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.
When Water Comes to Life
Cloud Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They'll cut you down the middle
To see if you're still there
To see if you're still there
And underneath your ribs
They'll find a heart-shaped locket
An old photograph
And then they'll sew you closed
And give you back to the water
From where we're all born
From where we're all born
And you'll feed the ghosts
And you'll feed the living
You'll be a stranger, and you'll be a friend
You'll be the leper, and you'll be the healer
You'll be the hero, and the tragedy
And when they sew you closed
They'll give you back to the water
From where we're all born
And when they burn your body
All that's left is sand crystals
Two tiny handfuls
All the rest is water, water, water, water
All you need to know
Is you were born of water
You are made of water
You are living water, water, water, water
All you need to know
Is you were born of water
You are made of water
You are living water, water, water, water.
The song "When Water Comes to Life" by Cloud Cult is a reflective and thought-provoking piece that explores the cyclical nature of life and death. The lyrics describe the process of dying and returning to the water, where all life begins. The idea of angels cutting the body down the middle is reminiscent of an autopsy, where the heart is often examined for signs of life. It is a symbolic gesture of searching for the essence of what makes us human and alive. The heart-shaped locket and old photograph of the person in their father's arms represent memories and emotional ties to the living world.
The angels then sew the body back together and give it back to the water, indicating that death is not the end but rather a return to the source. The lines "you'll be a stranger, and you'll be a friend, you'll be the leper, and you'll be the healer, you'll be the hero, and the tragedy" emphasize the idea that all life is interconnected, and one person can embody many different roles in different contexts. In the end, the body is reduced to sand crystals, emphasizing the idea that we all eventually return to the earth and are a part of the natural cycle of life and death.
Overall, "When Water Comes to Life" is a poetic and reflective meditation on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death. It encourages listeners to embrace the interconnectedness of all things and to remember that we are all made of water and connected to the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
And when the angels come
Once death arrives
They'll cut you down the middle
A division between the spirit and body
To see if you're still there
To verify your existence, your soul
And underneath your ribs
Betwixt your bones, closer to your heart
They'll find a heart-shaped locket
A precious metal, holding photographs of memories treasured
An old photograph
Reflecting past events
Of you in daddy's arms
Memories tying to one's kin
And then they'll sew you closed
Stitching to seal the remains
And give you back to the water
Returning to nature
From where we're all born
Resting spot of the beginning of life
And you'll feed the ghosts
Sustaining those who left the world
And you'll feed the living
Nourishing those who see the light
You'll be a stranger, and you'll be a friend
One can be both, depending on perspective
You'll be the leper, and you'll be the healer
Roles can switch from one to the other
You'll be the hero, and the tragedy
Actions can weigh either way
And when they sew you closed
Referring to death again
They'll give you back to the water
Returning to nature
From where we're all born
Resting spot of the beginning of life
And when they burn your body
Cremation done after death
All that's left is sand crystals
The remnants after burning
Two tiny handfuls
A minuscule amount of remnants left
All the rest is water, water, water, water
The majority is returned to nature
All you need to know
Everything can be simplified
Is you were born of water
The beginning of life
You are made of water
The fluid that makes up the human body
You are living water, water, water, water
Alive and existing due to the water we are made up of
All you need to know
Reiterating the previous statement
Is you were born of water
The beginning of life
You are made of water
The fluid that makes up the human body
You are living water, water, water, water
Alive and existing due to the water we are made up of
Contributed by Nathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.