Gorillaz – Cloud of Unknowing Lyrics

It's about God watching over us trying to find a way to our hearts. "but i was here from the very start" and "trying to find a way to your heart" highlight this idea. Each day that passes we forget more and more what or who or which God, that God is. Humanity is God's sinking love which now rests upon the cloud of unknowing. The reference to satellites watching might be an allusion to the government trying to be like a God to its people. But government is not God which is why it is on the cloud of unknowing.

Are you kidding me? This song, and the one before it on the album are simply about losing someone you still love.The third song on the album talks about not bringing religion to their Plastic Beach. The album as a whole is about setting asides prejudice, religion, everyone agreeing, being happy and enjoying life, as well as being able to live with the regrets in your life.When you start "believing," then you also start believing you're better than those who don't. This song has nothing to do with god

Just want to say, the interpretation of the song being about God and man's ignorance is very beautiful and appealing, even though it may not have been the intention of the writer/s. Of course, the song's name is also the title of a classic spiritual work by an unknown medieval mystic, advocating a via negativa approach to God. Which does kind of fit with the song.

you can speculate all day. but don't try to tell me what this song is about. you only have ideas

If they wanted religion to be removed from the album they shouldn't have named a song after a christian text with automatic associations.

I believe it is more related to the ubiquitous nature of god while the proof of his existence is still in question. Kinda like agnostic. The speaker is 'on the cloud of unknowing' which indicates that he is where the writer of the religious txt "Cloud of Unknowing" said would be where one would be able to understand god.I suggest you use google to define the word 'satellite.' I believe the meaning here could be "surrounding and dominated by a central authority or power" where the power is god. Again, the 'you' in line five could be god. Or it could be another person who wants to share his love with. Or it could be the listener of the song.The speaker also says "I was here from the very start." This could indicate that the speaker is god because god would technically be there from the very start. Personally, I believe it is the speaker trying to connect with someone whether it is god or another person.The second stanza is mostly imagery which suggests a stagnant place of mind. 'Lost as sea somewhere, waiting' indicates a complex emotion. The lost at sea would be a dramatic feeling, but the word 'waiting' makes everything seem calm. 'Like setting suns at the rodeo' creates a simile with the previous imagery and also is indicative of the same complex emotion. It is between day and night (which is where his belief in god is atm) and sunsets are commonly known to be calm and serene. So the second stanza highlights the whole dilemma of his belief in god while at the same time telling us that it is a calm place. The 'someone' in line 10 could indicate god or the person mentioned in line 5. God could never be known while people in general could never be really known either.I believe the most profound lyric in this song is "Oh sinking love." It was previously mentioned that he was trying to find a way to 'your' heart. So, the 'sinking love' could be the indication of his love slowly failing. The last two lines indicate the speakers optimism of tomorrow even though he is in a state of limbo...

I think it's about reflecting on the past and hope for the future. The future can be a cloud of unknowing because you really don't know what the future holds.

Well, if you can see past the idea of being that this song is about "god," it could be about someone who's observant of how life unfolds in front of them, how they see their life slip away from an apparent past love life. Now that person is waiting for an answer to his future. You see, the song title's origin is from the 14th century Middle English "The Cloud of Unknowing" which is a text about how people can learn ways of life NOT by the knowledge of god, but by the true human feelings within us to understand human morals. (see? plastic beach's white flag was right: we didn't bring religion here ^^)So, by the assumption of the man being just like an overseer of his life with this mystery love, feeling that this person was "there from the very start" and they must of been having problems to win this love over by saying "trying to find a way to your heart."They can't forget about her by how much he loves the person, they say "all the days of forgetting has gone out with the tide." Even going out places like the "rodeo" to find someone to replace that love will not help their sinking heart out of love. Now they wait for the future, perhaps a hope of a new sunshine in their life, another chance of happiness.Oh, and this song is probably written by by Albarn's persona, Murdoc, in that sense. Murdoc surprisingly reads a lot of unknown books from the middle and modern-age, like Faust. He gets a lot of ideas from what he reads, and that's how he's making up such great songs like this one.

Well, if you can see past the idea of being that this song is about "god," it could be about someone who's observant of how life unfolds in front of them, how they see their life slip away from an apparent past love life. Now that person is waiting for an answer to his future. You see, the song title's origin is from the 14th century Middle English "The Cloud of Unknowing" which is a text about how people can learn ways of life NOT by the knowledge of god, but by the true human feelings within us to understand human morals. (see? plastic beach's white flag was right: we didn't bring religion here ^^)So, by the assumption of the man being just like an overseer of his life with this mystery love, feeling that this person was "there from the very start" and they must of been having problems to win this love over by saying "trying to find a way to your heart."They can't forget about her by how much he loves the person, they say "all the days of forgetting has gone out with the tide." Even going out places like the "rodeo" to find someone to replace that love will not help their sinking heart out of love. Now they wait for the future, perhaps a hope of a new sunshine in their life, another chance of happiness.Oh, and this song is probably written by by Albarn's persona, Murdoc, in that sense. Murdoc surprisingly reads a lot of unknown books from the middle and modern-age, like Faust. He gets a lot of ideas from what he reads, and that's how he's making up such great songs like this one.

Albarn has a history of Buddhist references: ending 'kids with guns' with "It's all desire, it's all desire..." and entire opera of 'Journey to the West'. But I wouldn't restrict his imagery to one philosophy either. As with 'Demon Days', he alludes to the light of the sun lifting us from depression and/or ignorance. As an atheist, I still admire his lyrics. And the concert blew me away!

Beautiful melancholy, a bittersweet bite followed by an indecisively cool resolution, but not to the indicated journey that must be endured...If you have fallen in and out of love, you feel this. It's good to have ideas...

maybe it is the earth waiting for humans to be reached by it's love, while it keeps thinking that maybe it is hopeless...