According to ChangeDirection.org, one in every five Americans has a mental disorder: more Americans will die of suicide this year than car accidents, and 22 of our Veterans take their own lives each day (as per Department of Veteran Affairs). For every death, there are family members and friends who are left behind struggling to understand what went wrong, what they could have done differently. It’s a crisis that needs more attention, and Chris Stapleton is doing his part in bringing this epidemic to light with his new video, “Fire Away.”
In partnership with ChangeDirection.org, the video begins with a husband walking into a bar and getting a drink from the bartender, played by Stapleton – flashbacks of a happy young couple buying a house, moving in, laughing, dancing, and so on are shown while cutting back and forth to the husband throwing back shots. Suddenly there is a change in the wife’s behavior. She’s crying. She gets agitated. She causes a scene at a party in their yard. Through each episode, her husband holds her and comforts her, showing his love. But it’s not enough. Surrendering to her internal demons, she tries to take her life. The husband gets there in time for her first attempt but unfortunately not the second, as the viewer then realizes he’s mourning her at the bar, her wedding ring in hand. The final shot shows his silhouette holding her hand while lying on the hospital bed, bandages wrapped around her wrists. A simple “ChangeDirection.org” graphic appears on the screen.
The overall aesthetic of the video, directed by Tim Mattia, is dark, symbolizing the world in which the wife is living in – no matter how happy she may seem, she’s trapped in this cloud that blocks out all of the brightness, happiness, hope. Shooting the video in this manner helps bring a visual awareness to those suffering with mental health disorders. The wife’s actions – crying, agitation, mood swings, walking alone through a corn field – show examples of the five signs (personality change, agitation, withdrawal, poor self-care, hopelessness) that ChangeDirection.org lists as clues that someone may be going through mental and emotional issues and may need help.
Stapleton’s vocals add deep emotion to the lyrics which, albeit not written per se about depression, fit as they are written from the point of view of someone who is telling his/her partner to fire away with all they got because I’m not going anywhere, which is the type of person someone who is going through depression and other issues needs in their life for support, love and hope.
If you or someone you know is suffering, please visit ChangeDirection.org for more information. One can also text SIGNS to 741741 for free anonymous 24/7 crisis counseling.