Tanlines are an electronic and indie rock duo from Brooklyn, NY composed of… Read Full Bio ↴Tanlines are an electronic and indie rock duo from Brooklyn, NY composed of percussionist Jesse Cohen and guitarist/vocalist Eric Emm. Their influence is drawn from various genres including pop, indie, dance, and world music. Tanlines' debut album Mixed Emotions was released on March 20, 2012 and reached #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart.

Tanlines was formed in 2008 after Cohen and Emm worked together producing a song for Cohen's band, Professor Murder. Emm had previously worked as a producer for other bands with his brother Joshua Topolsky and had also performed in the bands Don Caballero and Storm & Stress. In 2009, Tanlines opened several times on tour for Julian Casablancas.

After releasing several remixes for bands that included Au Revoir Simone, The Tough Alliance, El Guincho, and Telepathe, the band collaborated with Salem to release a split EP entitled S.A.W. in early 2010.

The band's first EP of their own music, Settings, was released in March 2010 and was praised by Pitchfork as "an enjoyable listen" and "a punchy introduction to what these guys do well." In November 2010, Tanlines released Tanlines, a compilation of all their released music up to that date and several other tracks and remixes.

The band has played with Vampire Weekend, The xx, Rick Ross, Yeasayer, Health, and Delorean.

Cactus
Tanlines Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Way you used to be
Way you tell yourself you want to ?
Is a mystery there is a reason for a ? to these things
Makes some sense to me there is no conclude reason ti should be
Love is everything you can turn the fruits from the trees
With no history there is a logical conclusion that ? what you won’t believe

Is that is hard to forgive when you receive

Once that is said once that all feels something
Once that is said is another mentality
Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo

Hey hey hey yo
Hey hey hey yo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tanlines' song "Cactus" are open to interpretation, but it appears to be a reflection on the state of a relationship. The opening lines "way you used to be, way you tell yourself you want to?" seem to suggest that the person being addressed (possibly a lover or friend) has changed in some way or is struggling to be true to themselves. The lyric "there is a mystery, there is a reason, for a ? to these things" implies that there is a deeper reasoning to the situation, although it remains unclear.

However, the next line "love is everything you can turn the fruits from the trees" seems to present a hopeful and optimistic attitude towards love. The lyrics acknowledge that there is no clear conclusion to the situation, but maintain that love can bring forth positive change, like the harvest of fruit from a tree. The following lines "with no history, there is a logical conclusion that ? what you won't believe" may suggest that relationships can still evolve and grow, even without a shared history or in the face of skepticism.

The chorus of "Hey hey hey yo" could be interpreted as a release of tension and a reminder to let go of the past and embrace the present. The repetition of these lines seems to suggest a desire for clarity and resolution. Overall, the lyrics of "Cactus" express a mixture of uncertainty and hope towards relationships, emphasizing the importance of love and growth.

Line by Line Meaning

Way you used to be
The person you used to be is different from the person you are now

Way you tell yourself you want to ?
You are not honest with yourself about what you truly want

Is a mystery there is a reason for a ? to these things
Life is full of mysteries and there is a reason why things happen the way they do

Makes some sense to me there is no conclude reason ti should be
Although it may seem confusing, it somehow makes sense to me

Love is everything you can turn the fruits from the trees
Love is powerful and can bring forth great things

With no history there is a logical conclusion that ? what you won’t believe
Without knowing the full history, it is difficult to make a logical conclusion that may surprise you

Is that is hard to forgive when you receive
It's difficult to forgive someone who has hurt you

Once that is said once that all feels something
Once something is said, it can have a significant impact on how things feel

Once that is said is another mentality
Once something is said, it can change the way you think about things

Hey hey hey yo
Lyrics without specific meaning, likely meant to be a catchy sound in the song