Folk music will usually speak on one of two levels: either the deeply personal, or the grandiosely philosophical. In his new video for “Child Of The Earth,” Chillemi is able to do both, and do both well. A catchy yet no-frills melody beams from an old-timey keyboard and an acoustic guitar, laying an enchanting groundwork off of which Chillemi’s vocal twang plays. He speaks a somewhat sweeping, seemingly archaic language, verbal equivalents of god-figures drawn on a prehistoric cave wall to depict his love for this child of the sky/moon. The song has the feel of a fable created for a toddler to comprehend, forgetful, almost, that another person is being addressed. It’s pretty damn romantic. But it’s always grounded in the reminder of humanity, as he professes, “I wanna feel the universe in your hands / Remember, honey. I’m only a man.”
Visually, it’s equally immense. Shot by Chillemi, himself, on 16mm, and cut together later, we see a lone figure contrasted against the seemingly endless fields of the evergreen Irish countryside, The Cliffs of Moher. It makes you feel small, and it makes the amorous subject matter feel big, an all-encompassing folk tune, in picture.
