“Monsters” by James Blunt

“Monsters” is singer James Blunt’s way of lamenting his father’s impending death from kidney disease. In a powerful music video released January 15th , Blunt tearfully confronts viewers with the reality of his grief. He sings directly into the camera:

Oh, before they turn off all the lights
I won’t read you your wrongs or your rights
The time has gone
I’ll tell you good night, close the door
Tell you “I love you” once more
The time has gone

As “Monsters” reaches the bridge, the camera pans out to show Blunt seated next to his ailing father, Col. Charles Blount. In October, Blunt had appeared on Good Morning Britain requesting help from an O-positive kidney donor. “My father has not been very well, actually,” said Blunt, who wasn’t a match for the donation. “He needs a new kidney.”

In a social media post announcing the video for “Monsters,” Blunt reported that his father’s kidneys were functioning at just 11 percent. “I needed to tell him that, to me, he’s more than just a father,” Blunt wrote. “He’s my friend, too.” Indeed, in the chorus, Blunt acknowledges the way in which both men have been there for each other:

I’m not your son, you’re not my father
We’re just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine

Blunt’s father has since found a donor, and was set to receive a kidney transplant at the end of January. But no matter the outcome, Blunt’s lyrics suggest there’s little to fear in death. “Monsters” concludes by bringing their lives full circle – from a son afraid of monsters in the dark to a grown man comforting his friend and father. “Don’t be afraid,” Blunt sings. “It’s my turn to chase the monsters away.”

You can watch the heartbreakingly beautiful music video for James Blunt’s “Monsters” below.