Over the past two years, the duo have expanded the concept as they continue to churn out instantly addictive and massively charming covers, create genre-bashing mixtapes and perform their non-stop whirlwind live show on stages across the world. To promote the release of their self titled EP on Fool's Gold in Winter '10, Telephoned compiled a mix modeled in the tradition of rap street tapes. On "Off The Hook" Bananas selects recognizable instrumentals from dance and hip-hop while Horn sings other songs on top of them, a combination the group christen the "cover-up".
Telephoned's energetic, mixtape-dance-party of a live show got the attention of prestigious website Pitchfork, who called their performance in Austin,TX "the most fun thing at SXSW." Electro-revivalists Chromeo caught wind of the act, inviting the duo to join them on their "Business Casual" tour this August, making stops in over 20 cities while performing to packed venues across the US and Canada. Bananas and Horn released their second mixtape "Keep Their Heads Ringin" just before hitting the road, and reveled in handing CDs out for free to fans after performing each night.
The pair are poised to further expand the scope of Telephoned with their forthcoming 7" and digital release on Scion A/V in late November. "Hold Me" is the first entirely original song born out of the collaboration, but their mission statement hasn't changed considering the fact they chose to cover themselves for the b-side of the record, "Telephoning" the original uptempo funky track into a smoothed out alt-country tune. Telephoned survives off of transforming and mutating songs through their own lens, and thats the only rule to play the game.
One Thing
Telephoned Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to keep my eyes closed
Trying to keep it just like before
Times we never even know how to speak
Don't wanna tell you what it is
Oh, we found so serious
Got me thinking just too much
I wanna settle
[Chorus]
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
This one thing that's how it made me feel
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
This one thing and I was so with it
It's just one thing you did, whoa
Hey, we don't know each other well
So why do I keep picking up myself
Memories just keep bringing bells
Ding dong, ding dong, ding
Your voices I don't wanna understand
My car keys are jiggling in my hand
My high heels are click and touch your toes
Ding dong, ding dong, ding
[Chorus] x 2
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
This one thing that's how it made me feel
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
This one thing and I was so with it
It's just one thing you did, whoa.
The song "One Thing" by Telephoned seems to be about someone trying to move on from a past relationship, but struggling to do so because of a specific action done by the other person. The opening lines suggest that the singer is trying to let go of something and keep their eyes closed to what's happening around them. The second and third lines suggest that they're trying to maintain the status quo and keep things the way they were before, even though they acknowledge that they never knew how to speak about certain things.
The chorus reveals that the one thing that's causing the singer to struggle is something that the other person did that made them feel something intense. This one thing is described as "tripping" the singer, which suggests that it's knocking them off balance and causing them to stumble emotionally. Despite this, the singer was "so with it" when the action was happening and enjoyed it, but now it's causing them to feel conflicted.
The second verse introduces a sense of confusion and uncertainty about the relationship. The singer doesn't know the other person very well, but memories keep bringing up emotions and making them feel like they should be paying attention to every little detail, like the sound of car keys jiggling in their hand or high heels clicking and touching toes. The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing the power of this one thing to affect the singer's emotions and make them feel like they're losing control.
Overall, "One Thing" by Telephoned is a relatable song about the struggle to move on from a relationship and the power that one action can have to keep us stuck in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh trying to let it go
I am attempting to release my thoughts and feelings related to a certain situation
Trying to keep my eyes closed
I am struggling to avoid confronting the situation head-on by consciously not acknowledging it.
Trying to keep it just like before
I want things to go back to how they were before this situation arose.
Times we never even know how to speak
Sometimes there are moments that are difficult to communicate or talk about.
Don't wanna tell you what it is
I do not want to disclose the specifics of the situation to you.
Oh, we found so serious
Our relationship has taken a serious turn and things are more complicated now.
Got me thinking just too much
This situation has started to consume my thoughts more than I would like.
I wanna settle
I would like to find a resolution to this situation and put it to rest.
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
There is one particular aspect of this situation that is causing me emotional turmoil.
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
This emotional turmoil is the result of something that you did.
This one thing that's how it made me feel
The thing that you did has caused me to feel this way.
Hey, we don't know each other well
We are not well-acquainted with each other.
So why do I keep picking up myself
Despite not having a deep connection, I find myself being drawn to you and wanting to be around you.
Memories just keep bringing bells
Memories of you keep resonating within me and causing me to think about you.
Ding dong, ding dong, ding
This repetition symbolizes the persistent nature of these memories and feelings.
Your voices I don't wanna understand
I am trying to resist being drawn in by your words.
My car keys are jiggling in my hand
I am feeling nervous and fidgety in your presence.
My high heels are click and touch your toes
I am feeling self-conscious and anxious in your presence.
But it's just one thing that got me tripping
The same aspect of this situation is still causing me emotional turmoil.
It's this one thing that got me tripping, you did
Your actions have been a major contributor to my current emotional state.
This one thing and I was so with it
Prior to this situation, I was fully committed and invested in our relationship.
It's just one thing you did, whoa
Despite everything, the root cause of my emotional turmoil can be traced back to a single action on your part.
Contributed by Alice B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brandon
Clammy clams! Got me feelin righteous