Lévy was born in Lyon, France in 1985, and he began listening to electronic dance music as a teenager. He began experimenting with synthesizers, and started producing tracks after he moved to Paris in 2003. He debuted the Gesaffelstein project in 2008 with Vengeance Factory, an EP released by French label OD Records. Modern Walk soon followed on the Hacker's GoodLife label. Zone, another imprint run by the Hacker, released The Operator in 2009. Gesaffelstein signed to Tiga's Turbo label in 2010, issuing Variations that year, followed by Conspiracy, Pt. I and II in 2011. During the same year, he released a split 12" with Brodinski (Bromance #1) and collaborated with the Hacker (Zone 4). Conspiracy Remixes and Bromance #4: Rise of Depravity both followed in 2012. By this time, in addition to becoming a favorite among DJs, he had become a sought-after remixer as well, with clients including Cassius, Moby, Miss Kittin, Duck Sauce, and Lana Del Rey.
Lévy's breakthrough year proved to be 2013. Along with Daft Punk, Brodinski, and Mike Dean, he co-produced two tracks on Kanye West's Yeezus. Gesaffelstein's full-length debut, Aleph, arrived on Parlophone soon after, and achieved critical acclaim. In addition, the disturbing, violent videos for lead singles "Pursuit" and "Hate or Glory" racked up millions of views, and the producer's tracks found their way into television programs and video games. He also released I Love Techno 2013, his first mix CD, on Lektroluv. In 2015, Gesaffelstein collaborated with French electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre on a track titled "Conquistador." He also ventured into soundtrack work, composing the ominous music for the thriller Maryland (aka Disorder), directed by Alice Winocour. The score was given a limited vinyl issue in September of 2015. Returning after a long hiatus, Gesaffelstein issued the hard-hitting single "Reset" in 2018. The track was then included on his 2019 full-length, Hyperion, which also featured the single "Lost in the Fire" with the Weeknd.
Blast Off
Gesaffelstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All week saying this was right
Cross your heart and hope to die
Are you sure you wanna pay the price?
Do it outside in the night
'Cause where you going is the life
When I'm looking in your face
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?
Saying that you wanna know
What it feels like to let go
Everything that was before
Should you do it in the youth?
Be enlightened, feel the truth
Let the serotonin settle leaves
When I'm looking in your face
(Oh, higher, higher)
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
To look in your eyes when you see the vision
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
To look in your eyes when you see the vision
Late night (Late night), decisions (decisions)
Do you wanna (do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (decisions)
Do you wanna (do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (decisions)
Do you wanna (do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (decisions)
Hello (Hello) spirit
Blast off
Hold on tight, hold on for life
If this is what you like
Do it all night
Girl, I don't gotta fly
I just wanna ride
Back and forth, left and right
Ain't tryna be slick
But I just wanna slide
Or I can be a kite
And I can just fly
Away with the birds
Call sky
High, high, high, high
Backroad trails, follow the line
Coming from, still birds in the sky (Oh yeah)
Bunch of horses herd in the sky
Stare too long, you'll be hurting your eye
How does it feel to be on this side?
The sunshine, the all-seeing eye
Like ayy, like a lightning strike
Melting your body and up through your mind
And into your spirit, and your spirit does glide
Floating high, idling high
Away into the light
How 'bout we just fly? Here for a dime
Again
When I'm looking in your face
(Oh, higher, higher)
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?
The lyrics to Gesaffelstein's "Blast Off" suggest a night of self-discovery and letting go of past inhibitions. The song speaks of taking risks, making decisions, and embracing the unknown. The opening lines "You've been thinking about this all night / All week saying this was right" implies that the singer has been contemplating a decision, finally pushing themselves to take a leap of faith. The line "Cross your heart and hope to die / Are you sure you wanna pay the price?" shows that the decision is not an easy one and comes with potential consequences.
The chorus conveys the singer's trust in their decision as it feels like fate, with emphasis on liberation and the release of serotonin, induced from the ecstasy of the moment. The lines "Saying that you wanna know / What it feels like to let go / Everything that was before / Should you do it in the youth?" express a need for discovery and an eagerness of youth to experience life to its fullest. Finally, the repeated phrase "I need somebody, I need a witness / To look in your eyes when you see the vision" suggests a search for affirmation and validation from others, likely a result of making such a significant decision ultimately aligning with the song's titular "Blast Off."
Line by Line Meaning
You've been thinking about this all night
You've been obsessing over this decision for a long time
All week saying this was right
You've been convinced all week that this is the right choice
Cross your heart and hope to die
You promise that this decision is important to you and you won't back down
Are you sure you wanna pay the price?
Are you willing to deal with the consequences of your decision?
Do it outside in the night
Make this choice discreetly, away from prying eyes
'Cause where you going is the life
Because where you're headed will lead you down a new path of life.
When I'm looking in your face, you give me faith. I feel this faith, this must be fate. What do I know?
In your face, I see conviction and determination that lend me faith that you must be right. But what do I know?
Saying that you wanna know, what it feels like to let go
You want to know what it's like to let go and move on from the past
Everything that was before
All of your past experiences
Should you do it in the youth?
Is this something you should experience while young?
Be enlightened, feel the truth
Open your eyes and feel the realness of it all
Let the serotonin settle leaves
Let the natural high that comes with this experience take over.
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need someone to be with me through this experience
To look in your eyes when you see the vision
Someone to witness your reaction to what you see
Hold on tight, hold on for life. If this is what you like, do it all night
Hang on tight because this experience is life-changing, and if you enjoy it, keep doing it
Girl, I don't gotta fly. I just wanna ride. Back and forth, left and right
I don't need to fly high or aim for anything, I just want to enjoy the ride and go with the flow.
Melting your body and up through your mind. And into your spirit, and your spirit does glide
The experience is transformative and takes over every aspect of your being
How 'bout we just fly? Here for a dime
Let's just soar and enjoy the moment. It won't cost us that much.
Bunch of horses herd in the sky. Stare too long, you'll be hurting your eye
You're seeing things that are not what they seem, and staring too long might make your eyes hurt
How does it feel to be on this side? The sunshine, the all-seeing eye
How does it feel to experience something new? Something that opens your eyes to see the world in a different way?
Like ayy, like a lightning strike. Melting your body and up through your mind
The experience is like lightning and takes over your entire being
Floating high, idling high. Away into the light. How 'bout we just fly?
Let's get lost in the moment, up high in the air, and enjoy the freeing sensation of flying.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tom Gire, Heitor Teixeira Pereira, John Anthony Jr. Sponsler, Pharrell L. Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind