http://soneniandthesoul.co.uk
Taking inspiration from Soneni's Zimbabwean roots, their music fuses bass and percussion grooves with catchy guitar riffs and soft soulful vocals. Their live performances are like watching a collaboration between the Red Hot Chillis and Lauryn Hill; encompassing high energy, passion and soul.
Support from the likes of BBC 1Xtra, BBC London 94.9, regular airplay on underground heavyweights Déjà Vu FM, Rinse FM and Nasty FM, a residency at Déjà Vu FM's live music night We Play Music Live has ensured the band have steadily built a loyal and supportive fan base. This is as well as running their own event An Evening with Soneni & The Soul and performances at established venues including London's legendary Jazz Cafe.
Cloud Nine
Soneni & The Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see, I was born and raised in the slums of the city,
It was a one room shack that slept ten other children besides me.
We hardly had enough food or room to sleep.
It was hard times,
Needed something to ease my troubled mind.
Listen! my father didn't know the meaning of work,
He disrespected mama, and treated us like dirt.
Depressed and downhearted I took to cloud nine,
I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
Listen one more time I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
Folks down there tell me,
They say, "give yourself a chance son, don't let life pass you by".
But the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive,
It's a dog eat dog world, and that ain't no lie.
Listen! it ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night,
I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine.
Let me tell you about cloud nine.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
(cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
I wanna say I love the life I live,
And I'm gonna live the life I love up here on cloud nine.
I'm riding high
On cloud nine, you're as free as a bird in flight
(cloud nine) there's no diff'rence between day and night
(cloud nine) it's a world of love and harmony
(cloud nine) you're a million miles from reality.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
Cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
(cloud nine) (cloud nine) (cloud nine)
The lyrics to Soneni & The Soul's song Cloud Nine perfectly captures the experiences of someone who grew up in poverty and struggled to find their place in the world. The first few lines describe the harsh reality of their childhood, including their cramped living situation and lack of basic necessities. This is followed by the singer's decision to leave home and search for a better life, albeit to no avail. The chorus then kicks in and emphasizes the euphoria that comes with being on cloud nine, a place where the individual can escape from the harsh realities of the world and be whoever they want to be.
Throughout the song, we can see that the singer is torn between the hopelessness of reality and the blissful ignorance that can be found on cloud nine. The song is filled with social commentary, which is evident in the lines "the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive" and "it ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night". Despite the harsh realities of life, the singer ultimately decides to embrace the freedom and happiness that cloud nine offers.
In conclusion, Soneni & The Soul's Cloud Nine is an honest and relatable portrayal of the struggles that many face in their quest for happiness and fulfillment. It highlights the importance of escapism and the power of imagination in helping individuals overcome adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Childhood part of my life, it wasn't very pretty.
I had a difficult childhood, growing up in the slums of the city. My family lived in a one-room shack, which was shared with ten other children. We didn't have much food or space to sleep.
It was hard times,
Life was really tough for us.
Needed something to ease my troubled mind.
I was struggling emotionally and needed something to make me feel better.
Listen! my father didn't know the meaning of work,
My father was lazy and didn't have a job.
He disrespected mama, and treated us like dirt.
My father was abusive to my mother and didn't treat us well either.
I left home, seekin' a job that I never did find,
I left home in search of a job, but I didn't find one.
Depressed and downhearted I took to cloud nine,
Feeling sad and hopeless, I turned to Cloud Nine.
I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
Now that I'm on Cloud Nine, I feel great.
Folks down there tell me,
People back home tell me.
They say, "give yourself a chance son, don't let life pass you by".
They tell me to take a chance and make something of my life.
But the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive,
The real world is a tough place where only the strongest people can succeed.
It's a dog eat dog world, and that ain't no lie.
It's a cut-throat world out there.
Listen! it ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night,
It's not safe to walk the streets at night anymore.
Let me tell you about cloud nine.
Let me explain what Cloud Nine is like.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
On Cloud Nine, you can be anything you want.
(cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
You don't have any responsibilities on Cloud Nine.
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
Everyone is free to be themselves on Cloud Nine.
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
On Cloud Nine, you're far away from the troubles of real life.
I wanna say I love the life I live,
I want to express how much I love my life.
And I'm gonna live the life I love up here on cloud nine.
I plan to continue living my life on Cloud Nine, doing what I love.
I'm riding high
I'm feeling really good.
On cloud nine, you're as free as a bird in flight
On Cloud Nine, you feel as free as a bird flying.
(cloud nine) there's no diff'rence between day and night
There's no distinction between day and night on Cloud Nine.
(cloud nine) it's a world of love and harmony
Cloud Nine is a world where love and harmony reign.
(cloud nine) you're a million miles from reality.
Cloud Nine is a place far removed from the stresses of everyday life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind