Miracle Musical’s Darkest Song: Variations On A Cloud

[@tallyballYT]

Here's the video (TW people jumping) kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJ-TYpuuiayia80si=tf1fKnTK7BYHfduZ

[@Anna-ko1wg]

It’s age restricted 😭

[@BlehhhXP]

@@Anna-ko1wgwell yeah it has people falling to their deaths

[@Anna-ko1wg]

@@BlehhhXP oh ok fair enough 😭

[@blue_staf4563]

seeing "TW people jumping" doesnt seem that bad without the context

[@VolkColopatrion]

Trigger warnings do more harm than good.

[@andistansbury4366]

I think the "Caligula, in his Shangrila" part is about how this would be heven for Caligula (since that guy was extremely messed up)

[@SOLROX_]

“Jesse, I’m going to become a puppet and start singing about 9/11”

[@Uh_thisloseragain]

“Yo Mr white, I get singing about one of America’s greatest tragedies. But do you have to turn into a muppet”

[@outerspaceproduction]

​@@Uh_thisloseragain "Yes, Jesse - I have to, Jesse."

[@Hris.K]

​@@outerspaceproduction " But mister White, some people might take offense to that. "

[@andresthebookworm]

@@Hris.K”I must Jessie, its absolutely necessary to my work Jessie”

[@ItsPedro9898]

Copied comment from the music video

[@rapvelasco1932]

I know the song is very serious but i gotta say the joe puppet is so funny to me because he looks like he needs to go to bed and has been loosing sleep because he misses the guys

[@tatteryt]

why he ourple 😂

[@CalicoWithWings]

… kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ_Fl3eaas56qdUsi=1tZVoPCv1i3osTks

[@midloran]

That's exactly what he did, now he's in trouble

[@ilovezubinflower]

urpel

[@thewoodpeckers655]

Go to bed, Go to bed, Go to bed, Baby Go to bed, relax gotta hit the sack

[@davidmysels967]

I love the transition of the end of Sea Major to the beginning of Cloud

[@valiruko]

I think a lot of people forgot the isle unto thyself snippet and immediately went to look on the ruler of everything part, but starting from “miracle worker I saw you begin it” it was the isle unto thyself tune, which could also mean something

[@Pencilspencer]

Finally someone acknowledged it

[@Kompressor808]

There's also the murders motif

[@paichni3474]

Considering that variations on a cloud released a day before every other song in the project, does that mean that it’s technically variation’s motif and not isle’s? Probably not.

[@abbexx4283]

Knowing that you aren’t American, I’m impressed by how you handled this subject as a non-American.

[@TheGal10111]

The way I view the song, it’s about the same concept of death that Joe uses throughout HP:II and in other songs. on the surface it’s a normal song, scratching the surface it’s about 9/11, but below the surface it’s about the same thing as Ruler of Everything. the statement of “keep it coming back”, to me, feels like a way of saying the we will never forget 9/11, as it is a tragedy that is embedded in the lives of so many people who lost friends, loved ones, family. and Joe’s explanation as to why is through Ruler of Everything, a song that symbolizes how time will claim us in the end, because time dictates our life. Variations on a Cloud is like the second part of that message, in a way. we need to keep this tragedy and many others coming back, because if we don’t, we’ll forget that our lives can be taken away in a flash, without warning. we need to live our lives to the fullest, no matter the cost.

[@visibly-tired]

To me the line "do you like how my face has learned to tick like a clock" is what Juno would say after Time reveals everything to him in Ruler of Everything. Instead of wanting approval and validation with his zirconium pants, something completely worthless and stupid, he wants to talk about his growth from his experience with Time. I know that's probably not it but it's just my headcanon lol

[@no1shinjirofan]

I can tell that you and me if we knew each other would be friends Oh wait we do

[@SussusAmogus-t4r]

character development

[@visibly-tired]

@@SussusAmogus-t4r indeed

[@f7bye]

I always thought juno shot the sun afterwards, exploding the sun killing both him and time

[@gamer2oons552]

If you watch the video (not the music video) the release date, Unlike the other songs from the album which are 2012-12-12, is 2012-9-11

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

Joe (and the Miracle Musical guys) wanted to release the whole album on 11th Sep, but it wasn't ready, so they went ahead and released VOAC and chose 12th Dec for HPII

[@Fiskiuggar]

I love variations, it’s so layered and beautiful, and I absolutely ADORE the execution of the lyrics and their meaning. Ear candy for sure. Thank you so much for analyzing it.

[@rapvelasco1932]

Variations on a cloud is a banger and a true master piece (the ruler part hits hard) these days it is hard to find freinds

[@tallyballYT]

so true

[@rapvelasco1932]

Oh yeah watching the original video (that got taken down where they jump off) is a gaurented cry

[@littlespeck]

Hey man! Thanks so much for using my art (and crediting me)!

[@tallyballYT]

thanks for letting me use it!!

[@The_Red_Riot]

I'm gonna be honest, I thought this song wasn't about 9/11 but instead about something like about the sky which is why I love this song so much. Now I know the full context of this song.

[@TallyHawley]

I agree with you making a point about Joe being really passionate about his songs. They're all so original and just kind of have that.... Joeness to them (I know, very original). He's a very talented artist.

[@audiping3691]

Jesse, we need to keep it coming back

[@lisunnn]

Besides ruler of everything, 1:35 sounds really similar to Isle unto thyself... I wonder about meaning behind it

[@tallyballYT]

Oh, I see what you mean… they could’ve reused some drum samples, that’s definitely not out of the realm of Joe Hawley/Miracle Musical!

[@weegeeetime843]

yes

[@moogieok]

It is sampled. But I can hear the Time Machinr guitar in the background aswell.

[@mirror_mania]

considering the fact the purple puppet looks almost identical to joe, the song might also be about joe arguing with someone about 9/11

[@_Zero4_]

I might sound stupid right now, but I think that Jump's inclusion after VoaC (Joe's performance at Sonic Lunch) was intentional. When I took a look at Jump's lyrics through the lens of VoaC, I quickly interpreted the song as the perspective of one of the victims choosing death by their own hands instead of being crushed by collapsing towers (jumping to end it all), checking on a loved one's life in the afterlife. Jump is a song Joe covered, not created, but I strongly believe that Joe at least considered to recontextualize the song into Hawaii: Part II's narrative at some point. It was too random to be random.

[@beathecat6604]

I have a lot of thoughts about this song, but I like your interpretation! It’s really interesting!

[@strateupgamr7]

I also think the puppets are a pretty obscure "joke," if you can call it that. Ruler of Everything = Time Variations on a Cloud = Tragedy Muppets = Comedy Tragedy + Time = Comedy Variations on a Cloud + Ruler of Everything = Muppets Idk of that came across

[@bulletholeteddy9223]

I think the ruler of everything part is kinda like a criticism of American thinking Do you like how my face has learned to tick like a clock? I have a wonderful life I know a powerful bob He eulogizes me for being geocentric Imo it's criticising the fact that most americans thought the world was ending when really they still had it better than most other people, that's why the line he eulogizes me for being geocentric is included.

[@rapvelasco1932]

I cant belive this song was made by the same person who made the gobble chicken song

[@javelynhobinson6405]

Nice video! And, yeah, the song being from 2 perspectives, a muslim man and a white man who was seemingly unaffected is interesting. I'm born and raised NYC and a muslim, so I've always wondered how 9/11 gets approached by other people, especially ones not from NYC or even NY in general. My best guess so far is that local News Channels in other places might not talk about it the entire day from various perspectives and stuff too, to the point of even changing their bumpers and stuff or mentioning their coverage of it in the days leading up. (Kinda Sillier but still related note: When I was younger, at camp, I remember being dumbfounded that the non-NYC kids didn't know the Mesothelioma and others non-smoking Lung Disease Insurance ads as well as/at all compared to me and the other NYCer kids. Nuts how your lived experience and location affects your world in even tiny ways like that.) Anyways, great video, dude! I'll be sure to check out your channel and subscribe!

[@ltgaming8510]

Allusions/motifs to other songs by Miracle Musical/Tally Hall: 0:25-0:27, 0:46-0:53 (Spring and a Storm, 1:54-2:00) (possibly) 1:06-1:20 (Murders, 1:44-1:50) 1:33-1:46 (Isle Unto Thyself, 1:39-1:52) 1:47-1:57, 2:00-2:10, 2:40-2:53 (Dream Sweet in Sea Major, 5:40-5:53) 1:57-1:59 (Stranded Lullaby, 0:41-0:45) 2:13-2:40 (Ruler of Everything, 1:10-1:27) The synths throughout this song are also found in Time Machine I probably missed a few, so point out any more you think are in the song/any mistakes

[@TallHally]

No that's Walter White

[@aeyrswallace9794]

wait what

[@jupitergolden]

This gave me a heart attack

[@friscothesheriff1994]

Miracle Musical needs to cook.

[@M4TEO888]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO, I NEEDED TO KNOW THE MEANING

[@josephmeluso2377]

You're 16 when you uploaded this last year? You sound wiser and more composed than people my age nearing 30, myself included! I didn't get nearly as much meaning when I heard the song so I appreciate the breakdown! I noticed the opposite lyrics in the beginning and the Ruler of Everything melody and altered lyrics later. But I was far off the mark of the meaning of the song.

[@Kansitt]

also, love your videos and to understand all of tally hall's content, especially miracle musical

[@lmlimpoism]

i think the ruler of everything reference is actually a reference to ruler of everything's meaning (especially with that particular part)

[@LandonBurke-l1n]

Nice video. I decided to watch this today as a way of😢😂 honouring those who lost their lives on 9/11 like the Song did since it was also released on this specific day. Variations On A Cloud is probably my favourite song from Miracle Musical. The instrumental work and the lyrics are quite impactful and have beautiful meanings to it. I love that the lyrics kinda paints a picture for both sides who experience seeing what happened and a generation who came after the world change because of it. I really enjoy hearing the Hawaii Tracks being merged along with Ruler Of Everything for the melody or lyrics. It is a beautiful song. Despite myself being born after the event, I will still give my respect to those who lost their lives on that day. I will keep it coming back😊

[@vap0rw1se]

HOW does this not have more views. this should have more than 5k, thats for sure

[@Entrominal]

The i learned to tick like a clock one kind of shows that humanity is slowly learning the leasson from ruler of everything

[@clairieberries]

I just wanted to comment how after the intro, you say "9/11" and it fades into the climax the song, I really loved how that worked and faded into the song! 😻

[@HighDuck404]

my first interpretation of the song was that it was about 2 dudes reminiscing and singing songs that they used to listen to and don't remember it clearly, hence they disagree on lyrics and both are wrong, and so the songs are variations of the original , based on how the person singing interprets the song. But they don't care about the intercresies of the lyrics , they just want to remember the feeling . .... well now i know it's also about 9/11. would expect nothing less from yelwah eoj

[@tallyballYT]

that’s also a cool interpretation!

[@_ocuious]

You might want to add a trigger warning for linking the MV, some people might be sensitive to seeing people… yk, jump. I’m aware there’s one on the video, but still, you can’t be too cautious.

[@tallyballYT]

good shout

[@Random_Internet_Dude]

?

[@TheBananaManana]

cring

[@TheBananaManana]

@@GoobertFoobert real

[@GoobertFoobert]

@@TheBananaManana Fr

[@lorelaimorace-kk1xz]

i know it's a 9/11 song BUT IT SOUNDS AWESOME am i crazy it's a really cool song

[@chelseaf.3352]

Please please please make more of these amazing videos and also make them at least 2 hours longer I am so incredibly interested in this lore

[@SpikeyBubblez]

i listened to this song on a plane and it was a bit scary (there was turbulence as well)

[@WitherVideos]

Nice video! This is a very interesting topic

[@UnidentifiedFlyingSliceo-np2jc]

But that’s just a theory, A tally hall theory! Thanks for watching.

[@brasunlol]

both of us see a cloud

[@panickyredund4nt]

or whatever we may believe

[@cornelius-vampire]

being it may be proud

[@panickyredund4nt]

@@cornelius-vampire or whatever we want to see

[@cas.22]

to end it all

[@aeyrswallace9794]

Let this one be to break the fall

[@MinaWalker]

Can you please do a video on Hymn for a Scarecrow or Spring and a Storm ❤

[@tallyballYT]

ooh i’d love to! currently the next song on my checklist is Go To Bed, then i’ll look at these 2. they’re some of my favourites!

[@MinaWalker]

@@tallyballYT thanks 🤗

[@uhigldasdtyuiosagjk]

Its clearly walter white and not a muslum

[@MosesJocephus]

Just a fun addition, the two characters are yellow and purple respectively, yellow and purple are contrast colors to each other, this is just an extra detail about the fact that the two characters have opposite opinions.

[@eviewaterfall8832]

in my opinion, it’s bringing back my interpretation of Ruler of Everything, that they fill their lives with other things, but also with yours a bit (learning/having to continue on with life; learning to tick like a clock) 😋

[@King.K.Kingston]

Hey, i have a theory. What is the “sirens” in dream sweet ins sea major are actually, well ambulance sirens? It would totally make sense, given the 9/11 connotations and how they “promise endless apologies of paradise”, given what hospitals do. This would change completely the accepted meanings of the songs too because now these sirens are not literal

[@Davix40no91]

Love how one of them revives only to say "I object" in your mother is a basketball

[@WibblyWobbly1905]

Neat, well made video

[@tallyballYT]

thanks!

[@cumulonimbusus]

That helped me a lot with understanding The Song😭😭

[@MajicJaySour]

i have watched the VoaC music video atleast 400 times since i discovered tally hall and miracle musical in October 2022 and i always thought the puppets were rob and joe.

[@edmundliankalang5925]

I never saw any references about 9/11 nor have I heard of them throughout the song. Am I that media illiterate?

[@leninvasco]

the miracle worker can also be the airplane that enabled the US to pillage Iraq, the rulling classes being represented by caligula, or, of course, the guy that walked that rope begining the tradition (because I dont know of any better word) of people getting out of the tower from above it

[@BUG_CIRCUS]

Yayyyy you did the video!!

[@justinelighthouse6047]

If there is a hidden meaning to hidden in the sand

[@bignosh]

i love this song but i do think it is a bit of a tonal shift compared to the rest. To me it felt like a total combination of all the themes of hawaii part ii: the way perspectives warp and the way obsession blinds a person. It also ties well with the theory of hawaii part ii that its a sort of time loop, but maybe it was just me drawing connections to a completely seperate unrelated story.

[@Dibdab9303]

1:12 haha cod zombies

[@jimcobbler3954]

What if this song uses clouds to represent people’s emotions about this event. That would make the title essentially mean what the video is analyzing, different perspectives on the event. It would also make the keep it coming back thing make sense, because the day has become almost a sick holiday in America. Sorry for dancing around the actual topic, but I’d rather not get my comment blocked by KZbin. You all know what I’m talking about when I say “the event”

[@lupinoh]

I love your videos :D

[@jojoo7030]

I also like how it had Ruler Of Everything in it

[@mrfreelove]

Well made!

[@tallyballYT]

thanks!!

[@Swaeshy]

the real meaning of this song is clear when you look at the original music video

[@akesey8593]

This song has 3 other songs blended into it, ruler of everything, murders, and isle unto thyself. I belive murders was in it because both variations on a cloud and murders have murders

[@judebug1997]

marvelous

[@SallyKhaled13]

As Muslim/arabian this song forever will be my favorite song in miracle musical, change my mind.

[@justinelighthouse6047]

Do hidden in the sand

[@travvy8488]

who or what is that powerful bob mentioned though?

[@Em0x]

yes

[@tallyballYT]

no

[@Sloppnheimer]

What about that "Join if you wish" Line?

[@smallguy73]

Why was joe hawley spelt backwards

[@macaronic_]

since this is the only thing miracle musical released other than hawaii part ii, maybe the white man is simon?

[@lucastheunfunnyguy]

If I die want this song to be the last song I here

[@rizztrakskskdje]

"hello guys, vsauce here-"

[@Haikara-pacer]

Easily the most disturbing music video I’ve ever seen. (If youve seen one more disturbing pls let me know)

[@Veehead1]

Joe Hawley if 9/11 didnt happen- Versions of a fog

[@axlclockworker1364]

Yeh...this is ruler of everything part 2

[@panlol9516]

i thought the yellow puppet was supposed to be rob😭😭😭😭

[@tallyballYT]

😭

[@goofyahh_emily]

It’s actually Vsause Michael lmao

[@senbonzakura410]

it's walter white

[@puppetrypuppet]

And not the mention the deleted video proving it

[@canblockbaguettes]

please tell me what powerful bob means

[@tallyballYT]

i think it’s just talking about Rob Cantor

[@canblockbaguettes]

@@tallyballYTthese tunes were truly heterophonic

[@rizztrakskskdje]

​@@canblockbaguettesand about how love bites

[@hemarisam]

@@tallyballYTsounds like the name of a suave fellow

[@Fiskiuggar]

@@rizztrakskskdjeI would continue this but I can’t think on the fucking spot 🔥🔥

[@R_U_Panzo]

I just realized that tomorrow is a 9/11 aniversary 😞

[@Nightcorefrom2010]

Joe Hawley really attacked, huh.

[@God_tf2]

Darkest and best.

[@DanzTheGB]

Banger song

[@ilikeindigo]

did the title change

[@wiriwiseco6328]

wait wtf you mean we're the same age

[@potatoman-y9e]

Bro I didn't think he was my age either

[@TRIOAntimations]

Noice vid bro.

[@tuney7319]

Btw islam has a very different idea of jesus than in christianity, while in Christianity jesus is the son of god and was gifted to the virgin mary to raise and eventually become a symbol of god himself in islam jesus is a normal man who was born as a miracle , basically in islam there are these things called mo’jizat or what in english would be called miracles, basically they are occurrences that seemingly defy the laws of physics and were created by god to spread the gospel, for example moses spreading the red sea is one of those, jesus’s powers including walking on water are not seen as his own unique powers but are simply mo’jizat given to him by god, but he himself cannot possess these powers himself, islam does however still believe that the second coming of christ will happen and that there will also be an anti christ. I’m not an expert but this is just kind of my own knowledge from studying islam

[@cursedryona6265]

I'm going to have to disagree on a lot of this. As someone who grew up in the post 9/11 united states I have to stress that 9/11 was never an event people unaffected by it didn't care about. The entire Nation was in a state of panic and fury. I had relatives buying ammunition in case of continued attacks. The entire country was on-board with the war on terror because we were horrified by the potential of additional attacks. The character on the left cannot represent "everyone who wasn't a victim of 9/11" because we were all effected. It also seems doubtful that the character on the right is supposed to represent the Muslim-American Community. In the clip you show where both characters identify the cloud differently, the words "in light you lie" does not represent Muslim's attitude towards Allah. What's more the character on the left talking about how he thought the one on the right knew him doesn't reflect White America's attitude towards Muslims post 9/11 either. Before the attack the average American was either indifferent or bigoted towards the Muslim community, and afterwards there was overwhelming hatred, as you even acknowledge in the video. There was no "But I thought you knew me." sense of betrayal. It was just hatred towards another group believed to be responsible for violence. The references to Jesus, in the context of 9/11, likely isn't so much a blank statement of people dying, but rather could be a reference to the religious undertones of the conflict between Al-Qaeda and the United States. Al-Qaeda is an Islamic extremist group who, at that point in time, was attacking a primarily Christian Nation. Both Christians and Muslims believe in Jesus, however they disagree on if he assisted the Prophet Muhammad from heaven. Since both faiths believe in Jesus, and the violence was religiously motivated from people of one faith to another, "Miracle worker I saw you begin it" could be a reflection on how Jesus' impact on history ultimately resulted in the attack through the long chain of history. I also just believe this song is about more than 9/11. The voice of the character on the right is provided by Rob Cantor, Joe's former band mate in Tally Hall. This song came out three years after Tally Hall's final album, after which all the different band members went on to lead their own carriers. With lines from the Joe-shaped puppet like "But I thought you knew me truly?" being responded to by the one on the right with "Something different than we started within the world" and spoken by Rob, it's easy to imagine this as an exchange between the two musicians over Rob wanting to go his own way, and Joe feeling betrayed. This is where "Does it even matter to me?" comes in; as Joe expressing how the reasons the other band members wanted to break up didn't have any relevance to him, and as such he didn't understand why they wanted to leave him. This also lines up with the several other Tally Hall songs referenced in this track. Ruler of Everything is the easiest to identify, but it also samples motifs from their songs Murder and Isle Unto Thyself. If you think about it the lyrics of this song never actually reference 9/11 by name. There are things like the references to jumping, and the "cloud" potentially being a cloud of dust, but if it weren't for the music video then it would be hard to imagine anyone just hearing this song on its own and thinking it's about the September 11th terror attacks. In my personal opinion this song isn't merely just supposed to be about cultural reactions to 9/11, but rather a comparison of two Tragedies in Joe Hawley's life; one an actual historical event he lived through which killed thousands of people, and one which caused no violence, but mattered immensely to him: The dissolution of Tally Hall. It's unclear if he was personally impacted by 9/11 (The music video implies its a topic which has some serious significance to him) but with the song going into other themes of personal disagreements between friends and differing perceptions of the same thing, I think the connection to 9/11 is less about the significance of the attacks and more about how, in his perception, the loss of his band was just as devastating as the loss of life the entire country felt.

[@wh3n-w1ll-1t-3nd.]

Woah epic

[@SovTheCherub]

Jesus Christ that’s a lot of text

[@cursedryona6265]

@@SovTheCherub I've been told I'm verbose.

[@daesendri]

What happened to my funny tally meme give?

[@VolkColopatrion]

It sounds ad hoc. I mean interesting interpretation but how did you get race in any of this when the singers are both white? How do you figure even one of them was Muslim and the other white? If they meant that then they might have given more clues. Or maybe they said something about it and you didn't show that. Are we really so obsessed with race because of bad school curricula? Where do you show your work?

[@Kansitt]

fr

[@Tally_Hall_fan450]

i hate the fact that this is sang to the tune of ruler of everything

[@Sloppnheimer]

Song=good

[@AexisRai]

...the vocalists are Joe and Rob. left is Joe and right (yellow) is Rob. I don't think you strongly established that the right one is Muslim.

[@DolaBot2011]

Yelwah Eoj more like joE hawleY or Joe Hawley or YEAH WAH LUGIUI

[@iluvoj.x3]

you spelt joe hawley backwards at the start 😔

[@Penthusiast-be2sm]

FIRST

[@tallyballYT]

second

[@opellahallers]

forth

[@tatteryt]

203rd

[@SOLAR_INSANITY]

7th

[@Wizardman-m2l]

2049th

[@springtronic.]

I also have a special interest in the twin towers/911

[@Floral-shoppe]

HUH???

[@musicbox1997-]

Hi

[@ZaTheLean]

Hi