Newman began his musical career in the 1990s as a member of the Vancouver grunge/pop group Superconductor. After a brief stay, he joined the Vancouver-based pop group Zumpano. The band released two albums with Newman in the mid-1990s, Look What the Rookie Did and Goin' Through Changes, both of which received favorable reviews. Though Zumpano never officially announced their breakup, they have not recorded any new material since the 90s.
Newman is a founding member of the successful Vancouver-based pop supergroup The New Pornographers. The band has released five full length albums since 2000, all of which received favorable reviews. In 2007, Blender ranked the group's debut album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. Newman is the band's main songwriter and vocalist, and is generally regarded as the band's leader.
His debut solo album, The Slow Wonder, was released in Summer 2004, and his sophomore album, Get Guilty, was released in early 2009. He released his third album, Shut Down the Streets, in 2012.
The Cloud Prayer
A.C. Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went into disguise for you.
So, of course, almost no one knew.
You don't think there was payment due?
I blew up in the sky for you.
Anyone who saw it knew.
Maybe if you were under your own spell?
[Repeat: x2]
Thinking it was all she wrote,
Thinking it was all the words ever written.
[Repeat: x2]
So, of course, almost no one knew
The Cloud Prayer by A.C. Newman is a reflective song that expresses the feelings of an individual who is hurt and feels unappreciated in a relationship. The lyrics suggest that the person went to great lengths to impress and please their partner but received no recognition or gratitude in return. The opening lines, "You don't think that I tried for you? I went into disguise for you. So, of course, almost no one knew," suggests that the individual made significant sacrifices and went out of their way to make their partner happy. However, despite their efforts, their partner did not notice the extent of their sacrifice and effort.
The lyrics further indicate that the individual did something drastic that was witnessed by others but not necessarily acknowledged by their partner. The lines "You don't think there was payment due? I blew up in the sky for you. Anyone who saw it knew," suggest that the person intentionally did something dramatic or risky for their partner, which was witnessed by others, but their partner did not acknowledge it. The chorus of the song reflects the person's internal musings about how they feel unappreciated and wonder if their partner is under some kind of spell that does not allow them to see or appreciate what they have done.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't think that I tried for you?
Do you not believe that I made attempts to please and satisfy you?
I went into disguise for you.
I altered my appearance and behavior for your sake.
So, of course, almost no one knew.
It was hidden from almost everyone that I was going through changes.
You don't think there was payment due?
Do you think that I did not deserve any form of reward or appreciation?
I blew up in the sky for you.
I made a grand and public gesture on your behalf.
Anyone who saw it knew.
The entire scene was fully evident for all to see and grasp.
But did you, didn't you ever wonder,
Have you ever considered or pondered the possibility that...
Maybe if you were under your own spell?
Perhaps you were enchanted by your own thoughts and viewpoint?
Thinking it was all she wrote,
Believing that everything worth knowing or discovering has already been stated...
Thinking it was all the words ever written.
Convinced that every written or spoken expression has already been exhausted.
So, of course, almost no one knew
Therefore, it is understandable that hardly anyone was aware of the true extent of my efforts.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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