Tonic - If You Could Only See (Closed-Captioned)

What this video is

Released as the third and final single from Tonic's debut album Lemon Parade in February 1997, 'If You Could Only See' arrived during the commercial zenith of post-grunge alternative rock, when rootsy guitar bands were crossing from college radio into mainstream Top 40 and adult alternative formats. The song's autobiographical origin — written about family disapproval of a relationship — anchors the video's visual…

Why it matters

Represents the peak crossover moment for Triple-A / mainstream rock in the mid-1990s. The video's restrained realism and performance-narrative hybrid format typifies the A&M/Polydor-era alt-rock promotional aesthetic. Cinematographer Jeff Cutter's early-career music video work, documented as…

The director

Ramaa Devi Mosley (born October 29, 1981) is an American filmmaker, director, and writer based in Los Angeles who began directing commercials, music videos, and documentaries at age 16. Named one of Shoot Magazine's Top 10 Female Directors, she founded…