Ever wanted to know more about The Strokes "You Only Live Once" video?

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Wanna know more about the music video for "You Only Live Once" (released in 2006 off First Impressions of Earth).

Apparently, Julian explained the idea by saying: "People tell us all the time we're gonna die from smoking, but you only live once."

The vid was directed by Samuel Bayer, a music video director who also directed Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." He had just worked with The Strokes on their bleak, black-and-white video for "Heart in a Cage."

The band is trapped inside a pristine, white chamber that represents a human lung. The thick, black liquid that begins pouring out of the walls is meant to resemble tobacco tar.

It was also a direct spiritual homage to the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock n Roll (But I Like It)" video in which the Stones play inside a tent that slowly fills to the brim with detergent bubbles. Director Bayer just swapped the playful bubbles for a suffocating, oily nightmare.

Legend has it that thousands of gallons of a custom, non-toxic, water-based solution heavily dyed with food coloring (and rumors suggest some coffee mixes) to achieve that deep, tar-black look. Because it had to be thick but still safe enough for the band to be submerged in, getting the chemical balance right was a massive logistical challenge.

How the Band Handled the Shoot

The shoot was notoriously grueling for the band, who wore all-white suits that were instantly ruined on the first take.

• The Instruments: Fans have meticulously pointed out that if you look closely at the headstocks of Nick Valensi’s Epiphone Riviera or Albert Hammond Jr.’s Fender Stratocaster, the logos are missing or obscured. The band used cheap replicas and prop guitars for the destruction shots, though Albert Hammond Jr. reportedly still keeps his tar-stained prop Strat hanging in his house as a souvenir.
• Fab Moretti's Near-Drowning: The member who had it worst was drummer Fabrizio Moretti. Because a drum kit sits low to the ground, Fab was the first to be completely engulfed. He refused to stop playing to keep the take going, resulting in him being neck-deep in the black sludge, tilting his head back just to breathe between takes.
• The Aftermath: There is a brief, rare two-second clip of behind-the-scenes footage hidden inside their 2013 music video for "All the Time" that shows the band completely drenched, shivering, and trying to wash the black dye off their skin after Bayer yelled "Cut!"

The stark contrast between the bright, sterile white room and the sudden, violent rush of pitch-black sludge perfectly captured the band's aesthetic: effortless coolness being swallowed up by raw, messy rock energy.

This video marked the end of an era for the band; it was the last traditional music video they released before going on an extended hiatus, returning five years later with Angles in 2011.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT68FS3YbQ4