The Chicken had no right to absolutely devastate me, none at all. It's a "why did the chicken cross the road? to get to the other side." joke that is treated with seriousness and actually really illustrates Bo's relationship with comedy too. sometimes the thing you want most and dream about actually has the greatest ability to hurt you.
It's funny, after you got to the punch line of "the road" you spent about 10 seconds just thinking "ok, this is a joke song" - and then there's an obvious moment where you really started paying attention again. I'm glad you tuned back in again instead of emotionally disconnecting :)
I see it as the while song is just a really long why did the chicken cross the road joke like you'd say why did the chicken cross the road and then the song plays, I wish this song was in inside because he'd be finishing a while special about trying to be funny while stuck in a room with a song about the most common joke that expresses the chickens want to not be stuck inside, it ties everything together so well
I heard that is some kind of reference in other videos. So I've been wondering, is there an expression about chickens and road I'm unaware of?? (English not my first language)
@@hika_ariel a common joke is “why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side”, ‘the other side’ referencing both the other side of the road and dying and crossing to the afterlife
I just realized the Chicken is Bo. The whole last half of the special, specifically "All Eyes on Me" is about Bo's desperate wish to go outside and be back in front of an audience, and his simultaneous fear of everything happening outside and anxiety of performing and releasing his special to the world for them to evaluate and consume and critique. The whole thing where he's outside of the house at the end is him realizing once he puts himself out there, he can't go back. Once he leaves the room, he's stuck outside. Bo is the chicken, and the road is the threshold of his front door. In order to get what she wants from life, the chicken has to put herself in danger. Similarly, if Bo wants the satisfaction of an audience and to achieve his creative potential, he has to put himself out there and accept the dangers of the outside world and the pitfalls of publicly performing. The Chicken is basically a song about a chicken leaving her comfort zone and the home she's been imprisoned in, in pursuit of larger dreams. Bo is seeking to do the same. And sometimes the danger is real, the chicken may have died in the process. But Bo believes we should have hope that she overcame the danger, and in doing so is expressing a metaphorical optimism for himself and his own endeavors.
I didn't expect 30 seconds of silence as the immediate reaction to The Chicken, but I think it might be the most honest and appropriate response possible. Edit: I was the only person in my house who caught Young Bo in the flames and it's great to be validated here
When my friends and I were watching this, we all laughed at the chicken song at first, especially after the "Chicken crossed the road" joke, and then by the end we were all in tears. And when we replayed it, the lyrics in the beginning hit so much harder and we cried more. When Bo says the line "I think we ought to believe that she got to the other side", I felt that he wasn't saying we would hope the car didn't hit her, but that it did and she passed on to the "Other side" where she finally got to get away from the life that was hindering her and was now at peace. The added "So that's why she did it" hits so much harder after you think about it that way. Through tears my friend said "Fuck you Bo for making a song about a chicken that perfectly incapsulates the human condition" LOL
not only is Bo a phenomenal musician, but his lyrical writing ability is absolutely amazing. His lyrics, even though sometimes are meant to be funny, still are poetry.
I love what he does with the cursor at the very end. Lol. And I'm so glad you saw what I did - his younger self in the fire. I thought I was going crazy. I'm thinking that the rocky beach is OUTSIDE...because he indeed got there. ☺
Some food for thought as to why this song hits so hard: there’s a repeated melody that appears three times. “She stares out the window,” “The chicken must first cross,” and “So that’s why she did it” all use the same notes, and it’s a melody that doesn’t resolve, giving us a feeling of “What’s next?” The only time it leads to a continued melody is the second time. When Bo sings “The road,” it gives us a brand new melodic idea that we haven’t heard before in the song. That’s why “the road” is the line with the most dramatic emphasis in the song- it’s the one set of notes that breaks the mold of dissatisfaction we’ve been hearing through the entire song so far. This was the first song I heard by Bo Burnham, and it singlehandedly convinced me that he’s a musical genius
The most elaborate why did the chicken cross the road joke ever.. Also, this song made me emotional. Absolutely chills on the road section ... the vocal harmonizing/mixing .. 3:50 - 4:14
I'd have to go back and watch both inside and the outtakes but I'm pretty sure that The Chicken is the only song where the camera slowly zooms out instead of zooming in. It's also my favorite Bo song to date. The man just keeps getting better. I really hope we don't have to wait 5 years for his next special.
Hey Chris, there is still two whole song from the outtakes album you haven't reacted to. They are called "1985" and "Microwave popcorn". There is no clip for them and they can only be found in The Inside Outtakes playlist on Bo's youtube channel (or on spotify). I would love to see you react to these two. (Also you should check out the "spider" song in that playlist, it's a bit longer ^^)
i personally thought the chicken was an analogy for su!cide "a sea of trees and green and moss... ...a life of brighter days" is what the chicken aspires to achieve "The road is gigantic, the chicken is little" road = life + its obstacles, bypassing cars represent obstacles "waiting just across the road... ...all of a sudden she stops in the middle, frozen in place by a pair of headlights" could symbolize the appeal of su!cide - sometimes theres no time to think about it, or its just too difficult to achieve your aspirations "most think she died... ...we ought to believe she got to the other side" instead of the "other side" being the chicken's dreams, it could be the other side as in the afterlife like the saying "see you on the other side" "so thats why she did it" the chicken crossed the road because she couldn't handle it anymore.
Really thought the same. And as a depressed person it hits so hard T_T Bo is so talented with his lyrics. He doesn't need to spell out what he wants to get across but you just feel it deep inside
I don't want to think that way because if that is not the message of the song, we will be believing that the chicken died. I want to believe that she got to the other side of the road.
I never in my life until this song realized how dark the chicken joke is. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Think about it. Getting to the other side is her dieing either way you look at it. The other side. Wow, how did I go my entire life not realizing this was a joke about the chicken ending her life. But on a other note, how genius of Bo to turn the classic joke into a beautiful yet dark and twisted song.🙌👏
for me this song relates to the struggle with coming to terms when you realize you need help, like mentally. it’s that feeling of knowing you need help but the familiar brings a sense of comfort. so taking that step, crossing the road can feel like life or death and can be soooo scary, but you know you have to do it in order to heal. i’m sure he didn’t mean it to mean that but it works for me :))
I just realized that at 9:26 of this video, as Bo says, "Thank You. Thank you for all your support." the little piano riff that plays is the tune of "Get Your Fucking Hands Up!"
@@NirovroShoumikHere yes. I think at the time I meant that it’s the lyric of what’s being played. (I forget. I posted that a while ago). But, yes, that’s what I meant.
This is such a beautiful song, even without the lyrics. Add in the lyrics and it is just spectacular. I would like to look at the hopeful ending as what happened rather than the chicken getting squashed along with her dreams. 4:13 makes me get really emotional with what he does with the melody. Thank you for your reaction to this one!
bo burnham is a actual genius, his musical skill is unmatched and i cannot stop hitting the replay button on all of his stuff and i don’t normally like a lot of the genres he touches on.
The chicken is such a good song. Not only the piano, but someone could literally write a book analyzing the multiple meanings through the lyrics. But its still an incredibly touching song, even if it is just about a super old joke.
I suspect The Chicken might be a metaphor for his own anxieties and the pandemic. He finally builds up the courage to get out and follow his dreams again, but then gets hit by the car/pandemic.
hey dude, love your content! bo published the album (inside deluxe) where there are songs not included in this bloopers video. I'd love to watch your reaction!
I too have a weird feeling like I've already heard this song. Maybe it's just because melodically it was sort of reminiscent of Bo's old songs. I wonder if he had that one in his pocket for a while before working on Inside.
Don't know if you know this, but Bo has two other songs that didn't make the video. "1985" and "Microwave Popcorn" are two actual songs that he included in the Outtakes album on Spotify. Might be worth checking out.
The Chicken is not about chasing your dreams The Chicken is a song about never being happy with your life, you can be one of the most successful internet personalities/comedian, rich, with a loving family, great friends, a giant house, everyone loves you and cares about what you have to say and yet... you will never feel right... you have everything you ever dreamed of and something's still missing you're sick from a disease called yourself, and there's no cure for it
I mean, im sure we all understand it... but just in case, I feel, someone should acknowledge it... the ICU bit of the fake movies being parodies of established movies... But it still doesn't stop the ominous feeling I got from seeing the final movie in 2030.
I like Wisecrack's take on the shore and the mossy rocks. At the end Bo asks "I don't know what's happening, what the fuck is going on?" And I think you can really just answer that by going outside. Despite the endless, internal wondering that he's done, life's answers need to be done outside, hopefully with connections to other people.
Bo’s formula: -apparently asinine/puerile/juvenile premise -turn it upside down -philosophical question(s) -deep cut He’s fucking while asking us whether or not we’re being fucked with. We laugh at that juxtaposition and unexpected turns. Then we question the nature of reality. He’s fucking brilliant.
You know, I might have a wild take here. I think that the song is about our relationship with trauma. So everyone is on the same page, I refer to trauma as "an event or circumstance that radically alters/shatters one's worldview." So it can be something "small," but seems large enough that we rethink pretty much everything we know/are. I think the road parts are more literal - trying to reach for dreams and overcome what we see as not-minor setbacks. To someone else, it may be easy - just look both ways, and cross. But to some, "the road is enormous, the chicken is little." And sometimes something comes along to completely take us off our feet, like a car hitting a chicken on a country road on a bright, sunny morning. And for a while, it can seem even to ourselves that the trauma has destroyed us. But maybe, just maybe, we can put ourselves back together and make it across to the other side, maybe not literally, but in a very mental sense of growing mentally and learning what we were looking for - self-contentment. For me, it's been disabling depression and a cycle of homelessness, and there have been many times where I've been "hit by the car" and felt, "Welp, I guess I shall surely die." But it's different for everyone. Dealing with dysphoria and the doubt of if it really IS dysphoria also feels so much like the setup to this song.
I interpret the end snippet of the ocean and rocks being that he finally took a vacation (remember when he talked about it in ‘The Dump’ at the end when the ‘interviewer’ asked ‘the crew’ what’s next and they all said, “a vacation” and started laughing hysterically) now that all of this was over and when he finally went outside, he was able to find peace at the end of everything.
Cool video, I love bo burnham. Also funny af I could feel your rage from your dogs barking, from the 1st bark and you looking until you had to stop the vid. And then right after barked 1 more time lmao.
It's been fun rewatching this and seeing someone else's perspective. I think this was my fourth watch through, but it still hasn't gotten old. Don't forget about 1985 and Microwave Popcorn off of the Outtakes album!
i interpreted the mossy rocks as one of his many alternate endings. i feel like it might’ve been him showing that he finally made it outside. and outside is somewhat peaceful. but that’s might just be me rooting for a positive ending
My favorite songs are Five Years and The Chicken. Like Five Years is one of my most played songs on my TH-cam music lmao I also love The Future, I wish it was longer
Maybe he’s talking about what comedians live through. They do it. They get distracted in the middle. But hopefully, they make it across and their message gets heard. The best part is that it’s built off of the first Joke we ever learn. Why?
This for sure felt like Inside 2, now I’m wondering if he has actual plans for the other films in the ICU (even if it’s just small bits). The 40 gave me chills though.
Its not the same, but the melody heavily reminded me of his older song 'sad'. I think it serves a little bit to add more weight through nostalgia, but also to show some contrast between his old mockery of sad songs, and what he can make when he actually wants to make a sad song.
Totally aside, if you've never seen Bojack Horseman I would love to see you react to that show. It's a brilliant look into mental health yet a silly time.
So of course, there's also the anthropomorphism of the chicken. "She wakes up to her husbands screaming" (rooster crowing or abusive/aggressive human man?), "she likes her life as a mother and wife, but is that all there is?" So the wife chose to leave her life, kids, and husband in search of a "better" life
I doubt you will see this after all this time. I agree its about following our dreams. I find it Bo level layered irony that the Chicken dreams of becoming a dentist. Nevermind the obvious southern dig. But Chicken don't have teeth. So the epitome of the impossible or impractical dream.
Wow man, so amazing. Bo has told jokes for years, and now he told a joke which is seen by most to be the oldest joke in the book: "Why did the chicken cross the road" and made something beautiful yet tragic. The chicken being Bo himself, living a normal life in his bedroom, having a dream to just make people happy, but the road of life is the challenge he faces everyday, "the road is gigantic, the chicken is little". The Chicken crossed the road... to find her other side. Absolutely genius. All Eyes on Me, Can't Handle This (Kanye Rant), and now Chicken... are my favorite songs from Bo.
hey Chris, really like your videos, been here since welcome to the internet :) before the big break you used to do live streams are you planning to do those again in the future? the were really fun :D
Is this song about suicide, where the chicken is too tired of this life and she just wanted to die and go to the other side. The road here represents life. Notice he mention the road is big and the chicken is small. So she took her life to get to the other side.
Why did the chicken cross the road? To chase her dreams 😂
Reaction starts at 0:19
@Chris Reacts Can you react to the Musical "Hamilton" next?
The Chicken had no right to absolutely devastate me, none at all. It's a "why did the chicken cross the road? to get to the other side." joke that is treated with seriousness and actually really illustrates Bo's relationship with comedy too. sometimes the thing you want most and dream about actually has the greatest ability to hurt you.
Iunno, the joke itself always was devastatingly dark and morose to begin with. I think bo just... Made it more relatable and sweet.
It's funny, after you got to the punch line of "the road" you spent about 10 seconds just thinking "ok, this is a joke song" - and then there's an obvious moment where you really started paying attention again. I'm glad you tuned back in again instead of emotionally disconnecting :)
Bo has a way of doing that
I see it as the while song is just a really long why did the chicken cross the road joke like you'd say why did the chicken cross the road and then the song plays, I wish this song was in inside because he'd be finishing a while special about trying to be funny while stuck in a room with a song about the most common joke that expresses the chickens want to not be stuck inside, it ties everything together so well
I heard that is some kind of reference in other videos. So I've been wondering, is there an expression about chickens and road I'm unaware of?? (English not my first language)
@@hika_ariel a common joke is “why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side”, ‘the other side’ referencing both the other side of the road and dying and crossing to the afterlife
@@pillowvibes I see!! Thanks
Even though I know it's all a joke, the reveal of "40" at the end of the ICU bit still gave me chills.
Right like I was laughing with every title until 40 came up, then I got super serious.
Me too, gave me chills
@@bhelliom3 wait what does the 40 mean?
@@sae_decay in the song 30 from Inside he has a line "2030 I'll be 40 and kill myself then" so the 40 movie title being ominous is referencing that.
@@bhelliom3 omg I've said the exact same thing in so many videos but people don't get it.. it's nice to see somebody did
The fact that the chicken was going to be in inside makes “you can pick the street I’ll meet you on the other side” from goodbye hit harder
I just realized the Chicken is Bo. The whole last half of the special, specifically "All Eyes on Me" is about Bo's desperate wish to go outside and be back in front of an audience, and his simultaneous fear of everything happening outside and anxiety of performing and releasing his special to the world for them to evaluate and consume and critique. The whole thing where he's outside of the house at the end is him realizing once he puts himself out there, he can't go back. Once he leaves the room, he's stuck outside.
Bo is the chicken, and the road is the threshold of his front door. In order to get what she wants from life, the chicken has to put herself in danger. Similarly, if Bo wants the satisfaction of an audience and to achieve his creative potential, he has to put himself out there and accept the dangers of the outside world and the pitfalls of publicly performing. The Chicken is basically a song about a chicken leaving her comfort zone and the home she's been imprisoned in, in pursuit of larger dreams. Bo is seeking to do the same. And sometimes the danger is real, the chicken may have died in the process. But Bo believes we should have hope that she overcame the danger, and in doing so is expressing a metaphorical optimism for himself and his own endeavors.
Or he just felt like making a dramatic song about a chicken, because that's also something Bo would do.
@@hermesthegreek5247 yeah, I’ve heard this song predates inside and that he used to close with it when he’d pop up at open mic nights in LA
the chicken is everyone
@@hermesthegreek5247 LOL
it's just a friggin joke song about the oldest joke that no other comedian would want to touch with a 10 foot pole.
I didn't expect 30 seconds of silence as the immediate reaction to The Chicken, but I think it might be the most honest and appropriate response possible.
Edit: I was the only person in my house who caught Young Bo in the flames and it's great to be validated here
i still cant make him out in that!
When my friends and I were watching this, we all laughed at the chicken song at first, especially after the "Chicken crossed the road" joke, and then by the end we were all in tears. And when we replayed it, the lyrics in the beginning hit so much harder and we cried more. When Bo says the line "I think we ought to believe that she got to the other side", I felt that he wasn't saying we would hope the car didn't hit her, but that it did and she passed on to the "Other side" where she finally got to get away from the life that was hindering her and was now at peace. The added "So that's why she did it" hits so much harder after you think about it that way. Through tears my friend said "Fuck you Bo for making a song about a chicken that perfectly incapsulates the human condition" LOL
BRO IM SAT HERE CRYING BECHASE OF THIS LMAOO
No deadass, this hurts a lot more now
not only is Bo a phenomenal musician, but his lyrical writing ability is absolutely amazing. His lyrics, even though sometimes are meant to be funny, still are poetry.
I love what he does with the cursor at the very end. Lol. And I'm so glad you saw what I did - his younger self in the fire. I thought I was going crazy. I'm thinking that the rocky beach is OUTSIDE...because he indeed got there. ☺
"A VACATION! 🤣🤣🤣"
Some food for thought as to why this song hits so hard: there’s a repeated melody that appears three times. “She stares out the window,” “The chicken must first cross,” and “So that’s why she did it” all use the same notes, and it’s a melody that doesn’t resolve, giving us a feeling of “What’s next?” The only time it leads to a continued melody is the second time. When Bo sings “The road,” it gives us a brand new melodic idea that we haven’t heard before in the song. That’s why “the road” is the line with the most dramatic emphasis in the song- it’s the one set of notes that breaks the mold of dissatisfaction we’ve been hearing through the entire song so far. This was the first song I heard by Bo Burnham, and it singlehandedly convinced me that he’s a musical genius
The most elaborate why did the chicken cross the road joke ever.. Also, this song made me emotional. Absolutely chills on the road section ... the vocal harmonizing/mixing .. 3:50 - 4:14
I'd have to go back and watch both inside and the outtakes but I'm pretty sure that The Chicken is the only song where the camera slowly zooms out instead of zooming in. It's also my favorite Bo song to date. The man just keeps getting better. I really hope we don't have to wait 5 years for his next special.
I think, if i remember correctly, in "That Funny Feeling" it zooms in and back out again. I could be wrong though.
Welcome to the Internet had a slow zoom out during the "Little bit of everything" section. I remember that much.
White Womans Instagram zooms out/widens as well while talking about her mother
Hey Chris, there is still two whole song from the outtakes album you haven't reacted to. They are called "1985" and "Microwave popcorn". There is no clip for them and they can only be found in The Inside Outtakes playlist on Bo's youtube channel (or on spotify). I would love to see you react to these two.
(Also you should check out the "spider" song in that playlist, it's a bit longer ^^)
guys let's get this to the top please
I'm pretty sure I saw a comment on another video that also mentioned those two songs, and him saying he will react to the songs!
i personally thought the chicken was an analogy for su!cide
"a sea of trees and green and moss... ...a life of brighter days" is what the chicken aspires to achieve
"The road is gigantic, the chicken is little"
road = life + its obstacles, bypassing cars represent obstacles
"waiting just across the road... ...all of a sudden she stops in the middle, frozen in place by a pair of headlights" could symbolize the appeal of su!cide - sometimes theres no time to think about it, or its just too difficult to achieve your aspirations
"most think she died... ...we ought to believe she got to the other side"
instead of the "other side" being the chicken's dreams, it could be the other side as in the afterlife like the saying "see you on the other side"
"so thats why she did it"
the chicken crossed the road because she couldn't handle it anymore.
shit man now the song hits harder 😭
Really thought the same. And as a depressed person it hits so hard T_T Bo is so talented with his lyrics. He doesn't need to spell out what he wants to get across but you just feel it deep inside
some people also relate it with domestic violence
I don't want to think that way because if that is not the message of the song, we will be believing that the chicken died. I want to believe that she got to the other side of the road.
I never in my life until this song realized how dark the chicken joke is. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side. Think about it.
Getting to the other side is her dieing either way you look at it. The other side.
Wow, how did I go my entire life not realizing this was a joke about the chicken ending her life.
But on a other note, how genius of Bo to turn the classic joke into a beautiful yet dark and twisted song.🙌👏
for me this song relates to the struggle with coming to terms when you realize you need help, like mentally. it’s that feeling of knowing you need help but the familiar brings a sense of comfort. so taking that step, crossing the road can feel like life or death and can be soooo scary, but you know you have to do it in order to heal. i’m sure he didn’t mean it to mean that but it works for me :))
Damn only Bo could make me tear up w/ a "why did the chicken cross the road" joke. Such an amazing creative entertainer.
I just realized that at 9:26 of this video, as Bo says, "Thank You. Thank you for all your support." the little piano riff that plays is the tune of "Get Your Fucking Hands Up!"
You mean All Eyes On Me?
@@NirovroShoumikHere yes. I think at the time I meant that it’s the lyric of what’s being played. (I forget. I posted that a while ago). But, yes, that’s what I meant.
This is such a beautiful song, even without the lyrics. Add in the lyrics and it is just spectacular. I would like to look at the hopeful ending as what happened rather than the chicken getting squashed along with her dreams. 4:13 makes me get really emotional with what he does with the melody. Thank you for your reaction to this one!
bo burnham is a actual genius, his musical skill is unmatched and i cannot stop hitting the replay button on all of his stuff and i don’t normally like a lot of the genres he touches on.
The chicken is such a good song. Not only the piano, but someone could literally write a book analyzing the multiple meanings through the lyrics.
But its still an incredibly touching song, even if it is just about a super old joke.
I suspect The Chicken might be a metaphor for his own anxieties and the pandemic. He finally builds up the courage to get out and follow his dreams again, but then gets hit by the car/pandemic.
Yes 🙌🏻
I was waiting excitedly for you to react to The Chicken. Love your reactions to Bo, man.
hey dude, love your content!
bo published the album (inside deluxe) where there are songs not included in this bloopers video. I'd love to watch your reaction!
and then there’s the line in goodbye where he says “you can pick the street i’ll meet you, on the other side”
Only Bo can get me crying over a chicken 😭
Please react to 1985 and Microwave Popcorn from the Inside Deluxe album
I absolutely ADORE 1985 so much
The mossy rocks I interpret basically as the oceans rising, (like he gives a shit hm). Thanks for doing this, I love your videos Chris.
Fear will kill your mind, and steal your love as sure as anything.
I too have a weird feeling like I've already heard this song. Maybe it's just because melodically it was sort of reminiscent of Bo's old songs. I wonder if he had that one in his pocket for a while before working on Inside.
Don't know if you know this, but Bo has two other songs that didn't make the video. "1985" and "Microwave Popcorn" are two actual songs that he included in the Outtakes album on Spotify. Might be worth checking out.
The music and the lyrics and even the delivery of the lyrics reminds me of Ben Folds.
The Chicken is not about chasing your dreams
The Chicken is a song about never being happy with your life, you can be one of the most successful internet personalities/comedian, rich, with a loving family, great friends, a giant house, everyone loves you and cares about what you have to say and yet... you will never feel right... you have everything you ever dreamed of and something's still missing
you're sick from a disease called yourself, and there's no cure for it
The melody is Sad from what.
I mean, im sure we all understand it... but just in case, I feel, someone should acknowledge it... the ICU bit of the fake movies being parodies of established movies...
But it still doesn't stop the ominous feeling I got from seeing the final movie in 2030.
I like Wisecrack's take on the shore and the mossy rocks. At the end Bo asks "I don't know what's happening, what the fuck is going on?" And I think you can really just answer that by going outside. Despite the endless, internal wondering that he's done, life's answers need to be done outside, hopefully with connections to other people.
All cooped up but there’s somewhere to go. Outside.
Normal people: “why did the chicken cross the road?”
Bo: I’m gonna wreck you
Bo’s formula:
-apparently asinine/puerile/juvenile premise
-turn it upside down
-philosophical question(s)
-deep cut
He’s fucking while asking us whether or not we’re being fucked with. We laugh at that juxtaposition and unexpected turns. Then we question the nature of reality.
He’s fucking brilliant.
You know, I might have a wild take here. I think that the song is about our relationship with trauma. So everyone is on the same page, I refer to trauma as "an event or circumstance that radically alters/shatters one's worldview." So it can be something "small," but seems large enough that we rethink pretty much everything we know/are.
I think the road parts are more literal - trying to reach for dreams and overcome what we see as not-minor setbacks. To someone else, it may be easy - just look both ways, and cross. But to some, "the road is enormous, the chicken is little."
And sometimes something comes along to completely take us off our feet, like a car hitting a chicken on a country road on a bright, sunny morning. And for a while, it can seem even to ourselves that the trauma has destroyed us. But maybe, just maybe, we can put ourselves back together and make it across to the other side, maybe not literally, but in a very mental sense of growing mentally and learning what we were looking for - self-contentment.
For me, it's been disabling depression and a cycle of homelessness, and there have been many times where I've been "hit by the car" and felt, "Welp, I guess I shall surely die." But it's different for everyone.
Dealing with dysphoria and the doubt of if it really IS dysphoria also feels so much like the setup to this song.
I interpret the end snippet of the ocean and rocks being that he finally took a vacation (remember when he talked about it in ‘The Dump’ at the end when the ‘interviewer’ asked ‘the crew’ what’s next and they all said, “a vacation” and started laughing hysterically) now that all of this was over and when he finally went outside, he was able to find peace at the end of everything.
Cool video, I love bo burnham. Also funny af I could feel your rage from your dogs barking, from the 1st bark and you looking until you had to stop the vid. And then right after barked 1 more time lmao.
It's been fun rewatching this and seeing someone else's perspective. I think this was my fourth watch through, but it still hasn't gotten old. Don't forget about 1985 and Microwave Popcorn off of the Outtakes album!
He draws you in at the beginning with the piano by the end you are crying 😢 about an introspective chicken 👏 Bo is amazing!
i interpreted the mossy rocks as one of his many alternate endings. i feel like it might’ve been him showing that he finally made it outside. and outside is somewhat peaceful.
but that’s might just be me rooting for a positive ending
My favorite reaction to it yet! Good job! 💓
My favorite songs are Five Years and The Chicken. Like Five Years is one of my most played songs on my TH-cam music lmao I also love The Future, I wish it was longer
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE ENDING SONG
its like the good ending of INSIDE
The chicken-song is so beautiful.
The melody reminds me of “Sad” but maybe that’s just me
you're the first person I have seen say this but I agree, whenever I hear this I'm singing Sad to myself for a while after
Only Bo could make me tear up with a fuckin chicken crossing the road joke, like c'mon Bo wtf
So there is a full version of a song he teased in the outtakes called 1985. Its been on repeat in my head all week. XD
the chicken begins with a similar melody to the song sad, from what.
It's refreshing to see that Bo's work affects someone else as deeply.
Maybe he’s talking about what comedians live through. They do it. They get distracted in the middle. But hopefully, they make it across and their message gets heard. The best part is that it’s built off of the first Joke we ever learn. Why?
the familarity comes from straight white man. especially the part where he sings: everyone thinks that ive got it easy
This for sure felt like Inside 2, now I’m wondering if he has actual plans for the other films in the ICU (even if it’s just small bits).
The 40 gave me chills though.
She got to the other side. One way or the other.
Its not the same, but the melody heavily reminded me of his older song 'sad'. I think it serves a little bit to add more weight through nostalgia, but also to show some contrast between his old mockery of sad songs, and what he can make when he actually wants to make a sad song.
"adult man in a baseball hat" had me dying
Totally aside, if you've never seen Bojack Horseman I would love to see you react to that show. It's a brilliant look into mental health yet a silly time.
poor pupper just wants to be heard
Loved all your reactions to this 🥰
I'll be there to whatever is next!
The melody of The Chicken sounds really similar to Sad actually
I think the piano in the beginning has a lot of similarities to his Striaght White Male song.
The Chicken slaps so hard. I wish it would’ve made it in.
So of course, there's also the anthropomorphism of the chicken. "She wakes up to her husbands screaming" (rooster crowing or abusive/aggressive human man?), "she likes her life as a mother and wife, but is that all there is?" So the wife chose to leave her life, kids, and husband in search of a "better" life
"the other side" huh
The melody reminded me of Straight White Male
The only thing that I think is interesting about that Final shot is that it's taken Outside. The last shot of Inside is outside
I doubt you will see this after all this time. I agree its about following our dreams. I find it Bo level layered irony that the Chicken dreams of becoming a dentist. Nevermind the obvious southern dig.
But Chicken don't have teeth.
So the epitome of the impossible or impractical dream.
Imagine how ruined inside would have been with this as the last song 😂
Wow man, so amazing. Bo has told jokes for years, and now he told a joke which is seen by most to be the oldest joke in the book: "Why did the chicken cross the road" and made something beautiful yet tragic. The chicken being Bo himself, living a normal life in his bedroom, having a dream to just make people happy, but the road of life is the challenge he faces everyday, "the road is gigantic, the chicken is little". The Chicken crossed the road... to find her other side. Absolutely genius. All Eyes on Me, Can't Handle This (Kanye Rant), and now Chicken... are my favorite songs from Bo.
Now you know why the chicken crossed the road.
I had the same response- it's a very similar melody to Straight White Male.
Now it's time for 1985, Microwave Popcorn, and then you can do the studio songs from what. like eff, channel 5 news, and nerds
It's very similar to the sound and pacing of straight white male. That's what you're thinking of
But what happened to those eggs she was sitting on?
Loving the dog cameo
The only thing I can come up with for the beach shot is it's near exactly like the various eyecatches [adult swim] plays. 🤷
Anyone else try to click on the recommended videos at the end? Like more than once? 🤐
The melody is very similar to “straight white male” I think, I tried singing the lyrics to it whilst listening to the chicken and it sort of works
hey Chris, really like your videos, been here since welcome to the internet :) before the big break you used to do live streams are you planning to do those again in the future? the were really fun :D
You should also react to some of the songs in the deluxe album because some of the songs didn’t make the outtakes
The melody for The Chicken is very reminiscent of the intro for Straight White Male. Maybe that's what you're hearing?
Is this song about suicide, where the chicken is too tired of this life and she just wanted to die and go to the other side. The road here represents life. Notice he mention the road is big and the chicken is small. So she took her life to get to the other side.
The melody reminds me of "straight white male"
I hope you will give Tim minchin a shot next
Did the chicken make it to the other side, or did the chicken make it to the "other side"?
I think she died.... but what do i know, i'm just a chicken. 🐤
React to Tracy Chapman.
I’m glad you like it but it’s clearly almost the exact melody from straight white male
First