The band's founder and singer Craig Minowa has a degree in Environmental Science, and his environmental, political, and social awareness is reflected in much of Cloud Cult's music. (Note: Craig Minowa actually has stated he intentionally doesn't sing about environmental awareness because he lives it...he doesn't need to preach it) The band's self-created non-profit record label, Earthology Records, uses the most environmentally friendly methods available to ensure minimum damage to the environment.
After two solo LP's, The Shade Project (1995), and Who Killed Puck? (2000), Minowa's sudden loss of his two-year-old son and subsequent separation from his wife, Cloud Cult emerged with They Live On The Sun in 2003, combining concepts of Minowa with performances by cellist Sarah Young and drummer Dan Greenwood, who shortly became members of the band. This album was deeply personal and painful album for Cloud Cult and you don't often hear songs from it in concert.
Minowa continued to use music to cope with the loss of his son on the following album Aurora Borealis. This album did begin to branch out more into exploration of pain and loss instead of just feeling it.
Minowa reunited with his wife, and the next album is widely considered their crowning achievement. Advice From The Happy Hippopotamus involved collaboration from a variety of musicians and has garnered praise from critics, even being acclaimed as "a work of insane genius". This album is capped off with the "happy-go-lucky" song, Lucky Today. This album was selected by esurance to be animated into a commercial. This was a contest for the most environmentally sound band because esurance labels themselves as the paperless insurance provider.
On April 10th 2007 Cloud Cult officially released their sixth LP, The Meaning of 8 (although it was available for sale online in late January): the first single was titled "Take Your Medicine." In April 2008, the band followed it with Feel Good Ghosts.
In 2009 band announced a break till 2010, though they released limited re-releases of their albums Lost Songs from the Lost Years, They Live on the Sun and Aurora Borealis (the last two as a double-disc).
Their concerts are certainly a sight to be seen. Along with Minowa on Guitars (and other fun things), they have got bass, drums, violin and cello. There are two official band members who actually do very little music during the shows; Minowa's wife Connie and Scott are painters. They create original works of art during the show (breaking only occasionally to sing or sometimes Scott plays Trumpet). Then, at the end of the show, they silent auction these paintings off to the highest bidder.
Their official website is www.cloudcult.com.
Conception
Cloud Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will never know what woke me up and brought me here
Please don't let go under again, under again
Please don't let me go
I will never never kill myself again
I am a lucky one
I am a lucky one
Please don't let me go under again, under again
Please don't let me go
Please don't let me go under again, under again
Please don't let me go
The lyrics to Cloud Cult's song Conception hint at the singer's awakening after a long dormant period. The opening line "I've been sleeping for a million years" suggests that the singer had been inactive for an extensive duration, and there was a lack of consciousness. The second line implies that the singer is unsure what has caused them to be awake and present in the current moment. It could be interpreted as a metaphor, implying that they have been awakened to the reality of their lives or the world around them. In the following lines, the singer pleads to whoever is around them not to let them fall back into dormancy, not to let them become complacent and lose their newfound awareness.
The repeated refrain, "Please don't let me go under again," emphasizes the fear and apprehension of losing this newfound consciousness. It highlights the necessary vigilance to keep oneself from falling back into old habits and forgetting the lessons learned. The line "I will never never kill myself again" may reference a literal suicide attempt or a metaphorical rebirth. Overall, the lyrics convey the importance of maintaining awareness and the fear of losing that consciousness once it has been found.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been sleeping for a million years
I've been unaware and inactive for a long time
I will never know what woke me up and brought me here
I don't know what caused my awakening and my current state
Please don't let go under again, under again
I'm afraid of becoming unconscious and inactive again
Please don't let me go
I need someone to hold onto and guide me
I've been taking too much for granted
I've been not appreciating what I have and what I can do
I will never never kill myself again
I won't disengage from life anymore
I am a lucky one
I feel grateful for the good things in my life
Please don't let me go under again, under again
I don't want to lose consciousness
Please don't let me go
I need someone to help me stay connected to life
Please don't let me go under again, under again
I'm afraid of losing control and becoming unconscious
Please don't let me go
I need someone to support me and not abandon me
Contributed by Colton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.