Stormcloud
Just like a stormcloud
There’s a stranger in the desert
Riding a highway with no one on it
In the darkness before the mornin’ (mourning)
Riding on his broken wings [ALT: Riding on the broken wing]
Like the song the blackbird sings [ALT: He's the song that the blackbird sings]
And he’ll do almost anything
But he don’t know what he’s done
How will they preserve you
After you’re gone?
How will they preserve you when you’re gone?
Nothing’s ever-lasting
If you’re the last human left standing [ALT: You go the last you found them standing]
You’ll spend your last days passing
From this mountain unto the sea
How will they preserve me
After I’m gone?
How will they preserve me when I’m gone?
Dreaming of summer’s daughter
She’s been raped and slaughtered [ALT: She's been taken to the slaughter]
And they cut the skin right off her
To make a costume to dance ’round the fire
How will they preserve you
After you’re gone?
How will they preserve you when you’re gone?
November 20th, 2005
“Stormcloud” strikes me as a CBB song with great potential as a dynamic TLG vehicle. This song is deep dark and ominous, like its title. On the first two verses I can’t help but think of Jim Morrison ( “stranger in the desert” ), Johnny Cash ( “he knows not what he’s done” ), Robert Johnson ( “a highway with no one on it” ), James Dean, Jack Karouac. It’s Trevor Garrod, outlaw voice echoing across the desert. Yay!
After that, the song is not a story but a philosphical query - a question that cannot be answered, only ritualized - in this case, in song (”How will they preserve me when I’m gone?” - and more broadly seems to ask what happens to us when we die?). In light of another Trevor lyric from a different song, for me this song provokes questioning of the purpose of graves ( the other reference is from Earth And Sky: “I don’t visit graveyards, I don’t know the purpose of ‘em, I’m just living in between the earth and sky” ). I don’t think he is really asking HOW, but rather WHY?
In the last verse, the ritual for death is far more brutal than graveyard burial or cremation, though perhaps it is only a metaphor for the coming of the autumn as summer dies ( “Dreaming of summer’s daughter / she’s been taken to the slaughter / and they cut the skin right off her” ). Are they brutalizing the dead, or is this simply leaves falling off the trees? Perhaps Trevor is suggesting that we travel ’round in cycles like the seasons. Another song that suggests that concept is Kali-Yuga.
What is the reference for “you’ll spend your last days passing from the mountain unto the sea” ? The only thing this makes me think of is Lord Of The Rings but it also sounds biblical or something, maybe it’s a Buddhist concept, or just a loner’s. Anyone know?
Trevor puts so much feeling into singing “Stormcloud” that he draws the listener into his quandry, with only cold chords to ground you. That makes this song an experience.
May 6th, 2006
Intro and Verse:
A C G
Verse 2x into the following:
——-
——-
——- C F A
——-
A-0h2-3-
——-
——–
——–
——– G F A E F G A
——–
——–
E–0h1-3
Chorus:
“How will they preserve me”
G F A
“After I’m Gone”
F G A
“How will they preserve me–when I’m gone”
G F D
Hope this all makes sense, I’m also pretty sure that most of these are minor chords (pretty much positive the A’s are) but I can’t really tell so will let you decide what you think sounds best.
August 28th, 2006
This song has an almost Native American feel to the drum rythm and climaxing vocals, evoking the style of Neil Young as well. For an awesome version with some cool harmonica added in check out this show:
Stormcloud 4-26-2004
http://www.archive.org/details.....mic.flac16