Andrew Garfield amazes us in new Arcade Fire video for ‘We Exist’

There’s something about a vanilla-laden lanky guy getting primped up for visual art that gets media all chilly and excited. Probably taking a cue from Jared Leto’s mind-blowing performance in Dallas Buyer’s Club, The Amazing Spider-Man‘s Andrew Garfield explores the gender identity issue in Arcade Fire‘s music video for their single We Exist (from their recent Reflektor album).

If you were at Coachella this year and had the chance to see the band live, you may have (unknowingly) spotted Garfield in a dress and pink-face. It was filmed for this video, in the part where he ‘finds himself.’ Watch below.

If you listen to the lyrics carefully, you will hear that the words can resonate with just about anyone who’s facing difficulty in finding a place within society — whether you’re cisgender or transgender, WoW player or cosplayer, Muslim or black, there’s a powerful message to heed. Actually, in a press release and even in introducing the song at their Coachella set, lead singer Win Butler says that this song is for gay kids coming out to their parents, and that “The right to marry anyone you want is a human rights issue.”

Seems that Andrew Garfield is playing a whole different kind of superhero.

See the lyrics of the song below.

Walking around head full of sound
Acting like we don’t exist
Walk in a room stare out through you
Talking like we don’t exist
But we exist

Daddy it’s true, I’m different from you
But tell me why they treat me like this?
You turn away, what could I say
Not the first betrayed by a kiss

Maybe it’s true
They’re staring at you
When you walk in a room

Turn on us fine
Stare if you like
Or just let us through
Just let us through

Down on your knees
Begging us please
Praying that we don’t exist

Daddy it’s fine, I’m used to them now
But tell me why they treat me like this?
Is it because we do it like this?

Maybe it’s true
They’re staring at you
When you walk in a room

Turn on us fine
Stare if you like
Or just let us through
Just let us through

Let them stare, let them stare
If that’s all they can do

But I’d lose my heart
If it turn away from you

Daddy told him to wait
Mother, I’m so scared
But will you watch us drown?
You know that they will

You know that we’re young
You know that we’re confused
But will you watch us drown?
What are you so afraid to lose?

Down on their knees
Begging us please
Praying that we don’t exist
We exist