Tomas Kalnoky (born December 24, 1980) is a Czech-born American musician. H… Read Full Bio ↴Tomas Kalnoky (born December 24, 1980) is a Czech-born American musician. He is the lead singer/guitarist and songwriter of the bands Streetlight Manifesto and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution,[1] and goes by the pseudonym Toh Kay as a solo performer.[2] He is the former lead singer/guitarist for 3rd-wave ska band Catch 22, but left the band after making only one album (their debut, Keasbey Nights) to attend Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, for visual art.[3] According to the booklet of Somewhere in the Between, Kalnoky attended Rutgers University. He is the owner of Pentimento Music Company, a record company.

Toh Kay is a solo project by Streetlight Manifesto, Bandits of the Acoutsic Revolution and former Catch 22 front man, Tomas Kalnoky. The project started with acoustic shows by Kalnoky, redoing streetlight/catch/BOTAR/Gimp songs. It was announced that Toh Kays first album (You By Me Vol.1) was to be released in November as a split with singer-song writer Dan Potthast. You By Me Vol.1 was released Novmber 15th, with 5 Toh Kay tracks (which are all covers of Potthast songs).
Toh Kay released his first full length "Streetlight Lullabies" through Pentimento Music Co. on November 22nd, 2011. Released along with the CD was an LP version and a 7" single of the song, "We Will Fall Together" on the A side and "Hooray For Me" (a Bad Religion cover) on the B side. The album can be purchased through The Risc Store - www.RiscStore.com

Tornado Joe
Toh Kay Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This place is quicksand
Don't you ever come back
I guess you knew
What was good for you
You got out before you sank
This place is quicksand
You look after yourself
And you'll see soon

I'll get out too
Either there or somewhere else

This place is quicksand
Don't you ever come back
I guess you knew
What was good for you
You got out before you sank

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Rip through me again
I miss the mess in our old van
I miss your bag of pens
Hey ho Tornado Joe
I propose a toast
To you and me and rock and roll
We gotta blow out towards the coast

There's so much I don't know
About this far left coast
But my short time here for sure has shown
It ain't no Mecca
No paradise
The ocean's great
And the weather's nice
But isolation is everywhere
You can't escape it by coming here
Anxiety can hitch a ride on planes
Loneliness travels from state to state
All my stuff is in bags and crates
Can't es-cape my bag-gage brains
Oh

This place is quicksand
Don't you ever come back
I guess you knew
What was good for you
You got out before you sank
This place is quicksand
You look after yourself
And you'll see soon
I'll get out too
Either there or somewhere else

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Tornado Joe," sung by Toh Kay in his signature raspy voice, are an ode to a friend or a lover who left the singer behind in a city that is pulling them down, like quicksand. The singer is envious of his friend's decision to leave and wishes he could do the same. The singer urges his friend to look after himself and promises to follow suit soon, either there or somewhere else. The second verse talks about how moving to a new place doesn't always free one from anxiety or loneliness, as they can manifest themselves anywhere. The singer notes that the ocean and weather are good, but otherwise, it's not a Mecca or a paradise.

The chorus, "Hey ho Tornado Joe, rip through me again," seems to highlight the chaos and uncertainty that the singer's friend embodies, but he misses that energy and zest for life. The "bag of pens" might point to the artistic flair or the creative outlook that the friend embodied. The chorus ends with a proposal to blow out towards the coast, perhaps indicating the desire to start anew, to explore new horizons, to leave behind the memories and the burdens of the current city, to be more like his friend, who got out before he sank.

Overall, the song captures the ennui, the restlessness, and the stasis that can occur in a city that isn't working out, how it can sink you down, like quicksand, and the desire to escape in search of new beginnings.

Line by Line Meaning

This place is quicksand
This place is dangerous and can trap you if you are not careful

Don't you ever come back
You should never return to this place

I guess you knew
You probably realized the potential danger of this place

What was good for you
You made the wise decision to leave for your own well-being

You got out before you sank
You left before you were stuck and unable to leave

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Addressing the person named Tornado Joe

Rip through me again
Re-experience the wild, crazy times they had together

I miss the mess in our old van
Nostalgia for the time they spent traveling together in a van

I miss your bag of pens
The small, personal items that were unique to Tornado Joe are missed

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Addressing the person named Tornado Joe again

I propose a toast
Celebrating their time together with a drink

To you and me and rock and roll
A celebration of their shared passion for music and their friendship

We gotta blow out towards the coast
They need to leave and head towards the coast to pursue new experiences and opportunities

There's so much I don't know
Admitting they are unsure of what the future will hold

About this far left coast
Referring to the West Coast of the United States

But my short time here for sure has shown
Despite the short period of time spent on the West Coast, clear observations have been made

It ain't no Mecca
The West Coast is not some glorious, paradise-like destination

No paradise
It is not a perfect or ideal place to live

The ocean's great
The ocean is beautiful and a highlight of the area

And the weather's nice
The weather in the region is generally pleasant

But isolation is everywhere
Despite the beauty of the surroundings, people can still feel alone

You can't escape it by coming here
Moving to this place does not guarantee escape from isolation or loneliness

Anxiety can hitch a ride on planes
Anxiety can travel with you wherever you go and affect your mental state

Loneliness travels from state to state
Feeling lonely can happen no matter where you are

All my stuff is in bags and crates
Tornado Joe lives a mobile lifestyle with their belongings always packed and ready to go

Can't es-cape my bag-gage brains
Even moving from place to place, the emotional baggage they carry remains with them

This place is quicksand
Reiterating the danger and instability of the location

You look after yourself
Take care of yourself and stay safe in this dangerous place

And you'll see soon
You will soon realize the need to leave this place

I'll get out too
I will also find a way to leave

Either there or somewhere else
Undecided about where the next destination will be

Hey ho Tornado Joe
Closing the song by addressing Tornado Joe once more

Writer(s): Daniel Potthast

Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

SpaceOpera

13y↑12

Ever listened to the original? I love what Kalnoky's done with this. He's taken an upbeat song, and turned it what can only be described as eerie. And the lyrics fit the eerieness of the song very well. Kalnoky continues to impress.

chuckles218

11y↑19

lol im gonna listen to this song over and over till it hits a million. wish me luck

LangyX

7y↑4

4 years later 37,436 views I guess you failed at that task.

Jo Schulz

6y↑3

So because i am procrastinating right now I felt like doing the math, it would take you about 6.3 years (≈ 2.303,24 days, ≈ 55.277,77 hours, ≈3.316.666.66 minutes) to listen to this song 1 Million times. So you better start using multiple tabs and click bots :D