Alchemy's Dead
Clouds Lyrics


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Don't want you back
I don't want to know
About how your garden grows
Alchemy's dead

Escaping our extinction
Has brought it on early
Don't want to live
Longer than life
Time is right when mother calls me
To her bed

Won't eat the fruit from the three
Of lies and vanity
Yeah

Don't want re-create her
Scared of how mad we'll make her
I don't believe in perfection
If it only has one face
Alchemy's dead

All the creatures of your dreams
Let them be memory
Yeah

Don't want you back
Don't want you back




Don't want you back
Don't want you back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alchemy's Dead by Clouds express a desire to detach oneself from the negative aspects of life and live in harmony with nature. It suggests that humanity's pursuit of perfection has led to the destruction of nature and that escaping extinction by embracing technology only prolongs the inevitable. The lyrics argue that there is a time to die, and humanity needs to accept that and let go of their fear of mortality.


The songs mention of the garden growing suggests that the singer has moved on from a past relationship and does not care about how their former partner is doing. The reference to alchemy being dead speaks to the idea that humans have lost touch with their spiritual and natural connection to the world. The singer refuses to eat the fruit from the tree of lies and vanity, symbolizing a rejection of the illusions of perfection that society promotes.


The lyrics also suggest that humanity's fear of death and their desire for immortality has led to their downfall. By living lives disconnected from nature and embracing technology, people have created a world that is unsustainable and destined for collapse. By letting go of the pursuit of perfection and embracing mortality, humanity can rediscover its spiritual and natural roots and live in harmony with the world.


Overall, Alchemy's Dead is a powerful song that expresses a deep desire to reconnect with nature and reject the illusions of perfection that modern society promotes.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't want you back
I have no desire to be with you again.


I don't want to know
I am not interested in hearing about your life.


About how your garden grows
I have no interest in learning about the progress of your personal projects.


Alchemy's dead
The concept of alchemy - changing things into gold - is obsolete and mistaken.


Escaping our extinction
Trying to avoid or resist our own destruction.


Has brought it on early
Which has hastened it instead of delaying it.


Don't want to live
I have no wish to continue existing.


Longer than life
Not even for an extended period of time.


Time is right when mother calls me
The appropriate moment to pass away is when nature takes its course.


To her bed
To return to the earth, our original mother.


Won't eat the fruit from the three
I refuse to be deceived by obvious lies.


Of lies and vanity
The source of these falsehoods stems from a sense of excessive self-regard.


Yeah


Don't want re-create her
I do not want to replicate or replace the natural world.


Scared of how mad we'll make her
I am frightened of the dangerous consequences of our misuse and abuse of the environment.


I don't believe in perfection
I do not accept the idea of an ideal or flawless state of being.


If it only has one face
If there is only one aspect or perspective to it.


Alchemy's dead
The idea that alchemy can transform something into a higher state is unrealistic.


All the creatures of your dreams
All of the fantastical creatures and illusions you have envisioned in your imagination.


Let them be memory
Allow them to remain solely in your past and mental history


Yeah


Don't want you back
I have no desire to have you return to my life.


Don't want you back
Again, I have no wish for you to re-enter my life.


Don't want you back
Once more, the prospect of your return is undesirable to me.


Don't want you back
In conclusion, I have no wish to be associated with you again.




Contributed by Jayden C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@lehah4333

Discovered this band when I was gifted a stack of CDs from a closing radio station around 1997. Each one was a miracle, but Thunderhead and the self-titled album from Ednaswap is still in my regular rotation. I need to go back and pick up the rest of The Clouds. Good times.

@circaaeon6033

I remember reading about them in the music magazines back in the 90's. This is dream-pop at its best. Love the harmonies between the women. A really optimistic and up-lifting song. Sounds as fresh as a rose.

@BudoReflex

Saw them live in Fremantle in early 90s, those harmonies melted me from the inside.

@julieharrington342

OMG, the drumming!!! Amazing 🤩

@Parrish_Muhoberac

I think the whole THUNDERHEAD album is only JUST short of a MASTERPIECE. One song.

@00Mindi00

I remember when Thunderhead was being released. This record was BIG for Clouds, and for the scene.

@davidandrew9678

Hi. Still have the cassette single from back in the day. Far out. xx

@robertsmith-iu7hm

Wish I met Jodi when I was young and single. Love this song! Love that Rickenbacker sound!

@AndrewTBP

Ha!
After I became the band’s first fan, Jodi & I learned that we’d gone to school in the same suburb.
😉

@mmmbass6068

Jodi looks so happy in this clip - infectious.
Looking forward to seeing you all in June ❤️

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