The band released debut album, Girls and Weather, in September of 2007. In the past, the band have been on tour with numerous popular artists (The Zutons, Good Shoes, Dirty Pretty Things and The Young Knives), and have also played various festivals (including Glastonbury 07 and Cardiff Calling 07). The band also had a successful album tour hitting many venues around the UK and Ireland, including a trip to home-town Tavistock. The album (created with Tony Hoffer - The Kooks, and The Fratellis), was released mid-September 2007. The band gained alot of recognition when single "Alarm Clock" was played on Radio 1, when lead singer of Snow Patrol took over Zane Lowe's evening slot as a one-off.
Band members include:
Charlie Waller – Lead Vocals and Guitar
Tom Gorbutt – Sax, Vocals and Bass
Henry Clark – Trumpet, Vocals and Piano
Sam Mansbridge - Bass / Vocals / "Rumble Drum"
Matthew Wheeler - Drums
Past releases include the single "Motorcycle" (December 2005 and re-released June 07), single "Hate Me (You Do)" (June 2006) EP "Cardboard Coloured Dreams" (November 2006), single "Alarm Clock" (March 2007), which has received numerous plays off of Virgin Radio and on MTV 2 programme "Spanking New Music", and single "Motorcycle" (June 2007) which also received plays off of "Spanking New Music".
"Girls and Boys In Love" is the most recent song to have been released as a single, and also features in the Simon Pegg film "Run Fat Boy Run" and "Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging"
Lead singer, Charlie Waller, was also in the band Vincent Vincent and the Villains at the same time as playing with current band The Rumble Strips. An attack from his conscience lead him to leave both bands before The Rumble Strips were offered to release a single under record label Transgressive.
Clouds
The Rumble Strips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm lying on my back, looking at the clouds
Lying on my back, looking at the clouds (x3)
One of them looks like you, one of them looks like me
The wind starts blowing us apart, it's breaking my heart to see
Cause as you move away, we go from snowy white to grey
I'm lying on my back, looking at the clouds
Lying on my back, looking at the clouds (x3)
It's a half past two in the afternoon
Lying on my back looking at the clouds
I've been drinking since this morning
I won't move from this spot
Because I like it a lot
Lying on my back, looking at the clouds (x4)
The Rumble Strips' song "Clouds" is a reflective and sentimental track that captures the feeling of heartbreak and loss. The song's protagonist is lying on their back, staring up at the clouds, lost in thought. The clouds take on a new significance for the singer—they see one that looks like the person they have lost. As the wind starts blowing the clouds away, the singer watches as their loved one drifts further and further away from them, which leaves them feeling sad and alone. The "snowy white" of the clouds begins to turn grey, and as their loved one flies away, their own cloud starts to dissipate.
While the song is clearly about a breakup, there's a layer of melancholy that permeates the lyrics that suggests something deeper. The singer finds solace in lying on their back and staring up at the sky, and it's this sense of hopelessness that makes the song resonate. Perhaps the clouds are a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life: just like the clouds pass overhead, so too do our loved ones, our experiences, and our very existence.
Overall, "Clouds" is a moving song that beautifully captures the bittersweet feeling of love and loss. Its understated instrumentation and wistful lyrics leave a lasting impression on the listener, conveying a sense of anguish that is both relatable and haunting.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm lying on my back, looking at the clouds
I am laying on my back, gazing at the clouds above me.
Lying on my back, looking at the clouds (x3)
Reiterating the first line, emphasizing the singer's stillness as they continue to observe the clouds.
One of them looks like you, one of them looks like me
One of the clouds above looks like the singer and the other looks like someone they know.
The wind starts blowing us apart, it's breaking my heart to see
The wind is causing the two clouds to drift further apart, which makes the artist sad and emotional.
Cause as you move away, we go from snowy white to grey
As the clouds move away from each other, they lose their vibrancy and become duller in color.
And as you fly so high, my cloud starts to disappear and die
The other cloud rises higher in the sky, causing the singer's cloud to dissipate and disappear completely.
It's a half past two in the afternoon
The time of day is 2:30 pm.
Lying on my back looking at the clouds
Repeating the opening line again, setting the scene and mood further.
I've been drinking since this morning
The artist has been consuming alcoholic beverages since earlier on in the day.
I won't move from this spot
The artist intends to remain still in their current position.
Because I like it a lot
The singer is enjoying their current situation and has no desire to change it.
Lying on my back, looking at the clouds (x4)
Reiterating the opening line for a final time, driving home the major theme of the song.
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.