Little Big Town – Tornado (Official Music Video)
Inspiration Behind Tornado:
Little Big Town uses tornado as a metaphor. Rather than build a song around a destructive force of nature, the lyrics illustrates what happens when a woman filled with anger and vengeance leaves her own destruction path on human souls. While the music video makes listeners expect to see a real tornado at any moment, this debris field leaves behind mental and spiritual scars from a disgruntled woman.
Biblical Application:
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many, Hebrews 12:14-15.
Exegesis of Tornado:
Thought you’ll change the weather
Start a little storm, make a little rain
But I’m gonna do one better
Have the sun until you pray
When someone is about to lose their composure, there are obvious signs like a raised voice, a change is emotions and venomous speech. Tornados have their own warning signs in the sky. Karen Fairplay wants to do one better with an odd play on words to end this opening stanza.
I’m a tornado looking for a soul to take
You’re gonna see me coming by the selfish things that you did
I’m gonna leave you guessing have this fun on this gonna hit I’m a tornado, looking for a man to break
Hurt people have a tendency to want to inflict the people who hurt them. This is the payback that is referred to.
Yeah, I’m gonna leave this house, spinning all around
Tossing in the air and playing in the ground
Make sure you’ll never found
Like the wrath from a twister, the angry brewing wants to leave a similar path of destruction.
Thought you’ll take the swing try another girl, try another night
But it’s not pain that brings my force of nature back to life
I’m a tornado, what’s done gotta left by
Sometimes human beings try to play God, seeking to payback the harm done to their soul.
Hey I’m gonna leave this house, spin it all around
Tossing in the air and put it in the ground
I’m gonna leave this house, spin it all around
Tossing in the air and put it in the ground
Make sure you’ll never find, oh yeah
This is what happens when you allow the root of bitterness to consume your soul.
Hey I’m gonna leave this house, spin it all around
Tossing in the air and put it in the ground
Yeah, I’m gonna leave this house, spin it all around
Tossing in the air and put it in the ground
Make sure you’ll never find
The lyrics suggest that she wants to bury her ex-boyfriend, sending a bad message,
The winds are getting stronger and the sky is falling through
You ain’t got much longer till the rage rips off the roof
I’m a tornado and I’m coming after you
When common sense is gone, anger and rage take over.
Final Thoughts:
The older I become; I try to be a peace maker. Yet, in my younger years, I had a short fuse, going off at a moment’s notice. My anger management issue took more than a decade to finally control. When you become open to letting Jesus come into your life, Romans 10:9-11, this transformation is possible, but it takes time.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 