Telefon Tel Aviv is a Los Angeles-based group formed in 1999 by Josh Eustis… Read Full Bio ↴Telefon Tel Aviv is a Los Angeles-based group formed in 1999 by Josh Eustis and the late Charlie Cooper, originally based in New Orleans, and then Chicago before Cooper's death. The two met in high school, but did not begin working on music together until after university studies. Since 1999, Josh and Charlie had been working to cultivate their sound, based largely in electronic music, but that also showed flourishes of classical, vintage soul, ambient drone, and noise, among other things. The group continues as a mostly solo project of Josh Eustis after Charlie Cooper's death in January 2009.

In early 2000, the duo collaborated with Danny Lohner, Trent Reznor, and Alan Moulder on several remixes for Nine Inch Nails's then-to-be-released remix EP, Things Falling Apart. Shortly thereafter, Telefon Tel Aviv resumed work on their debut LP, Fahrenheit Fair Enough, for Chicago's Hefty Records, while at the same time completing the original score for the film Newport South. In 2002, the duo paired with L'Altra's Lindsay Anderson to release an EP featuring the single, Sound In A Dark Room. Work on the sophomore LP, Map Of What Is Effortless, was completed in summer of 2003. On May 15th of 2007, a retrospective of their remix work for other artists was released on Hefty Records. Work on their third LP had been ongoing since late 2006 and wrapped up with the album Immolate Yourself's release on January 20th, 2009.

Over the past few years, together and separately, the duo completed production work for many other artists, including Marc Hellner/Pulseprogramming, L'Altra, The Album Leaf, Apparat, Belong, The Race, and others. They built a studio in Chicago to work on all of their projects.

Charlie Cooper passed away on Thursday 22nd January 2009, after taking an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Josh Eustis later posted a confirmation on the band's Myspace page and the Telefon Tel Aviv website still shows an epitaph for Cooper. Josh continues to play Telefon Tel Aviv songs live as a duo with close friend Fredo Nogueira, but has said that the future of the band as regards recording new material remains uncertain.

Following this, Joshua would release, (as Telefon Tel Aviv) Map of What Is Effortless (April 2014), (as Sons of Magdalene) Move to Pain (Recorded 2010, released June 2014), Ecumenicals (March 2015), (as Telefon Tel Aviv) Something Akin to Lust (May 2017) and Dreams Are Not Enough (September 2019). After Dreams Are Not Enough, Joshua would release For James, To Sleep to Bandcamp as a "name your price" single.

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At the Edge of the World You Will Still Float
Telefon Tel Aviv Lyrics

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How does it measure up?
Was I good enough?
I'll never know...

And if it's meant to be,
What will it mean to me?
I never want to know...

Always headstrong calling me home
There was a place I belonged.

And as I fill my cup
I wonder how I had enough
And I'm not sure...

What will be, will be
Not without some mystery
That I'm sure...

Always headstrong calling me home
There was a place I belonged

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Telefon Tel Aviv's song "At the Edge of the World You Will Still Float" convey a sense of insecurity and a fear of uncertainty, as the singer reflects on their own worth and the unknown future ahead. The line "How does it measure up, was I good enough? I'll never know..." highlights the doubt and hesitation that the singer is experiencing. They feel uncertain about their worth and whether they have done enough to achieve their goals or make an impact.

The song then turns to the theme of fate or destiny, with the line "And if it's meant to be, what will it mean to me? I never want to know..." suggesting a fear of the unknown and a resistance to accepting fate. This is coupled with the comforting image of being "always headstrong calling me home, there was a place I belonged". Despite the uncertainty and doubts, there is a sense of a guiding force or a sense of rootedness that prevails.

The final lines of the song further emphasize the idea of acceptance and the mystery of the future, with the singer acknowledging that "What will be, will be, not without some mystery, that I'm sure..." The lyrics convey a sense of introspection and a grappling with the complexities of life and the future, in a way that is both vulnerable and profound.

Line by Line Meaning

How does it measure up?
Did I succeed?

Was I good enough?
Did I meet the standard?

I'll never know...
There's no way to find out.

And if it's meant to be,
If it's supposed to happen,

What will it mean to me?
How will it affect me?

I never want to know...
I prefer not to find out.

Always headstrong calling me home
My determination pulls me towards my roots.

There was a place I belonged.
I had a place that felt like home.

And as I fill my cup
As I take in more experiences,

I wonder how I had enough
I question how I was able to handle it all.

And I'm not sure...
I don't have a clear answer.