"Creating a new life from scratch teaches you resilience," adds Pell. And he's used his determination to pursue a music career. In high school, Pell created beats for his friends using a beat box that his dad gave him. Pell used those skills to help produce tracks on his first 2010 mixtape, "That Feel Good." It was that year that he also formed the collective That Feel Good (TFG), with some friends.
Petrichor
Pell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It′s been storming for a while
So why not make a splash?
They try to drown us in those puddles,
But they know that we gotta
Fight back
I seen too much to go give up, I know I'm not my past
So rain come cleanse me fast, they can′t hold us back
It's that umbrella weather, raining down on me
I've been feeling better, right where I should be
It′s that umbrella weather, when it rains it pours
My life′s getting better, too good to ignore that pertrichor
I know you smell that (Smell that)
Such a good feeling you should sell that
Make your people wanna, "run tell dat"
It's too good to ignore that petrichor
I know you smell that (Smell that)
Such a good feeling you should sell that
Make your people wanna, "run tell dat"
It′s too good to ignore that petrichor
It's been storming for a while
So why not
Make a splash?
They call me out my name to aggravate me ′cause I'm black
I show them love and give them peace, I know I′m not my past
So rain come cleanse me fast, they can't hold me back (Yeah)
It's that umbrella weather, raining down on me
I′ve been feeling better, right where I should be
It′s that umbrella weather, when it rains it pours
My life's getting better, too good to ignore that pertrichor
I′m elevated thinking
No more blinking
Piece together thoughts, I solved the puzzle in the deep in
Peep into the reefer
You hear it through your speakers
You love it so much, you ask my homie if I'll feature
Say "It′s nice to meet ya", but I don't know ya
Gotta ask my brother Micah if he really vouch for ya
Cutting back on smoke ′cause I don't like the paranoia
Plus it's been a natural high since I lived in California
The city on my back (Back)
Working on my upper body
Started counting stacks (Yeah)
Even gotta finer shorty
Out on Fairfax (′Fax)
Done with window shopping, tell the cashier gimme that
I′m not caring what it cost me
Couple perks from my work that a brother do deserve
I don't mind the rain falling if pour out what I′m worth
See them other dudes bawling guess my new shit got 'em cursed
Jumping like ebony square man that′s word to Uncle Kurt, shit
(Damn I'm blessed)
It′s that umbrella weather, raining down on me
I've been feeling better, right where I should be
It's that umbrella weather, when it rains it pours
My life′s getting better, too good to ignore that pertrichor
In the song "Petrichor" by Pell, he talks about how it has been storming for a while but instead of waiting for the storm to pass, he encourages everyone to make a splash. He talks about how people may try to bring us down by drowning us in puddles, but we should fight back. He acknowledges that although he has been through a lot in his past, he knows he is not defined by it and he is ready to move forward. He compares the current situation to umbrella weather and says that he has been feeling better since the rain started pouring down on him. He uses the word "petrichor" to describe the smell of the rain and also as a metaphor for the good feelings in his life that he wants to share with others.
Pell also talks about how people may say hurtful things to him because of his race, but he chooses to respond with love and peace. He believes rain cleanses and purifies, and he wants it to wash away any negativity in his life. He talks about being in a better place now, both emotionally and financially. He mentions how he used to smoke a lot but has cut back and started focusing on his success. He also talks about how he feels blessed and fortunate for the good things in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been storming for a while
Life has been tough for some time.
So why not make a splash?
So why not take a bold step and do something different?
They try to drown us in those puddles,
People try to bring us down with their negativity.
But they know that we gotta Fight back
But we must rise up and fight against that negativity.
I seen too much to go give up, I know I'm not my past
I have faced many challenges in the past but I won't give up because I have learned from those experiences.
So rain come cleanse me fast, they can′t hold us back
The rain is like a cleansing agent that washes away our fears and doubts, making us stronger and preventing others from holding us back.
It's that umbrella weather, raining down on me
It's a metaphor for tough times in life.
I've been feeling better, right where I should be
Despite the tough times, I'm feeling great and know that I'm where I should be in life.
My life′s getting better, too good to ignore that pertrichor
My life is on an upward trajectory and the sweet smell of petrichor (the smell after rain) is a symbol of the good things to come.
I know you smell that (Smell that)
I know you can sense the positivity in the air.
Such a good feeling you should sell that
It's such a good feeling that one should share it with others.
Make your people wanna, "run tell dat"
Make others so excited that they can't wait to share it with others.
It's too good to ignore that petrichor
The positivity in the air is too good to be ignored.
They call me out my name to aggravate me ′cause I'm black
People discriminate and try to aggravate me because of my skin color.
I show them love and give them peace, I know I′m not my past
But I respond with love and peace, knowing that I'm not defined by my past experiences.
I′m elevated thinking
I'm thinking at a higher level than before.
No more blinking
No more hesitation or doubt.
Piece together thoughts, I solved the puzzle in the deep in
I've gathered my thoughts and solved the problems that were deep within me.
Peep into the reefer
Taking a look inside the marijuana joint.
You hear it through your speakers
You can hear the music through your speakers.
You love it so much, you ask my homie if I'll feature
You enjoy the music so much that you ask my friend if I'll collaborate with you.
Say "It′s nice to meet ya", but I don't know ya
You say it's nice to meet me, but I don't know you.
Gotta ask my brother Micah if he really vouch for ya
I need to confirm with my friend Micah if he can vouch for you.
Cutting back on smoke ′cause I don't like the paranoia
I'm smoking less marijuana because I don't like the feeling of being paranoid.
Plus it's been a natural high since I lived in California
Plus, living in California has given me a natural high and inspiration for my music.
The city on my back (Back)
I represent my city and carry its reputation with me.
Working on my upper body
I'm working on building my strength and endurance through exercise.
Started counting stacks (Yeah)
I started making money and counting my earnings.
Even gotta finer shorty
I found a good-looking girlfriend.
Out on Fairfax (′Fax)
Out on Fairfax Ave, a popular street in Los Angeles.
Done with window shopping, tell the cashier gimme that
I'm done just looking and deciding to make a purchase, telling the cashier to give me what I want.
I′m not caring what it cost me
I'm not worrying about the cost, I'm willing to pay for what I want.
Couple perks from my work that a brother do deserve
I've received some benefits or rewards from my hard work that I deserve.
I don't mind the rain falling if pour out what I′m worth
I don't mind facing challenges and difficulties as long as I can show my value and worth through it all.
See them other dudes bawling guess my new shit got 'em cursed
Other people are jealous and crying because my success has cursed them.
Jumping like ebony square man that′s word to Uncle Kurt, shit
People are jumping and dancing to my music, it's the truth like Uncle Kurt's word.
My life′s getting better, too good to ignore that pertrichor
My life is improving and the sweet smell of petrichor is a reminder to not ignore the good things in life.
Writer(s): Jared Pellerin, Robin Ellingsen, Balazs Harko
Contributed by Xavier G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.