The story is about a man battling his own demons in the form of a little girl. He chooses to stay in the cage because he feels trapped and unable to help himself get out. The girl escaping the cage represents that the demons don't actually exist, the pain was simply all in the man's mind, hence the cage. The man chooses pain, isolation, rather than breaking free. The little girl could aslo sybollize not only the demons in the cage, but when she escapes, she could symbolize childhood and the way children so easily let go of yesterday's griefs and move on. Adults stay in the cage. Sometimes they choose to stay, sometimes they just don't know how to get out, and other times, the pain overwhelms them so much, they are unable to even move forward. Humans live in a constant mental state and you can either choose to live in your mental cage or escape it. The mind is a powerful thing.

Yo my man shia just climbed the ceiling like its nothin

Maddies talent brings me to tears.

I love the way Shia treats her. He understands there's a child in front of him, and he's extra careful. Kudos to the choreographer(s).

the part where maddie tries to get shia out of the cage but he can't get out reminds me of those moments when you are trying to get someone out of something like depression or anorexia or a disorder like that, and just like maddie ran out, it looks so easy to just leave it, but for some people it's difficult to get out of the cage, like something pulls you back, you are afraid of what people will say, or you are just to attached to it. then people trying to desperately pull you out but you can't no matter how you try and im crying help

This is heartbreaking, the last scene where he just gives up, it's all in the eyes.

I remember sitting in front of my father and him telling me to make him beautiful again. The pain in my heart, I felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. Whomever doesn't understand this video, has never had to go through the pain of seeing someone they love not be who they knew them once to be. Mental illnesses are the most painful thing ever.

Anyone 2024?

Thank god we have UKposts comments or else I’d forget what year I’m in.

His face once he realized he could never get out of this cage 😢😢

My father died yesterday. We had a very tumultuous and complex relationship, and I hadn't seen him for a decade when he passed. He was physically and emotionally abusive, but at times he would be super loving and caring. I never knew which version of him I would get. I always wanted to find a way to reach him but realized I couldn't. This is the one song that really sums up our relationship.

I can't even imagine how emotional this was to film

Fuck all the haters Shia Labeouf was really good, and this song is great.

I see Father and daughter. I see nothing sexual between them. It's a profound video. Sad but beautiful.

The meaning of this video changes with every stage of life

Maddie is one of those rare kids who can channel raw emotion at a young age, reminds me of Disney kids 💔

If you're here after 6 years, you're not alone

Didn’t realize I was coming here to CRY, this song came out when I was young I never knew the meaning behind it

I lost my dad on Christmas Day 2023. He and I had a very tumultuous relationship due to his mental illness and drug abuse. This song is so beautiful but hits me so hard, it causes a physical pain in my chest. The emotions portrayed by Maddie and Shia are so earth shatteringly real. I can’t listen to this song without bawling now.

Shia lebeouf turns everything he touches into gold

Gosh I hate it when people think the man is sexually abusing the girl character. The girl is a younger, freer, happier version of the man/Sia (I don't know who it is representing). The man is heartbroke and hurt, caged up while the girl is trying to free the man from the cage (his fears, heartbreak, and sorrow), but the man won't let go because (I think) he fears he will get heartbroken/hurt again. Thus, the song being called "Elastic Heart".

2015 : who's that girl with Shia LaBeouf 2016 : who's that man with Maddie Ziegler.

It's March 2024, how many legends are listening to this incredible song ❤

This girls dance improvisation, is unparalleled!

''Shia & Maddie are both representing the heart. Maddie is the strong representation of the heart. She's representing how naive and innocent yet strong the heart is. She's young which shows she hasn't fully experienced heartache. She's a fighter. Shia is representing how guarded and damaged the heart is. The cage is there to symbolize a barrier which is protecting the heart from heartache. Because Maddie hasn't experienced it she has no problem leaving the cage and teasing Sia about it, but after feeling bad she steps back in. Sia seems to try desperately to get her back in the cage because he knows the pain of heartache. It's like they're both trying to teach each other. In the end, Maddie just doesn't understand and tries to pull the guarded Sia out, but he's just too scared. A tug of war. So the heart remains guarded unable to love because both sides of the heart need to leave in order to love. This video shows the hearts back and forth conflict within.''

Everyone still sleep on Shia, dude is an amazing actor who s conflicted with the evil he's seen in Hollywood.

I am super proud of Shia, life wasn't always easy but he pushed thru

One of the most exquisitely choreographed interpretive dance routines I’ve ever watched. So raw, so visceral, & so painfully beautiful. ❤

Im probably wrong, but i think it is about a little girl and her father. the girl is born and the father does not know how to handle/help this girl grow up and raise her. he soon learns to play and have fun with her, they care for each other very much, until the daughter is ready to grow up, but is not ready for her father to leave, so when she leaves the cage (her childhood) she wants her father to come with her, but he cant as the girl must live life on her own and make her own choices,

Just to clear this up cause it drives me crazy when people assume the worst: according to Sia herself, in this video, Maddie and Shia both represent different parts of Sia. Maddie is the younger, free version of herself that is naive, bright and hopeful while Shia plays the jaded half. The half that has had all his hopes and dreams shattered by heartbreak. The song is about the internal struggle, between wanting to give up on love after heartbreak and getting back up and being hopeful about it again. The way Shia looks at Maddie longingly at 2:00 and 2:19 represents that even in heartbreak, you still long for what was. The way shes aggressive, then tries to physically fix him and then shes kind as she tries to help him out of his cage so he/Sia can love again. Thus, the elastic heart title.

at 3:03 you can see if he really wanted out of the cage he could get out. But something traps him in other than the physical barrier. This video made me cry for the first time today. I finally get it.

incredible good song, amazing actors... one of the best!

I've seen this video several times (I love the song), and today I watched this video with my son (he's 6), and he said, "Mom, why can't she get the dad out?" My 6yr old saw this video for what it was, and a bunch of grown adults try to turn it into something sexual. I'm not sure if that's sad, or disturbing, or a little bit of both. I think it's a beautiful song and the video was well done.

999 million okay now I can say im here before 1 billion😂😂

Much respect for "that kid Shia." What a phenomenal job. From what I understand, there is a rough family history. The level of performance and emotion makes sense. The whole video stuns me.

So good; they both gave amazing performances.

Shia is brilliant in this piece. He is not a dancer yet he performs it brilliantly. It’s a piece of art.

When this came out I was homeless, on drugs, and then jail. Now I have a house, job, and husband. This song and “Clover Cage - The Chess Piece” are the two songs that helped get rid of my depression. I just want to send love to everyone and I want everyone to know things will get better. We are in this together..I love you 💕😊

this is the best voice of decades in addition to unforgettable songs and melodies. Ilove you

To all the perves: it's called interpretive dancing. And it's telling a beautiful story. To all the dance moms who got 'offended' after this video: ya'll are jealous your daughter wasn't casted.

The best analogy of this vid that I heard was that the cage was a symbol for the adult world and that the dad was trying to keep his daughter there and stop her going wild. Then she goes back in to try and teach him how to be a kid and when he finally realises that he wants out, the cage has gotten too small so he is stuck in the adult world forever. The cage was a symbol of suppressing your wild side and creativity - sort of a metaphor for real life. When you are stuck in the cage for all your life it is really hard, almost impossible to get out. Just one way for looking at it. Shame on those people who say this is pedophilia, it is a beautiful dance with nothing sexual implied at all.

Toujours autant d'émotions.. Cette chanson, ce clip, ces paroles, c'est un monument.

Anyone in May 2024?

Two talented people one amazing singer. Despite controversy this piece is art. I find Maddie's dancing incredible and Shia fits the role perfectly. Great work to the whole team who made this possible.

the first time in my life i see art in a song video

2:17 the Best part ❤ you did not brake me I’m still fighting for peace her voice is gorgeous

Sia's music always have a powerful messages in them....tysm sia for making such masterpieces !!!

I see the video as a father daughter relationship. The father doesnt want his daughter to grow up and mature. I think the cage is a representation on her innocence.

SIa put Shia LaBeouf in this masterpiece because both of them had estranged relationships with their parents. Audio and Visual took message home. Brilliant art.

"I'm still fighting for peace..." 😢😢 I really feel that. There is none.. only chaos

once you learn and understand what this is about, it tells an amazing story and it is truly a beautiful piece of art

The last part, when Maddie tried to break Shia out of the cage breaks me every time.

I thought this made sense if you think of Shia as a father and Maddie as his daughter. They feel trapped in a cage together, trying to figure each other out. The father not knowing what to do. Them fighting and yelling, with occasional moments of peace. Until she is able to get loose from the cage, away from him. He feels trapped, she feels sympathy, and so they're finally able to connect when she comes back. But when she moves into adulthood, try though she might, she can't take him with her back out of the cage. She gets the independence she once craved but it's not the same anymore. Idk, just my take.

The ending just made me cry this truly was beautiful

maddie is so skilled, it's sad thinking what she must have been through in all this as a kid but she sure did and amazing, even legendary job. i still almost 10 years later am absolutely in love with how they executed the choreo

Shia is underrated. He has lived such a wild life in terms of finding himself. Amazing man. Brilliant performance

to the people asking "why shia lebouf?": he's an actor. this video has more acting in it, for him, than it does dancing.

I share with Sia the rememberance of an alcoholic father, and the experience of a cocaine addicted brother. This is what is about the song. Trying to suffer those situations. It gives you an elastic herat no doubt but at a very high cost after you made everything you could do to take them out of hell. Now I have basically no heart and thick sking... this song however is like a knife to my heart

Best performance by Shia ever. He was amazing. Madrid is a beautiful wonder. And yes I remember dance moms. I hope she is great today ❤

Maddie: (leaves cage) Shia: come back here Maddie: no Shia: JUST... DO IT Maddie: (slowly gets back in the cage)

At 3:04 it broke my heart because I realized that the dad could escape the cage physically but not mentally 😭

Sia is the BEST 👌❤

Can we or can we not go on and on about this piece Thank Sia..thank you.

In my opinion, I believe this video is about a person with schizophrenia. Shia and Maddie are the same person, but trapped inside the same head which is the cage. One gets weaker when the other escapes or gains strength. As Shia was climbing to the top, Maddie was becoming more fragile. Then as Shia got back down to her level she gained strength and bit him basically saying "I'm the one getting out of this cage (mind) not you". Soon they realize that they're the same in many different ways, especially because, well they are the same person. Finally accepting that they cannot change, they help each other out trying to escape, realizing that "I can't escape myself without ruining myself" as Maddie pulls and pulls on Shia toward the end. A person with schizophrenia has many mood swings, as shown in the video their mood went from angry to happy to crazy to silly to sad. Please don't attack me, if my comment is disagreed upon, it's just my opinion.

It got me straight in the heart how she tryed to fight him and save him.... It broke my heart.....

Possibly one of the most complete performances of all time. Lyrics, singer, video & meaning it has everything! Top bananna!

Any father with a daughter they care about will recognise the dance of love and care that this vid expresses so perfectly.

this could be us, but you are mentally well.

the cage is her heart, the guy is her bad side (negative feelings and thoughts, etc.), and the girl is her good side (good feelings and thoughts, etc.). The dancing around together and fighting might symbolize how negative and positive feelings are together 'in her heart' at the same time and constantly fight for dominance. In the end when the girl (or good side) got out of the cage but the guy (or bad side) couldn't it could symbolize that she lets out her 'good side' and cages in her 'bad side'. {By bad side and Good side i mean impulses to do good or bad things, etc.}

This is an awesome music video, Maddie is a great dancer, everything about this video is great! The story behind it, the music, everything.

To me, this video has always represented a struggle with addiction, with Shia as the addict and Maddie personifying the addictive substance. He oscillates between hating it, trying to avoid it, then looking for comfort from it. Ultimately he succumbs to the temptation and it wipes out his world entirely. I think of an “elastic heart” as one that can feel a whole range of emotions for an addiction that’s slowly killing them.

Me: SHIA GET OUTTA THE CAGE! Shia: But I can't- Me: JUST. DO IT. Shia: Bu- Me: YESTERDAY, YOU SAID TOMORROW, SO JUST DO IT. MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! Shia: Seriously, I can't get out. Could you he- Me: YES YOU CAN! JUST DO IT.

Okay, honestly, watching this, I don't even think they were supposed to be human. Did no one else sense something deeply primal? Animalistic? I don't know why you all are seeing something inappropriate, but I think this is extremely beautiful.

9 years later and this still makes me drop a thug tear. Incredible video. Powerful message.

La gosse est juste.... époustouflante ❤❤❤❤❤

People think that this is pornography or pedophilia may not realize that this is just an amazing form of art we don't really see anymore. It's a cool video.

Damn it Shia Labeouf is so underrated

Symbolism: stress, addiction, hate, love. Everything that the human feels and the stressful cage of society that we choose to close ourselves, and the constant battle that we fight in our minds (the space) . A work of art.

2:02 ... "and i want it, i want my life so bad... im doing everything i can..." I've never in my 34 years had lyrics resonate so deeply inside me that it shook me to my core. Every time i watch and listen to this... i dont feel so alone...and thats just the lyrics... dont even get me started on the video... 💕

this is like my relationship with my cat

My interpretation of the video They are the same person. She represents the child, infancy, playfullness, what was left behind. He represents who that person is today, beaten down, stressed and "fighting for peace". This video begins with him facing her, his inner child. They are at war with one another. The child beating him and laughing and taunting him. Being playful sometimes, but he takes everything as a painful blow, even if she didn't it him hard. He tries to come close, but she pushes him away and throws him around. Of course he can't fight back, just tries to get away from painful memories or things he has lost. 1:40 she is down and he tries to wake her, he's gentle and tries to make peace, he offers his hand and she pretends to give in and be gentle but then bites him and keeps playing him around. He's upset cause he trusted and almost got close to reconnecting, so he starts going stronger against her. At 2:55 when she leaves the cage, his prison, he is mad she can leave but he can't (even if physically it's obvious he can, 3:03).She sees he CAN'T leave and changes her approach. She now wants to help him instead of aggraviate him. She lets herself fall on him and be held. He holds her and comes to terms with his inner child. They play around making funny faces, she pulls at his face and gently triesto guide him out of his prision, but he's not stong enough and surrenders. She tries and tries to bring him out, but she can't do it for him, he has to want to, but can't. She eventually loses strength as well.

There are a lot more podcasts in recent years, of male and mixed groups sitting and talking frankly about their mental health, and it has opened people's eyes a little more. His words in recent years and his performance with this song are truly humbling. They both did an amazing job, they're both strong.

Shia Breaks My heart with This HEART wrenching performance 😭😢

I think it is the internal struggle of the man who lost a daughter, but could be generalized to grief. 0:00 to 1:17 Denial He keeps running away from her, covers his eyes in the beginning, seems shocked and scared whenever they make eye contact. He seems scared of her 1:17 to 1:57 Anger He starts to fight back against the idea of loss, the first time he pushes back against her in the video. He then climbs to the top, refusing to think about the loss, angry that it happened to him. He stays up there and the memory starts to die. 1:57 to 3:16 Bargaining The man gets to the point where he doesn't want to lose the memory of his daughter and drops down, trying to approach the painful memories again. At first he is able to block out the loss because of the time that has passed, but it doesn't last long. He then looks determined in the video and they wrestle, which is symbolic of him coming to grips with the reality of the loss and realizing no bargaining can be done, what's done is done. Then she leaves the cage and taunts him, which is the memories not being real enough for him, and he has a burst of anger before feeling like giving up, which segues into depression. 3:16 to 4:25 Depression He carries the grief around, and it feels like it controls every emotion he has (hitting head, changing faces). After time living with the depression, it leads him to the verge of suicide (leaving the cage) but he doesn't do it. He stays on the edge until acceptance kicks in. 4:25 to 5:07 Acceptance You can see the sadness turn into acceptance, with sadness still being there but lessened. He stops reaching out of the cage and his arms go limp. He stays in the cage and life goes on. What do you guys think of this theory? It doesn't feel forced to me even though it directly correlates to the 5 stages of grief which makes me thing the choreographers used that theory as the basis for the video.

A lot of people give hate to Shia, why he's so talented and that beard is legendary

I have never seen such a perfect embodiment of giving up hope. So heart wrenching.

あなたの曲聴くと涙と一緒に苦しみが流れていくよ

Guys, this is art. Everyone interprets art differently. Just like poetry. Anyone can think whatever they want.

It's interpretive dancing... "skin doesn't always equal sex, touching doesn't always equal lust and dancing does not always equal carnality." And with the way society is set up, we always assume the worst right away. Either way, beautiful song, amazing video. I'm absolutely in love with this.

Anyone march 2024?

Maaaan even this many years, Shia's face at the end, when he can't get out of the cage, kills me!! March 2024 here ❤❤❤❤

I want every single person who watches this video and finds it offensive to actually stop and think the following: 1. Why are you offended? Is it because it's an older man and a younger girl? 2. If so, would you feel the same if both were women? 3. Why do people scream paedophelia about this song? 4. Why do you feel it's sexualised? If you really still feel offended by this, think it kiddy porn, actually stop and look at yourself for a long moment. Why are you assuming it so? Because they're the opposite sex, dancing together, with an age gap? If they were related, would you still care so much? Actually be honest with yourselves. Because if you do find it offensive, maybe it's time to look inward at yourself. You may not like what you see, but at least you'd know why you're "offended". Seriously. It sickens me, the shit this video gets.

step by step: Maddie is Sia, Shia is her father. He is confused because of (maybe) her new self, so he stays away from her. But he can´t let her alone, so he tried to get closer to her again. She refused and (maybe because of the scream moment) even screamed at him to go away. He is shocked, confused and maybe they even fought together, because he couldnt handle it. But every time she was down and confused because of herself, he came and tried to get her up. She refused it again and just wanted to be alone. Maybe one time he even tried to get away from her or leave her complete alone (cage climbing scene) But as soon as he saw her breaking down again, he went back to help her get up. She was scared, but she tried to open herself. But he got to close and she wanted to be lonely again. One day he got depressed because of her (the lonely cave scene) She couldnt see him like that, so she tried to help him or better saying...she let him help her. They had fun again and everything went better , for some time. End opinion: She tried to get out of her cage (the depression) and tried to take him with her...but he couldnt let it go and fell even deeper, alone without her. But this is all just a opinion. I can feel the story behind it or better saying....I lived it.

beautiful video, this is one of my favorites, thanks to all the producers

This is literally so touching, I used to work out on this song and suddenly think of watching the mv...❤

Obviously, all of you guys who think this video has pedophilia is a bit of a general statement. One interpretation of this video is, the cage is a metaphor for the inner/mentality of both the daughter and the father. The constant tackling and pushing is the time of constant adversities they both faced together, which refers to the lyric ''wanted to fight this war without weapons.'' When the girl is able to enter freely in and out of the cage; it means she can quickly adapt in and out adversities or it refers back to the song lyric of ''Well, I've got thick skin and an elastic heart''. Furthermore, ''thick skin'' means that she has high tolerance when helping her father, in this case; which juxtaposes with her father being trapped in a cage ( fear, adversities, isolation) when she comes in and out of the cage with ease. Near the end, once again, she goes back in the cage and tries desperately to try save or give a helping hand to his father, but he cannot come out which represents how deep or his mental adversities are and the constant isolation he is in when he's in the cage by himself. Lastly, the clothes they wear seem so close to being naked, because being naked symbolises a human's inner self. To be human, is to be flawed. Therefore, Sia re-conceptualises the idea of 'life adversities/tolerence in a more subtle way.

JUST DO IT. YOU CAN ESCAPE THAT CAGE. JUST DO IT!

I remember not being sure what to make of this when it was released, loved the song but the video not too sure what it was intended to be. I had my daughter 4 years ago and have just stumbled across this again.. 3 seconds in i knew instantly they were meant to be Father/Daughter. Beautiful and sad all at once.

Yo! For real. Shia LaBeouf deserves an Oscar! Not only for this interpretation. He’s one of a kind interpreters and actors of our generation! God bless his soul!

This video is about is about a father-daughter relationship. The cage represents the dad's "world" which is why he can't escape from it but his daughter can. The daughter remains apart of his life temporarily until she realizes at one moment she can leave. She wants to leave for good but sees the pain and anguish on her father's face, she comes back inside the cage to show her dad she loves him and still cares for him, but she understands she can't live in his caged world. As she leaves again the father clings tightly and grasps her arms because he doesn't want her to leave his life that he doesn't know how to escape, though he has tried. The two are naked because nakedness illustrates vulnerability and openness in the most effective way. It in no way expresses pedophilia. In my eyes, a spectacular illustration of the struggle of letting go.