On April 24, 2019, singer-songwriter, Louis Tomlinson, released a heartfelt music video for his most recent single, “Two Of Us.” The song was released as a single back in December 2018 and fans were immediately touched by Louis’ lyrics and meaning behind the song.
Back in December 2018, Louis lost his 43 year-old mother, Johannah Deakin, to leukemia. Louis was very close with his mother growing up and has struggled with her passing. He said in an interview with Pop Buzz that he “needed to write” this song and that it was a form of healing for him. The lyrics remain hopeful and inspiring as he speaks to his mother through song. He says in the song that he’ll live “one life for the two of us,” which is the idea the duration of the song is based off of.
The music video for this song could’ve been a lot of things; it could have been lonely and dreary. Instead, Louis chose to make it positive and uplifting and involved another person with a similar situation to Louis.
The video centers around Louis meeting an 83 year-old veteran, Richard Green, around the area Louis grew up in England. Richard had lost his wife to Alzheimer’s disease around the time Louis lost his mom.
In the beginning of the video, Richard gives the viewers a backstory on his life and what had happened to his wife while “Two of Us” plays quietly in the background in-between his voice while he speaks. Richard is in his house talking about what he grew up doing and his point of views on making the most of his time on Earth.
About a two minutes into the video, Louis arrives at Richard’s house and talks to him about his bucket list of activities and experiences he wants to do before he dies. The song pauses while Louis and Richard talk. Louis brings up that Richard is a singer, and that becomes the main focus of the video. They decide to go on a two day adventure to achieve every goal on Richard’s bucket-list.
The song plays in the background while Louis and Richard do every activity on Richard’s list, starting with flying on a helicopter, then driving a race car. They then move to getting tattoos, then riding a roller coaster, and the last activity is having Richard sing in front of a massive crowd.
Louis brings Richard to one of his shows and gives him the opportunity to sing in front of thousands of people. Richard does a great job and shocks Louis. The video concludes with Richard and Louis sharing a meal together talking about what they accomplished and the lyrics “I will hold you where my heart is, one life for the two of us,” come up onto the screen. The final moments of the video show places for the viewers to donate to for cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
The execution of the video ended up being incredibly emotional, but more hopeful than sad, which ended up being a beautiful message. Taking something tragic like death and not staying in a negative mindset and continuing to live life with purpose can be something many people struggle with who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. Louis selflessly stepped back and let the message behind the song and the video speak alone. He gave hope to someone who had struggled with similar issues as him and lead by example in living a meaningful life.
The video was well-shot and went over very well with Louis’ fan base and beyond. The video trended on YouTube when it was released.
Everyone should watch this video, whether they’re currently dealing with loss or not. It showcases the beauty of life and the importance of not taking a day for granted. Life can be unpredictable, but the way tragedy is handled is crucial in living the best possible life.
