Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto (born February 19, … Read Full Bio ↴Mary Beth Patterson, known by her stage name Beth Ditto (born February 19, 1981, in Searcy, Arkansas), is an American singer-songwriter, most famous for her work with the indie rock band Gossip.

Ditto came to wider public attention in November 2006 when she was selected by NME as the coolest person in rock - placing at number one in the magazine's annual Cool List. The magazine cited her 'non-conformity' as the reason for her selection - she is a lesbian, an outspoken advocate of gay rights, and a punk.

Her debut release was the self-titled EP, "Beth Ditto", in 2011.

In 2017, her newest album "Fake Sugar" came out.

Clouds
Beth Ditto Lyrics

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Maybe I'll walk around
Get a feel for this place
And maybe I'll just stay put
It won't go anywhere
There's not a whole lot that I could do
To get you off my mind
Not that I wanted to
Not that I haven't tried

And then I go
Oh woah, oh woah-oh-oh
Oh woah, will they ever know?
Oh woah, oh woah-oh-oh
Oh woah, will they ever know?

In there's the sun
The kind of quiet that hurts
The kind you can't explain
You can't quite put into words
I'm surrounded by pieces of you
Frozen in time
For no good reason
Mmm

But you're only as far as the moon and stars
I'm remembering how great you are
And I'm wondering
Mmm
If they know

Oh woah, will they ever know?
Oh woah, will they ever know?
Oh woah, will they ever know?
Oh woah, will they ever know?

And in the sun
You'd run more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Beth Ditto’s song Clouds are about the aftermath of a breakup and the internal struggle to move on from someone who has left a significant impact on one's life. The singer starts by acknowledging that she’s in a new place and that she might move around to get a feel of the new environment, but no matter where she goes, the memories of her former lover persist in her mind. She admits that she has tried to forget about the person, but it seems impossible. The verse ends with the singer wondering if anyone will ever know what she’s going through.

In the chorus, the singer expresses her frustration with the complicated emotions she’s experiencing. The repetition of “oh woah, will they ever know?” emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and isolation she’s feeling. The bridge describes the type of quiet that hurts, the one that surrounds her after the end of a relationship. She expresses her thoughts on how her former lover is still present in her life, frozen in time, even though she has tried to put the relationship behind her. She acknowledges how great the person was and wonders if anyone else knows just how amazing the person is.

Overall, Clouds is a haunting and melancholic song that explores the complexity of emotions after a breakup. It’s a relatable feeling that many people go through, where the memories of a past relationship linger, and the internal struggle to move on from them can feel overwhelming.

Line by Line Meaning

Maybe I'll walk around
Contemplating exploring the area

Get a feel for this place
Sensing the atmosphere of the surroundings

And maybe I'll just stay put
Considering remaining stationary

It won't go anywhere
Awareness that the environment will not transform

There's not a whole lot that I could do
Acknowledging lack of influence in a situation

To get you off my mind
Attempts to forget someone prove unsuccessful

Not that I wanted to
No desire to forget this person

Not that I haven't tried
Struggling with letting go despite efforts to do so

And then I go
Escaping reality

Oh woah, oh woah-oh-oh
Expression of emotions that can't be described

Oh woah, will they ever know?
Questioning if others can relate