At the beginning of the new millennium, Joelistics took the first of a series of 'voyages' around Australia, working as a fruit picker, visiting hippie festivals and hitch hiking across the country, eventually settling in Melbourne where he discovered a city going through a creative boom.
In 2002 he founded TZU alongside Count Bounce, Yeroc and Pasobionic, signing to Liberation records the same year. Earning their stripes on the live circuit, TZU built a solid reputation on the back of their up-beat party rhymes, joining acts like The Herd, Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso, as a vanguard of the second generation of Australian hiphop forging an identity both artistically and commercially.
After three ambitious records, multiple award (AMP, J Award) nominations, countless festivals and tours, TZU decided to take a breather. Joel embarked upon another voyage, living in Shanghai and Beijing; travelling through Mongolia; and eventually settling in Paris for six months. In between writing for online travel sites and teaching English, he began work on his debut solo album, Voyager.
Armed with a laptop, he wrote all the music on old headphones whilst riding the Trans-Mongolian railway, transiting through airports; and a winter in a one bedroom flat in the Montmartre district of Paris.
In 2010 he returned to Australia and moved between Sydney and Melbourne putting the final touches on the album, inking a deal with Elefant Traks in early 2011.
Joelistics has always drawn on influences from a wide variety of sources. As a solo artist his sound is grounded in the boom bap of hip hop whilst keenly revisiting his love of beat poetry, shoe gazer electronica and folk to create an album that is both introspective and electrifying. Entirely self produced with few guests, Voyager concentrates on themes of travel, modern world paranoia and growing older. Self-described as the 'come down record of my late twenties', his self-deprecating view allows the listener to discover for themselves the joyous optimism and redemption that co-pilots the album.
Out of the blue
Joelistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It all changed in an instant
He was 19 when she told him she was pregnant
Barely out of high school, living in a small town
Neither of them had a job or money in the bank
He got work on the factory floor
Struggeling to make ends meet, but she adored him
Always in his corner when her parents started like
The baby arrived, really they tried
She said "let's to the best that we can a day at a time"
He started staying out all night getting drunk
Convinced he couldn't deal with what he had, what he's done
He lost his job and that was no surprise
She said "I can't go on watching you destroy your life
You need to get it together or I'm leaving with our kid"
He said "It's probably best that you left", so she did
So when you gonna learn
It'll hit you hard
Even if it hurts
And it always does
So when you gonna learn
Let it in your heart
We come together and fall apart
Out of the blue my love
Five years later and she's living in the city
And she's severed all contact with her old life
Her little girl's at school, she was working days
Staying up late and studying through the night
Out of the blue he called up and they talked
He said he's got a job up north on fishing trawlers
He hadn't touched a drink for two years, he'd been clean
Plus he saved some money on the side inbetween
He cleared his throat, made an awkward joke
And asked "maybe I could come visit you both
But only if you think it's alright I mean"
She said she'd think about it, the next day she agreed
So when you gonna learn
It'll hit you hard
Even if it hurts
And it always does
So when you gonna learn
Let it in your heart
We come together and fall apart
Out of the blue my love
Out of the blue
Out of the blue
Out of the blue my love
He got on a plane and flew across the desert
Watching as the world flew by
It felt like he held his breath from the airport
All the way to her front door the whole time
He knocked soft and she opened up
And they looked at each other both dumb struck
Each waiting for the other one to speak first
But neither of 'em could find any words, then
Out of the blue as if one cue tryna
Hold back the tears in their eyes
And with a voice full of cracks and a heart fit to burst
She said "Well, you took your time"
These moments make up a life time
Mistakes we make are not fixed in stone
People we love are a life line
And none of us can do it on our own
Out of the blue
Out of the blue
Out of the blue
Love saves us
Out of the blue
We all learn that lesson
The song is a story of two young people who are forced to face the challenges of becoming parents at a very young age. The first verse sets the scene of how life changed when the boy was just 19 years old and found out that his girlfriend was pregnant. Despite having no money or stable jobs, they decided to keep the baby and make the best of their situation. However, the boy soon found it hard to cope with his new responsibilities, and his drinking habits worsened, leading to losing his job and his girlfriend. The important message of the song is captured in the refrain "So when you gonna learn, let it in your heart. We come together and fall apart, out of the blue, my love."
Five years later, the ex-girlfriend, now living in the city, receives a call from the father of her child, who has turned his life around with a new job and being clean from alcohol for two years. The song portrays the hesitant and awkward conversation between the former couple, ending with the boy flying across the desert to see his ex-girlfriend for the first time in years. It is a moment of uncertainty and surprise that concludes with the woman saying "Well, you took your time."
The song highlights the importance of understanding that mistakes happen, and it's essential to learn from them. Time and circumstances can change people's lives, and we must be willing to forgive and accept them for who they are. In the end, the song speaks of the power of love to save our relationships and help us through challenging moments in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly; without warning
It all changed in an instant
Their lives were altered forever and suddenly
He was 19 when she told him she was pregnant
He was very young when he found out he was going to be a father
Barely out of high school, living in a small town
They were young and inexperienced, living in a rural area
Neither of them had a job or money in the bank
They were both financially unstable
He got work on the factory floor
He found work in a factory to support his growing family
Struggeling to make ends meet, but she adored him
Despite the hardships, she loved and supported him
Always in his corner when her parents started like
She was supportive of him even when her parents were critical
"He won't ever amount to that much"
Her parents expressed doubt about his future success
The baby arrived, really they tried
They did their best to prepare for their new arrival
She said "let's do the best that we can a day at a time"
She encouraged him to take one day at a time and do the best they could
He started staying out all night getting drunk
He coped with the stress by turning to alcohol
Convinced he couldn't deal with what he had, what he's done
He thought he couldn't handle the situation he had created
He lost his job and that was no surprise
He struggled to maintain employment
She said "I can't go on watching you destroy your life
She could no longer tolerate his self-destructive behavior
You need to get it together or I'm leaving with our kid"
She gave him an ultimatum to change his ways
He said "It's probably best that you left", so she did
He let her go because he didn't know how to fix the situation
So when you gonna learn
When will you realize the truth?
"It'll hit you hard
The consequences will be severe
Even if it hurts
The truth may be painful
And it always does
The truth is rarely easy to accept
Let it in your heart
Accept the truth and let it affect you deeply
We come together and fall apart
Relationships can be fragile and unpredictable
Out of the blue my love
Love can surprise you and change everything
Five years later and she's living in the city
She moved on with her life and left the past behind
And she's severed all contact with her old life
She cut off all ties with her former partner and hometown
Her little girl's at school, she was working days
She was a working mother with a school-aged child
Staying up late and studying through the night
She worked hard to improve her situation
He said he's got a job up north on fishing trawlers
He found employment in the fishing industry
He hadn't touched a drink for two years, he'd been clean
He had overcome his addiction to alcohol
Plus he saved some money on the side inbetween
He managed to save some money on top of his income
He cleared his throat, made an awkward joke
He was nervous and tried to lighten the mood with humor
And asked "maybe I could come visit you both
He expressed a desire to see his former partner and their child
But only if you think it's alright I mean"
He deferred to her judgment about whether he was welcome
She said she'd think about it, the next day she agreed
She hesitated, but ultimately decided to let him visit
Love saves us
Love has the power to rescue and redeem us
These moments make up a life time
The important moments define our existence
Mistakes we make are not fixed in stone
We have the capacity to learn from and grow beyond our mistakes
People we love are a life line
Our loved ones sustain and support us through life's challenges
And none of us can do it on our own
We need each other; we are interdependent
Contributed by Lincoln P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.