one of my favorites!! And I listen to your music ALL the time!!!!
As a mother of a child with autism, I was looking for something in this. I think it is a very creative piece - beautiful - and profoundly sad. Our son is abundantly loved, embraced and (I hope) very well understood. But he has parents who do sleep in the same bed, and siblings who adore him. I hope you write about more than one child considered to be mute, or that has communication challenges. They can live very happy lives too.
Questa canzone sa esprimere meglio di qualunque parola questo mondo parallelo fatto di fragorosi silenzi e apparenti contraddizioni. Luoghi solitari dove genitori e figli non possono mai incontrarsi nonostante la vicinanza . Grande video.
Radical face where are you ? You need to pull up your socks and bring some new music. I love your your music. They are too peaceful. Please come back with this kind of music. Please I need more of this music. Please come back.
This song apperead in my Spotify Playlist-Radio and it gave me a nostalgia flashback but I never heard the song in my life before. After 20 seconds in the song I felt this awesome feeling that you get when you finish favorite video game, your favorite book or a really good movie or series, but also this sadness with the thought: '' what should I do now? ''. Fazit: great song. It has a place in my Playlist now
Thank you for making this video. I would usually type out a wholehearted message, but the only words that come to mind is thank you. - Your fellow mute
Always appreciate yourself for making this music as well, Ben! You're an inspiration to so many and help them through with difficulties in their life and they all love you for it, me included. We appreciate you and hope you appreciate, love and take care of yourself!
i feel like this song, always gold, and home are connected story-wise. like, the character seemingly running away in 'the mute' could be the brother (was it brother? lets just say sibling) from 'home' and 'always gold'. I mean, I've only listened to three of their songs so far so I'm not really sure, but this seems like a story as far as I can see
Dude he's got four albums of connected songs all telling one massive story. The Roots, The Branches, and The Leaves, which just came out. There's also The Bastards, which were song that got cut for various reasons from the other albums. I recommend listening to them all in order, then checking out his website where he has them mostly mapped out, if you want the full experience.
I found your music through this song. I really love this song, and it just about makes me tear up, which is very rare for me(I don't know why I just don't really have tears often). Even though I don't personally relate to a lot of the lyrics, I very much connect with it. Thank you, keep making fabulous music.
You guys are inspiration. I REALLY love all of your songs. The musics let us scape to another world once a while. Keep on making amazing songs. Love, from Brazil !!
We're all born unique, completely different from everyone else. If we're unable to conform to the norm we are seen as odd. Many in your life will try to fit you with a label. Now that you're grown find who you were born to be and be at peace. You were born with purpose and destiny.
this song is fucking devastating man. I really like to wallow in the melancholy and am a little callused to it, but something about this story and track just tore me up man. I got into a sobbing/drinking/chainsmoking spell the rest of the night after listening to this the first time. Really hits yah.
I'm so glad I herd this song. During an episode actually; I couldn't talk and I tried to and make random noises of my class and I felt shitty cause I had alot to say but couldn't. I'm partially non-verbal, and autistic. This song feels verry raw, and I think it was beautifully written
~Sarah's Weekly Inspiration~ The Mute- By Radical Face Deciding between this artists songs was difficult (I also enjoy Mountains, Black Eyes, Wrapped in piano strings, Winter is coming etc) I love this song, from its lyrics to its video. The girls outfit always inspires me to draw more clothing. When I'm listening to these songs is when I crank out characters Another underrated artist that deserves more listeners! Enjoy~~
Radical Face is by far my favorite artist. He's so talented and so few people have heard of him. I love him because he makes those rare songs that have great melodies AND meaningful lyrics. "The Mute" is a prime example of this. It is a sad song, but it has an important message that's hard to articulate (maybe ironically).
oh, i recall finding this song a while ago!!! As a pup during school days i pretty much never spoke. That eventually changed after a few years when i finally found some friends but i recall on multiple occasions people would tell me they thought i was completely mute. I'm not going to go telling my life story in a bloody youtube comment of all places but those years were pretty damn difficult and i honestly still feel like i'm trying to recover from them. But i did find this song during those times and related to it so much, it was my favourite song for quite a while.
This is a my brothers song really has verbal apraxia (he stopped breathing during a surgery when he was 18 months) every single line is him to a tee ... You guys are my favorite im going to use welcome home when I walk down the aisle ... Keep doing what ur doing
When I was a child I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was always so alone. Everyday at recess I would lay on the hill and watch the clouds, or climb to the top of the jungle gym and talk to my brother in heaven because that’s the closest I could get to him. I just knew he would understand me, and play with me. I’m crying such big tears listening to this song, I feel so seen and understood in a way that I can’t begin to explain. Thank you for this beautiful song.
that's so sad :( i'm sorry about your brother, i'm sure he's watching over you - and i hope you're doing better now, my friend
This is heartbreaking 💔. I hope you're doing better now
This is So bittersweet. You’re Awesome. Lots of us had lonely awkward childhoods. Your Not Alone. It’s too cool you shared this here. I’m approaching 40 and still feel so familiar to what I’ve just read. Take comfort in knowing that everything you think is common with So many other lonely unsettled people out there. We’re all so fortunate to live in this time. To hear and experience these artists🤘🏽❤️🔥🙏🏽💞Our loved ones are most at peace when we’re at our most happy.
❤😢❤❤❤❤
Sounds like how I imagine my daughter would try to talk with her brother and me my son. Wish I could explain this to her it's been over 3 years since I've seen her and over 5 since my son died. I love and miss them so much. This song is the 3 of us all in 1.
I love how the lyrics definitely tell a story but are vague enough for anyone to relate with their own personal experiences
I do understand nothing at all about the lyrics, but for me, the music makes me so sad that I can't stop thinking about my Grand Pa's suicide and my cousin's death !!!
IMO that's what makes good song writing
@Double Vision I think they mean vague in a way that some people hear the lyrics and remember how they were misunderstood by others, and try to find someone that really gets them.
When you burst out to tears while hearing the first phrases because it feels like someone sings a song about your childhood. With the sad part that im 34 and still feel like this.. abandoned, not understood and lonely child.
Those who know they know.. We are just like that we are different and thats our nature to be alone, the one questioning and outstanding ✨
@@8Freakish8 Same here. Society needs to be more accepting.
As an autistic person who was non-verbal from when I was newborn to 5/6, this song means a lot to me... I’m constantly misunderstood and alienated because of my autism. This song reassures me and helps me feel like I’m not alone. I didn’t even know, for all these years, that this song was actually inspired by Ben Cooper’s autistic and non-verbal nephew. Knowing this makes it mean so much more to me.
I'm also autistic, and funnily enough, this song has become a special interest for me. I have played it probably 300 times on the guitar if not more. It makes me feel heard.
Thank you for saying the same things I'd say as have ASD as well.
I felt this
I personally fucking love you
🍀🎈🥀🙋🏼♂️💪🏻🌻🐞🖖🏻
this hurts my heart.
Aren't we all looking for someone who will listen with more than their ears?
of course. but you first have to find someone who will talk with more than their mouths.
@@bli3859 This song is very meaningful.
@@bli3859 None of this conversation required ears or mouths :p
Podría ser un infarto
@@AvatarOfBhaal I guess in a way all of us coming across this one video was some form of communication that ran deeper than the basic senses
This song is, at least to me, very obviously about a nonverbal autistic kid.
It hits me a little, as an autistic person, but I really like it. I was never nonverbal myself but many others like me are.
The fact that Philip, the Mute at the centre of the story here, ultimately runs away from home is heartbreaking, mostly because it's a very relatable conclusion to come to. After all, if your dad loathes your existence, and you feel like you're nothing but a burden to your mother, maybe running away isn't that bad of an option.
Running away from home is of course never the solution, but it's not an unrealistic response to a situation like that.
Thank you, Ben, for telling a story like this.
EDIT: It's been at least a year since I left this comment, and I've since had an experience where due to social stress I was left nonverbal for a day. It reinforced my perspective on the power of this song and its message. Listening with more than just your ears is incredibly important for communication.
same
it hit me so hard because all the time in highschool ive been mute
@@francescapoteet5481 I appreciate that you were willing to share this story with me, however at the same time I'm personally struggling with something similar, and I'd rather avoid thinking about it myself. I hope you understand.
@Francesca Poteet as a guy with aspergers that struggles I also worry about that eventuality.
@@francescapoteet5481 I don't even know if I am on the spectrum (my parents never thought it was important), I am breaking of some of the clutches I put on my self in the past and have been forced to learn to deal with this world. I just wish your son all the strength and courage there is, I had to learn through a very hard process to deal with reality and it wasn't funny, but at least now I am glad that I can deal with it somewhat properly. I had a period of almost one year or two where (counting the pandemic) during which I didn't even know what to do with myself. I learned that changing my views about myself and my behaviors actually was the key, the key to face this world, which I find sometimes so disgusting and others so appealing. I send all the courage and strength to you and your son, take care.
im just wondering when parents will stop taking their kids for granted, and just learn to appreciate them and love them no matter how they turned out
Exactly. When you make the choice to have a child, you're signing on for the possibility of a disabled child - they could be born any way, they could turn out any way, and anything could happen to them. People have children and expect their kids to be all they could never be themselves, and then treat them like burdens when it turns out they're only human.
It's heartbreaking and infuriating, and I'm hoping that in the future if having kids feels less like an obligation and more like a personal choice, that'll mean less kids growing up feeling unwanted and more resources for parents who need help getting their children support, therapy, and treatment when it's needed.
i'm lucky i have a wonderful mom.
My favorite line is "If you only listen with your ears I can't get in"
This is so true, there are thousands of people crying out for help silently, but just because you cant hear them actually cry out "help" it doesnt mean they are not suffering.
I really really wish you guys would tour in Costa Rica in the near future, You are one of my favorite groups,
Thank you for the art you make
Yep me too
We need 'em around the world a lot more, indeed.
I love how Radical Face's songs always let me escape into another world.
Taya Llama its true, their songs are so deep
+Hoang Dang It's not as deep when you have sufficient understanding to touch the meaning that it conveys. Because then it's YOURS, not "deep".
+Hoang Dang radical face is one guy named Ben Cooper who lives in Florida.
+Hoang Dang radical face is one guy named Ben Cooper who lives in Florida.
+Hoang Dang radical face is one guy named Ben Cooper who lives in Florida.
I cried about five seconds into this video. I guess that it just brought back lots of memories from when I was a kid because I used to stutter all the time. The bullying and teasing made me stay as quiet as I possibly could at school and the beautiful song just got to me.
+Ivy Curtis
You need to be heard!
+ Ivy Curtis :c
❤
This is so horrendously underrated
I agree! Although it's a different genre entirely, I think Daniel Johnston deserves some praise!
Look up Walking The Cow. Or Life In Vein
So true. Radical Face as a whole. In a way, I feel happy, it’s like my little secret, in the other hand I feel sad, because so many people missing this out. It all begun for me when I saw a Canon commercial with welcome home as sound track, then I was, oh my god what’s that. Huge fan since then.
@@robertomarin wow i just discovered Welcome Home because of 'Before I Wake', it plays in the credits part. I heard that song and i was just amazing... Radical Face songs really feel like a warm hug, a safe place
2 million views though.
I thought the song "always gold" hit me hard! this one has totally broken me down because I have a son was diagnosed with autism and he sometimes feels like the lil girl in the video but if he only new how lucky I am to be his dad! Thank you Ben Cooper for another masterpiece 🙏🏽
Hero
@@caffeineandnicotine5882 Not to harsh the vibes, but that's not really a productive way of framing a parent with an autistic kid, or really anybody who has an autistic person in their life. 'Hero' implies they are taking on something dangerous, or something which the average person couldn't do. And, yeah, there are a real lack of resources for families with autistic members, and the infrastructure of the world is in many ways actively hostile to autistic behaviours and reactions. But I say this as an adult autistic person- no one is a hero for adapting to that kind of challenge, or surviving it. No one is a hero for taking care of their own child, much less accepting the neurodivergency of their own kid. That is just decency, that is just being a person who is coping with their situation in a positive and constructive and loving way.
We should certainly celebrate it, but not in a way that others. When you say 'hero' you kind of alienate them, the family and the kid, by implying the experience is so challenging and away from the norm that it becomes worth of celebrating. Instead, we should be normalising this kind of constructive and loving attitude towards autistic people, and creating a world where it isn't so remarkable that a parent expresses love for their child's whole identity, including the neurodivergent parts.
I'm an autistic teenager and I can absolutely relate to the kid in the video. I want to let you know that you seem like an excellent parent, and I hope that you and your child have an excellent life.
@@darthzaida1881 that something should be doesn't mean it is so.
I relate. I hope my daughter feels heard and loved. I hope your son does as well.
The music videos for Radical Face are far to underappreciated.
Emily Fisher facts!
I agree! The video for Holy Branches is incredible too among many other
Too sad people nowadays thinks it's more artistic if a song is nonsense with inappropriate music videos.
Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head
I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead
And they thought my broken, that my tongue was coated lead
But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them
If you only listen with your ears I can't get in
And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky
And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie
And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives
And I would dress myself up in them through the night
While my folks would sleep in separate beds and wonder why
And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair
My dad considered me a cross he had to bear
And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare
As my mom would hang the clothes across the line
And she would try to keep the empty from her eyes
So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone
I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned
And in my head I said goodbye, then I was gone
And I set out on the heels of the unknown
So my folks could have a new life of their own
So that maybe I could find someone
Who could hear the only words that I'd known
thank you
@@hahahaha-jj8op
Thank to you, i was forgetting about this song after 3 years, Now i am enjoying it again.
Always worth a re-listen~ @@remya4050
.Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head
I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead
And they thought my broken, that my tongue was coated lead
But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them
If you only listen with your ears I can't get in
And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky
And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie
And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives
And I would dress myself up in them through the night
While my folks would sleep in separate beds and wonder why
And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair
My dad considered me a cross he had to bear
And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare
As my mom would hang the clothes across the line
And she would try to keep the empty from her eyes
So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone
I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned
And in my head I said goodbye, then I was gone
And I set out on the heels of the unknown
So my folks could have a new life of their own
So that maybe I could find someone
Who could hear the only words that I'd known
Just reading the words made me cry
I choked up inside reading them. I am sad that she has no one to play with.
My God, this sounds like something I would have write, had I been more considerate to my folks. :(
How could you write so precisely about my childhood? And the video... I used to use clothes alike, keep shut in my room feeling ashamed for being so damn different to her... trying to feel better by dreaming, writing, reading, dancing, looking at the stars from the ceiling. I "ran out " from my country escaping from all of that just like the child, 10 years have passed and ghosts still knock on my door. This breaks my heart and at the same time makes me feel a little better... not alone. Thanks for ur music, it's really meaningful for me.
I really love this song. It captures such a good feeling and such a sad feeling. In the end, children hear all the things that adults yell and swear. The children understand despite being 3 or 4 what good feelings and intentions towards them are. Versus the feelings of no desire and no support. So this song, really lit a fire in me. I ran away too when I was 5. Because I didn't want to be a burden to my family. I wonder, why these things still have to happen to children everywhere. Being loved and accepted in the journey we all take. And it first starts at home. If not at home, then somewhere else with someone else. Or with yourself. I hope the kid in the video found their happy place.
This song speaks to my heart as a person on the Autistic Spectrum and having been trough moments of selective mutism throughout my life. I've been even called "the mute" or "ghost" by people who tries to make fun of me in university and out of it. I've always struggled to maintain friendships or just make friends. For me the concept of friendship is sometimes kind of blurry and confusing and I know that as an autistic person is difficult to find people who understand. I sometimes wish I could make them or find friends like that but I know that people perceive me as different and people hate the different. The rate of suicide among autistics is so much higher than allistics and I comprehend why, at the same time I know that out there, there are a lot of people who feel like me so I hope that your life is full of peace and great things, you can achieve anything even if the system not on our side.
Your just like me I know it's hard dont give up ❤ I can relate to you so much I wish I knew more people like me
I fall more and more in love with this song each time I hear it.
teach me how to dougie has almost 40mil views.....twisted
cool for u, but think about all that persons who cant fall in love with anybody mate , sad thing that
true
Debra-Ann Walker I danced with my cat and cried.
Wow, just stumbled upon this song once again five years later after recently finding out I am autistic... no wonder I related so much to this song, it meant so much to me back then. :')
This Song goes out to the ones
who are SCREAMING yet cannot be heard,
the ones who are crying but ALONE
the ones who are called cold hearted & SHUT themselves off
the ones who are taken for GRANTED.
---This song is for U PEOPLE.
+Tor Parsons I dunno.... Could be a coincidence
Yeah fits me a lot
Hah....
Ty
Eu precisa ler isso ♥️
I don't know if you'll ever read this, but thank you for your music. Everything you've done strikes an amazing chord with myself. From someone who had the ability to play the instrument they love taken away from a careless car hitting them, thank you for doing what you do.
I hope you're doing well, dear stranger. I hope this comment brought you back here to listen to this song once again!
Yasim Mohammed Why did your reply make me tear up..?
"The Mute"
Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head
I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead
And they thought me broken, that my tongue was coated lead
But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them
If you only listen with your ears... I can't get in
And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky
And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie
And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives
And I would dress myself up in them through the night
While my folks would sleep in separate beds... and wonder why
And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair
My dad considered me a cross he had to bear
And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare
As my mom would hang the clothes across the line
And she would try to keep the empty... from her eyes
So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone
I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned
And in my head I said "goodbye, " then I was gone
And I set out on the heels of the unknown
So my folks could have a new life of their own
And then maybe I could find someone
Who could hear the only words that I'd known
nice
as someone with problems and going non-verbal at times due to trauma and a conglomeration of disabilities, this song speaks to me, I love it so much.
I can't properly express my love for this song. It reminds me so much of me as a child. Just phenomenal and tear-jerking. Radical Face, never stop. Please.
I know I can speak with words but this video just gets to me because speaking with words isn't always enough. What's going inside my head isn't the same as what's coming out and I just love this song beyond belief and the video because it's explaining exactly what I feel.
+Shelby G
So true. Reasons I do art.
+Window4503 me too actually I love painting
I wonder how you feel about it now
Remember running away with a pillowcase as a kid... into the slightly forested area down the street, just like this? You know you did it too.
Yeap
I live in a forested area so... Yeah?
I didn't. My mom told me about the time my uncle (her brother) ran away and my grandma changed the locks when he did. He lived with a friend for a week before he could come back. I don't think my mom would do that to me but I never chanced it.
Same
you're songs have shaken my core more than once, you're really an inspiration to us all. if only others made songs that could actually make change. i hope you're songs get heard all over the world, thanks man seriously.....
yh fellow easterner
From the east to the west, it seems his music is being heard all over the world. c:
you should be studying quran and not shaming all the muslims by absorbing western media.
***** muslims who follow western culture and not follow islamic values. muslim women should submit to their husbands and follow them instead of becoming more like western women.
tired of being a spectator....... what the hell are you doing here if you hate western media so much.
This makes me remember so many things from my childhood that I ignored, took as normal, or pushed away. This song brings back parts of my life that I didn't think about or didn't want to think about, in a way that's somehow beautiful.
A man I really love sent me this song.. We are strangers now but he will always be the sweetest part of me.
Me pasó lo mismo
Imagination should be nurtured, encouraged, and respected it brings out the very best of us as people.
🖤 tc guys im away to imagine my best days.
Вспомнил про эту песню спустя много лет. Конечно, я не болен, как герой песни, но текст напоминает мне о том как не сложились мои отношения с отцом. Как далеки мы с ним от понимания друг друга. Напоминает мне о постоянном чувстве одиночества в отрочестве. О том, сколько грустного довелось пережить, но так и не вышло отпустить всё это. Спасибо автору за его труд.
As a child who had verbal issues this really meant so much to me I had so much trouble speaking when I was younger I would just cry if they did try. I still don't know why I was like that but seeing this song years later really brings tears well up in my eyes.
Fantastic video, fantastic record! I can relate so relate to this kid. Thanks!
This is one of my favourite songs, how is it so underrated. This connects with me on a spiritual level. It’s my theme song
I have a 5 year old non verbal autistic son, this song hit me so hard when I heard it. Thinking about what goes on in his head, the struggles my wife and I have had with his condition. I love this song. Just discovered it.
As an OSDD system, this brought memories back of the core - the original person we used to be. We were autistic, never knew how to do things 'right' or 'normally', struggled with abuse from his father, peers and authority figures (teachers, even), and after one horrific incident he just... died. We split, never saw him again. Not really.
We've had amnesia about him for so long we didn't remember how bad it really was until we saw the music video. It all makes sense, now.
Such a beautiful song, I wish this kind of songs are very popular.
First of all, I love everything about this video. It's heartbreaking in such a particular way to see this kid doing the best with what he's got and escaping further and further into his imagination, first for fun and later for safety and freedom, just doing what kids do and looking for happiness even while miserable.
But also, as someone who's autistic and relates to these lyrics so bad I cried when I first heard this.... thank you. I may not be non-verbal, and I don't really know what that's like, but I grew up with a speech impediment, and more than that I was spoken over and ignored enough times that eventually I stopped trying, so I definitely felt mute lol. It's a struggle to figure out how to find my voice without taking on someone else's.
The running away in this can be as metaphorical as the listener makes it … running away into oneself where it’s safe … disappearing into an alternate world. It’s a very sad song.
I first saw that video a long time ago and of course loved it. But now I know a lot more about Ben's music and friends, it's funny to recognize the great singers-songwriters-musicians of "the little books / rickolus" playing the parents. The music, the lyrics, the video... everything there is heartbreaking and Ben's voice is wonderful!!!
so happy! my favorite song on the album was made into a video. pure gold.
I love this video. The story as well as the cinematic aspect combined with the song… it’s just perfect.
Another perfect video for another perfect song.
Chills, man. Really well done. Half a century later, I still recall how it felt. (How it still feels, sometimes.)
This is why I have so much passion for music and why I sing music
This is what I love about music. It gives voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, love for the people who feel they don’t desereve to be loved.
Thanks so much for putting this up, it's one of my absolute favourites. Beautiful. And a great video too. :)
This song is amazing. On one hand it infuriates me because I am a disabled person and I know that many parents of disabled children are fucking up this bad or worse. On the other hand it fills me with hope that someone understands and is shining a light on it, and with such a pretty song too.
Since discovering this song, it always comes back to me when I’m alone by the sea :) along with the memories of time elapsed, keeping it together isn’t always easy
This deserves so many more views, more people need to know about Radical Face :( My favorite band!
Well. Here I sit with tears streaming down my face. ❤️
I've been drawing a kid named jakson for 5 years, were he was mute, and he could see things souly on the fact that he knew they ere there, and could never ask himself if they were real or not, this made it come to life, especially at the end when he disappeared.
I may have been playing this song on repeat for the last week. This song deserves so much more recognition
Ben your a great artist! I've got all of your music that I can find!! At 57yrs. old I know a lot of bands!! and you one of my favorites!! And I listen to your music ALL the time!!!!
As a mother of a child with autism, I was looking for something in this. I think it is a very creative piece - beautiful - and profoundly sad. Our son is abundantly loved, embraced and (I hope) very well understood. But he has parents who do sleep in the same bed, and siblings who adore him. I hope you write about more than one child considered to be mute, or that has communication challenges. They can live very happy lives too.
Write your own song lady or go cry to someone else. It isn't someone else's job to fucking please you.
As an autistic adult, thank you for this comment!
@@Sam-ir4rw Dude, really!?
@@Sam-ir4rw chill out
Wow....
The videos always bring me down crying
Watched always gold and this vid today and I cried a jug of tears
Questa canzone sa esprimere meglio di qualunque parola questo mondo parallelo fatto di fragorosi silenzi e apparenti contraddizioni. Luoghi solitari dove genitori e figli non possono mai incontrarsi nonostante la vicinanza . Grande video.
This song is so beautiful.
Why is it that hard memories can be so nostalgic?
Cant answear it, but I hope you are doing fine 6 years later.
I saw this video about 2 years ago. That was my introduction to the journey that is radical face.
Radical face where are you ? You need to pull up your socks and bring some new music. I love your your music. They are too peaceful. Please come back with this kind of music. Please I need more of this music. Please come back.
If you dig hard enough you will find pretty music that reaches into you like roots of a tree.
I cee ya homey.
That's some really nice phrasing there.
Your music helps me escape just enough to stay rooted.
What a musician ... So magical.
This song apperead in my Spotify Playlist-Radio and it gave me a nostalgia flashback but I never heard the song in my life before. After 20 seconds in the song I felt this awesome feeling that you get when you finish favorite video game, your favorite book or a really good movie or series, but also this sadness with the thought: '' what should I do now? ''.
Fazit: great song. It has a place in my Playlist now
My brother has autism and is nonverbal- this song moves me more than you would ever know. Thank you for creating art ❤️
Thank you for making this video. I would usually type out a wholehearted message, but the only words that come to mind is thank you.
- Your fellow mute
Downright brilliant!
Radical Face, you're way too underrated. Thank you for making such an amazing piece of art.
Absolutely amazing.
Thank you Ben.
Your work inspires like nothing else.
OMG!! They're amazing and I don't know why I've never heard their music before. Their music is a beautiful escape and they're my new favorite band.
I remember how i knew Radical Face from that nikon commercial. This guy is an amazing musician. Love every song you wrote.
Always appreciate yourself for making this music as well, Ben! You're an inspiration to so many and help them through with difficulties in their life and they all love you for it, me included. We appreciate you and hope you appreciate, love and take care of yourself!
I love this so much. How have I never heard of Radical Face before?? This is such a revelation.
Sending love!
i feel like this song, always gold, and home are connected story-wise. like, the character seemingly running away in 'the mute' could be the brother (was it brother? lets just say sibling) from 'home' and 'always gold'. I mean, I've only listened to three of their songs so far so I'm not really sure, but this seems like a story as far as I can see
Dude he's got four albums of connected songs all telling one massive story. The Roots, The Branches, and The Leaves, which just came out. There's also The Bastards, which were song that got cut for various reasons from the other albums. I recommend listening to them all in order, then checking out his website where he has them mostly mapped out, if you want the full experience.
I found your music through this song. I really love this song, and it just about makes me tear up, which is very rare for me(I don't know why I just don't really have tears often). Even though I don't personally relate to a lot of the lyrics, I very much connect with it. Thank you, keep making fabulous music.
I really love this song. Especially today was a hard day (I struggle with sh) and this song helps me everytime I stuggle. Thank you.
On a budget? What budget did you need? This didn't need money. It already had all the love in the world.
You guys are inspiration. I REALLY love all of your songs.
The musics let us scape to another world once a while.
Keep on making amazing songs. Love, from Brazil !!
As musicas dele tem uma vibe tão incrível. Combina bem com a madrugada.
Além disso espero que vc esteja bem 5 anos depois de ter comentado isso.
We're all born unique, completely different from everyone else. If we're unable to conform to the norm we are seen as odd. Many in your life will try to fit you with a label. Now that you're grown find who you were born to be and be at peace. You were born with purpose and destiny.
Thank you so much. Your music is part of my therapy and helps me heal
this song is fucking devastating man. I really like to wallow in the melancholy and am a little callused to it, but something about this story and track just tore me up man. I got into a sobbing/drinking/chainsmoking spell the rest of the night after listening to this the first time. Really hits yah.
A beautifully authentic work of art that will bring make memories both good and bad...
I'm so glad I herd this song. During an episode actually; I couldn't talk and I tried to and make random noises of my class and I felt shitty cause I had alot to say but couldn't. I'm partially non-verbal, and autistic. This song feels verry raw, and I think it was beautifully written
This is on my favourite track list. I watch my boy more closely than I did.
The quality of simple songs. Great, great tune!
that moment when your friends are sticks with hats
~Sarah's Weekly Inspiration~
The Mute- By Radical Face
Deciding between this artists songs was difficult (I also enjoy Mountains, Black Eyes, Wrapped in piano strings, Winter is coming etc) I love this song, from its lyrics to its video. The girls outfit always inspires me to draw more clothing. When I'm listening to these songs is when I crank out characters
Another underrated artist that deserves more listeners!
Enjoy~~
Hello sarah..
Hey! Did you enjoy the song?
Mmhmm...yes..
That's great, if you're wondering, I haven't forgot about your request- I've just been hit by a mental truck
No,no,no worries dear friend...it is just...*sniffles,hugs her & tears*
This is a amazing song, wow!! Someone recommend it but I didn't expect it to land on my favourites list. I love it!
Radical Face is by far my favorite artist. He's so talented and so few people have heard of him. I love him because he makes those rare songs that have great melodies AND meaningful lyrics. "The Mute" is a prime example of this. It is a sad song, but it has an important message that's hard to articulate (maybe ironically).
thank you Improv4Humans!!
what a fucking powerful song.
"try to keep the empty from her eyes" damn near had me in tears.
This is an INCREDIBLE song. Truly one of my favourites.
oh, i recall finding this song a while ago!!! As a pup during school days i pretty much never spoke. That eventually changed after a few years when i finally found some friends but i recall on multiple occasions people would tell me they thought i was completely mute.
I'm not going to go telling my life story in a bloody youtube comment of all places but those years were pretty damn difficult and i honestly still feel like i'm trying to recover from them. But i did find this song during those times and related to it so much, it was my favourite song for quite a while.
This is a my brothers song really has verbal apraxia (he stopped breathing during a surgery when he was 18 months) every single line is him to a tee ... You guys are my favorite im going to use welcome home when I walk down the aisle ... Keep doing what ur doing
My favourite song in the album! And I love the way you create videos, like short films! The ending is great!
7 years later, many new songs. Is this still your fav song?
Lovely job!! Great and beautiful song!! You dont need a big budget you plenty art to offer! Hugs from Patagonia Argentina.
I'm crying right now... This reminds me so much of my little brother...
This song.. it's just so beautiful
Im not crying, YOU'RE crying
Really surprised that this video does not have more views! Amazing video and so beautiful -- you guys are so talented! :)
Poignant and powerful. This has become one of my favorite songs and videos.
Glad I stumble upon this really good song. When i searched it on youtube i was expecting it to be more popular.