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.
The Tornado Lessons
Cloud Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the story of your life
Tea-party through tornadoes
In the middle of the night
You got your finger on the trigger
Though you never wanna fight
Put your belly up and aim
Right to the wrong
To the bad to the good
To the dark to the dark
To the light
Or right to the wrong
To the bad to the good
To the dark to the dark
To the light
You fake it till you make it
That's the story of your life
Tea-party through tornadoes
In the middle of the night
You got your finger on the trigger
Though you never wanna fight
Put your belly up and aim
For the sky, sky, sky, sky.
(Sky?)
Sky!
The lyrics of Cloud Cult's song The Tornado Lessons suggest a sense of determination and resilience in the face of unexpected adversity. The phrase "fake it till you make it" encapsulates the idea of pushing through difficult situations with sheer force of will, even if one doesn't necessarily feel prepared or capable. The image of a "tea-party through tornadoes" is also significant, as it represents a contrast between the calm, orderly world of a tea party and the chaotic, destructive force of a tornado. It suggests that the singer is able to maintain a sense of order and stability in the midst of chaos, perhaps by refusing to let their circumstances dictate their emotional state.
The repeated refrain of "right to the wrong, to the bad to the good, to the dark to the dark, to the light" seems to speak to the idea of navigating through life's challenges and finding one's way through both difficult times and moments of joy. The repetition of these phrases suggests a sense of circularity and inevitability, as though the singer is locked in a cycle of facing challenges and emerging on the other side, perhaps having grown or learned something in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
You fake it till you make it
Pretend until you succeed
That's the story of your life
That's how you've lived so far
Tea-party through tornadoes
Enjoying life's highs and lows
In the middle of the night
Even in the darkest moments
You got your finger on the trigger
You have control over your actions
Though you never wanna fight
Even if you prefer peace over confrontation
Put your belly up and aim
Stand tall and set a goal
Right for the center of the sky
Aim high and for the impossible
Right to the wrong
Correcting mistakes and making right
To the bad to the good
Through adversity and success
To the dark to the dark
Through difficult and unknown times
To the light
To a better future
Or right to the wrong
Choose to make things right
For the sky, sky, sky, sky.
Aiming for the stars and beyond
(Sky?)
Reiterating the ultimate goal
Sky!
An exclamation of determination and possibility
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.