Tumi and the Volume are made up of four members. Tumi Molekane (vocals), the centerpiece of the group, is an accomplished South African poet from Johannesburg. In 2002, he met Tiago and Paulo Chibanga and Dave Bergman, who were playing backup for MCs at the Bassline, in Melville, Johannesburg. Tiago and Paulo are both members of the Mozambiquean, South African-based band 340ml. For the production of their first album, At the Bassline the group added Kyle Rose Smith, a violinist, to complete The Volume. On their second album, the self-titled studio release, Smith is featured but she left the band in early 2005 to join Freshlyground.
Tumi and the Volume was founded when then-solo emcee Tumi Molekane met The Volume, a backup band at the Bassline. The first collaborative project, which evolved into At the Bassline, began in the beginning of 2003. Yet since before the release of their first album, Tumi and the Volume have been performing across southern Africa and Europe.
Their first year together, 2002, saw them mostly tour South Africa and contribute to music festivals across the country, as well as open for bigger international groups performing in Johannesburg and Cape Town, such as Positive Black Soul, from Senegal, and Blackalicious, from the United States.
The release, and following critical acclaim of, At the Bassline, shot them onto a bigger stage, as the group performed at the Quart Festival in Norway, alongside with The Roots and Coldplay.
2005 through 2006 saw the successive releases of their second album--and first studio album--Tumi & the Volume, in first South Africa, and then Europe and North America. Through June and July of 2006, the band traveled to Canada and performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
In August of 2006, their first album was re-released on Apple iTunes Music Store.
Through My Sunroof
Tumi and the Volume Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got in a foul mood the attitude sitting at the drive through
Thinking of your last few minutes sniffling this is frightful
Would have sent for a Bible read you a parable prayed to your God too
If it let you survive through this collision and gave you an Act 2
But alas you passed through and I'm lucky enough to have had you
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
Was in a bad shape from a break up
One of those sleep never wake up
Deep in that grey cloud grief is my safe house
And I freaked every female I take out
The enemies that me I made up
The one who sings the Saint Love
The heart of armor uncovered it's just a paper cup
Half empty but you sent me a life that still reflects me
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
Was in a foreign world where the boys and girls spoke in verb
Holding him holding her slowly strolling and stroking hair
While I kick stones and dirt
Kickback on the poems I heard
So alone far from home and it's too fucking cold to flirt
Perturbed I wrote to her sending over oceans there
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
Was in the office when the call came
No name little miss long legs
Okay I've been thinking of it all day
To the wife I'm gonna see the ball game
Don't wanna be the wrong man
But you should see this woman
She's different hip and awkward
Shit I miss the old her
A decade later
I don't think I know her
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
Was in a turtle shell a Lauryn Hill with caged bird as hell
God is fair but the word spread the lies are hurt the fires are worth
Let shot face step both crash yes sis you
Liar you Tiger Woods, master crook, pervert
A stranger you are an unfamiliar person
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
Was in a dark place heart palpitations
Hard to face it's just a shade of something special
Drugged on anti depressants
Defenseless stranded fenced in
His friends are like the henchmen
I grab the stress pill swallow a countless measure
I crumble but I don't really want to
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew
Through my sunroof
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
The song "Through My Sunroof" by Tumi and the Volume is a lyrical masterpiece that articulates the struggles of the human experience. The lyrics are a series of vignettes, each telling a different story about the emotional peaks and valleys that the singer has experienced. The song starts with the singer in the car receiving bad news and feeling helpless. They contemplate the fragility of life and how they wished they could have done more to help the person they lost. But then, unexpectedly, a butterfly flies through their sunroof, symbolizing hope and resilience in the face of tragedy.
The next scene shifts to a break-up, where the singer is in a deep state of grief and struggling to connect with others. They see themselves as a burden and feel that they are incapable of loving anyone. In this moment of despair, once again, a butterfly appears, reminding them that even in the darkest moments, there is still beauty and hope to be found.
The rest of the song continues in this vein, with the butterfly serving as a metaphor for hope, resilience, and the transformative power of love. Each time the singer is in a difficult situation, the butterfly appears to remind them that there is still beauty and goodness in the world.
Overall, "Through My Sunroof" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that speaks to the human experience in a profound and meaningful way.
Line by Line Meaning
Was in the car when I got the bad news
I was driving when I received some terrible news.
Got in a foul mood the attitude sitting at the drive through
The news put me in a bad mood and I felt very frustrated while waiting in the drive-thru.
Thinking of your last few minutes sniffling this is frightful
I was imagining your last moments, which made me very sad.
Would have sent for a Bible read you a parable prayed to your God too
I would have prayed for you to find peace through religion.
If it let you survive through this collision and gave you an Act 2
I wished that you had survived the accident and could continue living with a fresh start.
But alas you passed through and I'm lucky enough to have had you
Unfortunately, you did not survive, but I am grateful for the time we spent together.
A butterfly flew through my sunroof
A butterfly unexpectedly entered my car through the sunroof.
Was in a bad shape from a break up
I was in a rough emotional state due to a recent breakup.
One of those sleep never wake up
I felt very depressed and hopeless, like I could sleep forever and never wake up.
Deep in that grey cloud grief is my safe house
I was experiencing deep grief and sadness, which felt comfortable and safe to me.
And I freaked every female I take out
I was not in a good state to start dating and would often make bad first impressions with women.
The enemies that me I made up
I had created imaginary enemies in my mind.
The one who sings the Saint Love
I considered myself a lover, in the style of a saint.
The heart of armor uncovered it's just a paper cup
I realized that I was not as strong as I thought and my protective armor was actually very fragile.
Half empty but you sent me a life that still reflects me
Even though I felt like I was only half a person, something in my life still mirrored my true self.
Was in a foreign world where the boys and girls spoke in verb
I was in a new place where people spoke a language that was unfamiliar to me.
Holding him holding her slowly strolling and stroking hair
I observed couples walking and being affectionate with each other.
While I kick stones and dirt
Meanwhile, I was feeling lonely and unattractive.
Kickback on the poems I heard
I reflected on the poetry I had heard in the past.
So alone far from home and it's too fucking cold to flirt
Being away from home and in a cold environment made me feel very lonely and it was not even worth trying to flirt with anyone.
Perturbed I wrote to her sending over oceans there
Feeling anxious, I wrote a letter to someone far away, hoping it would help my loneliness subside.
Was in the office when the call came
I was working in an office when I received a phone call.
No name little miss long legs
Someone called me and mentioned a woman with long legs whose name I did not know.
Okay I've been thinking of it all day
I had been preoccupied with thoughts of this unknown woman all day.
To the wife I'm gonna see the ball game
I lied to my wife and said I was going to see a baseball game.
Don't wanna be the wrong man
I did not want to cheat on my wife and be unfaithful.
But you should see this woman
However, I was very interested in this other woman.
She's different hip and awkward
I found her personality unique and interesting.
Shit I miss the old her
I then realized that I missed someone from my past.
A decade later
It had been ten years since I had seen this person.
I don't think I know her
I realized that time had passed and I did not know this person anymore.
Was in a turtle shell a Lauryn Hill with caged bird as hell
I felt trapped and oppressed, like a caged bird, listening to music by Lauryn Hill.
God is fair but the word spread the lies are hurt the fires are worth
I had a lot of negative emotions about religion and felt that the lies that were spread hurt people.
Let shot face step both crash yes sis you
There was some kind of confrontation where two people crashed into each other.
Liar you Tiger Woods, master crook, pervert
Someone was calling out someone else for being a liar, a cheater and a pervert.
A stranger you are an unfamiliar person
There was someone in my life who was now a stranger, an unfamiliar person.
Was in a dark place heart palpitations
I was in a very negative emotional state that was affecting me physically.
Hard to face it's just a shade of something special
It was difficult to confront my feelings, which were just a minor part of something much larger.
Drugged on anti depressants
I was taking medication to help with depression.
Defenseless stranded fenced in
I felt powerless and trapped.
His friends are like the henchmen
My friends seemed like they were my enemies, always working against me.
I grab the stress pill swallow a countless measure
To deal with my anxiety and stress, I would take many pills.
I crumble but I don't really want to
I was breaking down emotionally, but I did not really want to.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOITUMELO MOLEKANE, TIAGO PAULO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrBlaqbull
I vividly remember when I got this disc, this song would make me go through so many thoughts and feelings. 🎶🎶👌
@Adam-ir7gh
i need to comment so i dont lose this again.
@Kingsley_the1st
2023… this still has me thinking about my life and how I want it to go… a butterfly flew through my sunroof
@motlalepula_art
rn playing
@Kingsley_the1st
You have good taste 👌🏽