Feel Good Inc. (Commentary)

Noodle: In peperation for this video, um, I sat down with Jamie Hewlett, the director and Pete Candeland - the co-director and explained some of the thoughts that went into the music of the album!

Russel: Pete works for a company called, "Passion Pictures". They're this top-notch animation company. They must be good 'cause I can't tell which bits are animation, and which bits are real.

Murdoc: I thought the set inside the tower was, like, far out, man. There was - there was - y'know, there was like loads of fantastic looking chicks, y'know, just lying around, y'know...? I'll tell you - you know what - when I grow up, Awa-awa-awah... I'm gonna get a place just like this. Mhhhhhhmmmm..

Russel: The extras were all hired in for the day. A lot of these models actually turned up in the condition you see here. Well, the professionals turned up in that condition.

Murdoc: Aww, 2-D, y'know, he's such a lightweight. Look at him. '''I mean, before we shot this video, I've been up for maybe 5, 6 days... Y'know? And he, y'know 2-D, went out for like 20 minutes or something the night before. Look at him! Y'know? He looks like a trapped boy! '''I don't know, ah, maybe he's just a great actor!... I f*cking doubt it though.

2-D: I walk across the living carpet, of like half-dead bodies, right? Towards the window. Then outside, I spot something in the distance!

Noodle: And the windmill that bursts through the clouds is greatly inspired by a lot of Japanese animation! The colors, the tones, the textures, and the brightness of the clouds! It was important to make something that seemed like it has sprung from the mind of a child! In this way, it would fit with the pure sentiment of the song.

Murdoc: Great idea... It's really cryptic. Actually next video, Jamie wants to stick a talking horse in there... So back in the inside of my massive party pad... Yeah, man! De La Soull! And they're like 60 foot high and rising! You better believe it! And there they are, laughing their big faces off.

Russel: De La Soul came over from the States to film their bit. But I get the feeling they'd been inhaling nitrous oxide on the plane over. They wouldn't take us seriously, man. They just kept giggling their heads off.

Noodle: They were making a mockery of our singer for most of the day. Um, someone told me that they beat him up, um, after the video shoot. Uh... Just for fun! Ha ha... Yeah..

Murdoc: I like the way De La Soul look like really ghostly, man. Oh man, get on that!

Russel: Feel Good Tower is actually minute, we just shot at real close up.

Murdoc: Ooh, now this is like a thrusting bit of Swanage coming out of the clouds.

Noodle: There is a recurrent theme of escape that has often been symbolized by the image of floating islands!

Murdoc: We had to turn the island at this point cause these kids had kinda sprayed "Gorillaz kn*b off" on the side.

Noodle: I float past the Feel Good tower, And I do this as a reminder to 2-D to use his strength to escape his prison. But, something is holding him back.

Russel: 2-D looks trapped... 'Cause I think he is trapped, y'know?

Noodle: It is difficult to tell whether I am the dream of freedom, or whether I am the one who has awoken. But 2-D is defintitely still stuck in the nightmare.

2-D: The palace we built has become a prison. See that's what the video's about! Y'know being trapped by the things you make.

Murdoc: Looks like a good party to me. Loads of girls, live band, big screen. Wicked! The island, though, floated off down the Thames. And we had to get the fire brigade to bring the thing back!

2-D: Again, the spirts of De La Soul where just laughing at us! Murdoc's such a poser, y'know? I mean, look at the way he's thrusting his giblets!

Murdoc: So the director shouts "action", and that's what I gave him! Full on pelvic thrust bass-shagging.

2-D: So that's how the video ends. Me, Murdoc, and Russel locked in this endless debauchered Feel Good Tower!

Murdoc: And there it is - there's - there's - there's the island, there's Noodle's little island. Floating away... floating away in the sunset... And then the choppers! Ah! Back in 'Nam!