Lucy Dacus Revisits ‘Night Shift’ Heartbreak Five Years Later in Official Music Video

When Lucy Dacus released “Night Shift” as the lead single to her sophomore album Historian in 2017, she told NPR it was the only breakup song she had ever written. Her heartbreak, the aftermath of the end of a five-year relationship with her former bassist, struck a chord with her audience. The record remains her most successful solo release to date. And now that another five years have passed, Dacus revisits that palpable heartache in the official music video for “Night Shift.”

In the video, directed by Jane Schoenbrun, Dacus watches from the sidelines, completing mundane tasks as characters at a fan convention inspired by the Wizard of Oz live and exist around her. While they share tender moments beside the pool, she’s busy fishing a glittery red platform boot out of the water. When she finally does join the party, under the hue of green lights, Dacus finds her Dorothy, played by Scream actress Jasmin Savoy.

“You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift/And I’ll never see you again if I can help it,” she sings. “In five years I hope the songs feel like covers/Dedicated to new lovers.”

Dacus returns to this theme of five years frequently — having released the single after the end of a half-decade-long relationship and waiting that same amount of time to share the music video — and it’s not by accident. In 2018, the singer and songwriter told Rolling Stone about her connection to David Bowie’s 1972 record “Five Years,” saying: “When I heard ‘Five Years’ I just started crying. [‘Five Years’] is what got me started on this whole train of thought: How are you going to fit everything in one life? What’s the most important?”