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.
Real Life
Tanlines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I looked away
For a minute I was lost,
I looked away.
I was looking for a home,
I was looking for a home.
For a minute I was lost,
Trouble was, I was alone,
Trouble was, I was alone.
You might think I'm still that way,
It's only natural
It was a past life thing-
It was a past life thing-
It wasn't anything at all.
For a minute I was lost,
I looked away
For a minute I was lost,
I looked away.
I was looking for a road
I was looking for a road.
For a minute I was lost,
I looked away
My destination was unknown,
My destination was unknown.
My destination was unknown,
My destination was unknown.
You might think I'm still that way,
It's only natural
It was a past life thing-
It was a past life thing-
It wasn't anything at all.
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Oh oh oh oh!
You might think I'm still that way,
It's only natural
It was a past life thing-
It was a past life thing-
It wasn't anything at all.
Oh oh oh oh!
The lyrics of the song "Real Life" by Tanlines reflect the search for a place to call home and a sense of direction in life. The repetition of "For a minute I was lost, I looked away" symbolizes the singer's temporary disorientation and momentary lapse in focus, where they feel alone and uncertain of where they're headed. They're longing for a sense of belonging and purpose, as evident in the lines "I was looking for a home" and "I was looking for a road." Despite these feelings of confusion, the singer reassures the listener that it was just a fleeting experience from a past life and not something to dwell on.
The phrase "Mes aloha" repeated towards the end of the song is Hawaiian for "my love," adding a hint of sentimentality and yearning to the lyrics. The song ends with the repetition of the lines "You might think I'm still that way, it's only natural, it was a past life thing- it wasn't anything at all." The singer acknowledges the listener's potential perception of them and again reassures them that their struggles were merely fleeting and insignificant.
Overall, "Real Life" uses simple yet poignant language to convey a relatable sense of searching and restlessness in life.
Line by Line Meaning
For a minute I was lost,
I looked away
I momentarily lost my way and lost sight of my goals.
I was looking for a home,
I was looking for a home.
I was searching for a place where I belong and feel safe.
Trouble was, I was alone,
Trouble was, I was alone.
The problem was that I was feeling lonely during my search for belonging and safety.
You might think I'm still that way,
It's only natural
It was a past life thing-
It was a past life thing-
It wasn't anything at all.
Although you may assume I'm still feeling lost and alone, it's simply a part of my past and something that doesn't affect me anymore.
I was looking for a road
I was looking for a road.
I was searching for direction and purpose in my life.
My destination was unknown,
My destination was unknown.
My destination was unknown,
My destination was unknown.
I didn't have a clear idea of where I was headed or what the end goal looked like.
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
Mes aloha
The repetition of 'Mes aloha' is a reflection of my feelings and emotions during this search for belonging, safety, purpose, and direction.
Oh oh oh oh!
This is used to punctuate each section and accentuate the emotions of each message.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ERIC MICHAEL TOPOLSKY, JESSE AARON COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
HoneyNutHijoles
OH MY GOSH. This song is blowing my mind! Listening to it loud, with headphones, in the middle of the night, and rocking out like CRAZY
venusinscorpihoe
LISTENING 2 THIS IN THE LIBRARY AND TRYIN NOT TO CRY OUT OF NOSTALGIA
Lee Clayton
I really know what you mean...have you heard the acoustic version?
Andrew Selman
This should be remained as secret treasure. Music this great shouldn't be easy to find for ears searching for unique rhythms
Shermanator82
i have listened to this song on repeat for 7 hours straight now.
Kairo
FACT: Ive never heard the end of this song. I drag it back to the start. I will never hear the end of this song. Love it
Karen Mitchell
These guys are super good live. Saw them at FYF last summer.
chappahx
this is great stuff! Never heard of these guys but I love this!
Violetta Mikalina
Went through almost an entire night's 62-song radio playlist just to find this song, worth it!!!
James Pink
You guys are fucking great and this is beautiful. Keep it up brothers, I cheered the hardest at your Terminal 5 show.