The group's name comes from a nonsensical knock-knock joke Drucker's sister told him when she was 6 years old. The joke runs like this:
"Knock-knock"
"Who's there?"
"Cloud-dead"...
But no-one remembers the punchline.
cLOUDDEAD's sound is notoriously hard to define, and although it is undoubtedly grounded in 'traditional' hip-hop, influences as varied as electronica, psychedelic music and indie rock can be heard. Because of this non-traditional take on hip-hop, more conservative corners of the rap community have labeled cLOUDDEAD as "smartarse surrealism" - with some rejecting the notion that the group can be classed as hip-hop at all, ignoring Doseone's request to 'just call it hip hop.'
cLOUDDEAD's first six 10" EPs were compiled in 2001 as a self-titled compilation album. The band's subsequent discography includes a further two 10" EPs, the single "Dead Dogs Two" and the album Ten. Printed on the sleeve of "Dead Dogs Two" is "this is clouddead number 9 of ten", indicating that as of Ten, cLOUDDEAD, as a group, have finished making music.
As of 2009 cLOUDDEAD came together under the name again to record a track on Themselves newest mixtape "theFREEhoudini" performing the song "Rapping 4 Money".
Pop Song
cLOUDDEAD Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the wooden woman and her hollowing out
Sickly Micky Mouse.
Skinny Minnie Mouse.
Elvis, what happened ?
to the back of a sheep's throat.
Tongue depressor with the width
With the width of a spatula
suppresses all syllables;
"blah blah blah", end quote.
Cotton candy, Cotton candy... spun any way you like it.
Elvis, what happened?
High school picture day in L.A.,
someone in the sky with diamonds.
And you go back to bed
with a dead dog in your head.
How can I be your lover
when you sport a head of rubber?
Sucker...
You can't take applause to bed with you.
I've got my own blood and a decent depression line.
And then we say "fuck" in our pop song.
The lyrics of cLOUDDEAD's song Pop Song is a critique of modern pop music and the commercialization of art. The opening lines of the song, "It's the wood man and his splintering self. It's the wooden woman and her hollowing out," suggest the theme of identity and the loss of individuality in the music industry. The wooden man and woman represent artists who are being molded and controlled by the industry, causing them to lose parts of themselves in the process. The lines "Sickly Mickey Mouse. Skinny Minnie Mouse. Elvis, what happened?" further emphasizes this point, as it is a commentary on how even the most iconic artists have been reduced to caricatures of themselves to fit into the industry's mold.
The second half of the song is a scathing critique of the language of pop music. The line "Pop Sickle note: The label stapled a speaker to the back of a sheep's throat. Tongue depressor with the width with the width of a spatula suppresses all syllables" is a metaphor for how the music label controls what artists can say and how they can express themselves. The repetition of "Cotton candy, Cotton candy... spun any way you like it" suggests that pop songs are fluff and that they lack substance. The lines "High school picture day in L.A., someone in the sky with diamonds. And you go back to bed with a dead dog in your head" are references to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and how even legendary artists are turned into meaningless pop culture references. The closing line "And then we say 'fuck' in our pop song" is a subversion of the clichéd language used in pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the wood man and his splintering self.
The man made of wood is being destroyed by his own imperfections.
It's the wooden woman and her hollowing out
The woman made of wood is losing her essence and purpose.
Sickly Micky Mouse.
An unhealthy and weak version of the famous cartoon character Mickey Mouse.
Skinny Minnie Mouse.
A thin and frail version of the famous cartoon character Minnie Mouse.
Elvis, what happened ?
Asking about the decline of Elvis Presley and his legacy.
Pop Sickle note: The lable stapled a speaker to the back of a sheep's throat.
A note about how the music industry can use any gimmick or cruelty to sell music.
Tongue depressor with the width with the width of a spatula suppresses all syllables;
A tool used to silence and control others through language.
"blah blah blah", end quote.
Empty words and phrases being repeated without any substance or meaning.
Cotton candy, Cotton candy... spun any way you like it.
A metaphor for how mass-produced pop music is artificially sweetened and can be tailored to please anyone regardless of their tastes.
High school picture day in L.A., someone in the sky with diamonds.
A reference to the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles, and how it embodies the carefree spirit of youth and creativity.
And you go back to bed with a dead dog in your head.
The burden of past memories and experiences that weigh heavily on one's mind.
How can I be your lover when you sport a head of rubber?
Challenging the idea of being in love with someone who is not genuine or authentic.
Sucker...
Calling out those who fall victim to pop culture's empty promises and illusions.
You can't take applause to bed with you.
The fleeting nature of fame and how it cannot bring true happiness or fulfillment.
I've got my own blood and a decent depression line.
The artist's personal struggles and how they use them to create meaningful art.
And then we say "fuck" in our pop song.
A declaration of rebellion and authenticity in a genre that is often associated with artificiality and conformity.
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dixcatsby8296
Two, three
I can't do it without
Go
It's... the wood man and his splintering self
It's... the wood woman and her hollowing out
It's... the wood man and his splintering self
It's... the wood woman and her hollowing out
It's... the wood man and his splintering self
It's... the wood woman and her hollowing out
Elvis, what happened
Popsicle, the label stapled speaker
To the back of a sheep's throat
Tongue depressor with the width of a spatula suppressess all
Bah bah blah, bah bah blah, end end end quote
Cotton cotton candy
Cotton cotton candy
Cotton cotton candy
Spun anyway you like it
High school picture date in L.A.
Someone in the sky
Dies and you go back to bed
Sittin dull dare head
Two perfect strangers
Strangers carrying a ladder
You can tell their strangers
Chasing themselves in the windows of shops
How can i be your lover?
When you sport a head of rubber?
You can't take applause to bed
And a decent depression of the mind
And then we said, fuck
In our pop song, in our pop song
Elvis, what happened?
Cotton cotton candy
Cotton cotton candy
Cotton cotton candy
Spun anyway you like it
Hi kiddies
We're cramping and sweating and groaning with the rest of them
I'm trying to give you that dope you were talking about
We've already wrecked three records trying to perfect one
First satellite with thrashing machine
And then one thing or another
So maybe this thing isn't gonna turn out alright
These records are sure the real mccoy
Your voice sounded so real on the last one
I almost caught myself answering back a couple of times. .
Well i'll see ya soon
Send another record if you have one
Being here is sure swell
We're gonna be on our vacation in. .
Hello? who is this?
@Evie-yz6mr
chills every time. idk where i would be without cLOUDDEAD, they’ve completely reshaped my music taste.
@tofu042
they also shaped my view of sweden. Bought the Album on release while I was there. Played it nonstop for weeks.
@biancamccarthy3662
I forgot this song existed. I am so glad I found it again!! So freaking good.
@woobiehastelly
I love how they start the song out making you think it's going to be some fancy duet, but then all of this weirdness and awesomeness comes instead.
Elvis - What happened?!?
@icecreamsamwich
that electric guitar twang throughout the song is just seriously great
@rabidfish02
It's a good thing that these songs are long... They are too good to be short.
@aaronsolloway2590
This is a great album, but the first cLOUDEAD album is a straight up masterpiece. Also, if you can hear these guy's live show on the John Peel sessions, it's the absolute shit
@aaronsolloway2590
Here's a link to some essentials-- live on John Peel 2002- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jXMa8xPJyA
@aaronsolloway2590
Cloudeads first album--kind of changed my life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVDim1ATwl8
@aaronsolloway2590
Doseone's first album 'Hemispheres' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-VqaCC