They followed up with an ultra-slow cover of "Rock Around the Clock", a hilariously relaxed and dispassionate version of one-hit-wonder Plastic Bertrand's punk song "Ça Plane Pour Moi", and a perversely mechanical cover of "Dance to the Music", originally by Sly Stone.
Like Kraftwerk, Telex built their music entirely from electronic instruments, and the sounds of the two groups have a certain similarity. However, unlike Kraftwerk's studied Teutonic irony, Telex favour a more joyously irreverent humour.
Their debut album, "Looking for Saint Tropez", featured the worldwide hit single "Moskow Diskow", one of the first ever electronic dance/pop songs.
In 1980 Telex's manager asked them to enter for the Eurovision Song Contest. They entered, and were eventually sent to the finals, although they apparently hoped to come last: "We had hoped to finish last, but Portugal decided otherwise. We got ten points from them and finished on the 19th spot." (Marc Moulin)
Their song "Euro-Vision" was a cheerful bleepy song with deliberately banal lyrics about the contest itself.
The Eurovision audience seemed unsure how to react to the performance, and after the band stopped playing there was mostly stunned silence, with scattered polite applause; Michel Moers took a photograph of the bewildered audience. A mark of the confusion caused by the performance was when vote-counting began, and Greece awarded Belgium three points, the announcer thought she had misheard and tried to award the points to The Netherlands.
All of this was clearly bad news for the band's English record label, Virgin Records, who were trying to pass them off as part of the New Romantic movement. The self-mockery of tracks like "We Are All Getting Old" didn't help either.
For their third album, Sex, Telex enlisted the suddenly hip US group Sparks to help write the lyrics. However, the band still refused to play live and preferred to remain anonymous — common practice in the techno music artists they later inspired, but unusual in 1981. The fourth Telex album, Wonderful World, was barely distributed.
In 1986, Atlantic Records, perhaps surprisingly, signed Telex and released Looney Tunes. By then, the band's earlier sound had influenced many other groups, but they had abandoned it in favor of sampling and a more up-tempo humorous style. "Temporary Chicken", for example, was a strange joke track about a man so desperate for work that he accepts a part time job in a chicken costume.
In 1989, Telex revisited all of their old tracks and remixed them to resemble the house music and other genres that had followed in the wake of Telex and others' early pioneering work in electronic pop. The result was Les Rhythmes Automatiques, which apparently inspired Kraftwerk to do the same for their album The Mix in 1991.
After almost two decades of silence, Telex made a come-back in March 2006 with How Do You Dance on EMI. It comprised five original compositions as well as five covers. Their last release, as of 2006, is a cover of "On the Road Again", originally by Canned Heat. They also began producing remixes for other artists' single releases, including "A Pain that I'm Used To" by Depeche Mode and "Minimal" by the Pet Shop Boys.
There are other artists ith the same name:
2. A Turkish Heavy Metal band from Istanbul.
3. Telex is also a Czech oldschool punk band from Strakonice. They were one of the first bands playing punkrock in former Czechoslovakia. Their songs such as Skateboardova Ruzena show (in late 80s in eastern Europe!) a strong hardcore influence as well. The band never became a commercial or a major label band, so their fan audience is still very strong and they are one of the most respected rare punk bands in CZ.
It Could Happen to You
Telex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see these new things all around
Falling in a squeeze
I feel my steps above the ground
I don′t care
I think I fall in love
Now's the time
Now it′s time to go
It's a dream, it's a dream
Nothing but a dream
It could happen to you as it happened to me
It could happen to you as it happened to me
Say it isn′t so
Phone ringing, I can′t sleep no more
Traffic lights turn red
I'm stuck with just train
Out of bread
No, it is, it′s falling from the sky
Catch a cold, I know I shouldn't mind
No I′m sure
It's a dream, it′s a dream
Nothing but a dream
It's a dream, it's a dream
Nothing but a dream
It could happen to you
It might happen to you
It should happen to you
Today no newspapers
No hairdressers, it′s Monday
My bed′s sunk in the ground
The elevator is broken down
I don't care
I think I fall in love
So pinch me
It′s a dream, it's a dream
Nothing but a dream
It′s a dream, it's a dream, just a dream
Nothing but a dream
It′s a dream
It could happen to you as it happened to me
It could happen to you
It will happen to you
It could happen to you as it happened to me
It could happen to you
It will happen to you
The lyrics of Telex's song "It Could Happen To You" depict a surreal and dreamlike experience. The singer is wandering the streets, observing the world around them and feeling a sense of detachment. They express falling in love and wanting to leave the town, emphasizing the notion of seizing the present moment. The chorus phrase "It's a dream, it's a dream, nothing but a dream" reflects the surreal quality of the singer's experiences. The lyrics further convey a feeling of uncertainty and unpredictability, with lines like "Say it isn't so" and references to phone ringing, insomnia, and being stuck in a mundane routine.
The song suggests that unexpected events can occur to anyone, as symbolized by the line "It could happen to you as it happened to me." The singer acknowledges the possibility of both positive and negative occurrences in life. They seem to embrace the idea that life is full of surprises and urges the listener to be open to the unexpected, emphasizing phrases like "It might happen to you" and "It should happen to you." The lyrics create an atmosphere of ambiguity, blurring the line between reality and dreams, and leaving the interpretation open to the listener's perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking in the streets
Navigating through life and observing the world
I see these new things all around
Encountering unfamiliar experiences and changes
Falling in a squeeze
Feeling overwhelmed and trapped
I feel my steps above the ground
Experiencing a sense of excitement and liberation
I don't care
Being indifferent to external opinions and judgments
I think I fall in love
Embracing the feeling of being in love
Now's the time
The present moment is opportune
Now we should leave this town
It is time to embark on a new journey away from the current surroundings
Now it's time to go
The moment has arrived to move forward
It's a dream, it's a dream
Referring to the unpredictable nature of life
Nothing but a dream
Acknowledging that everything is subject to change and uncertainty
It could happen to you as it happened to me
Indicating that unexpected events can occur to anyone, just as they have happened to oneself
Say it isn't so
Expressing disbelief and hoping for a contradiction
Phone ringing, I can't sleep no more
Being restless due to the constant interruption of phone calls
Traffic lights turn red
Encountering obstacles and delays
I'm stuck with just a train
Being trapped in a limited situation with few options
Out of bread
Lacking basic necessities
No, it is, it's falling from the sky
Admitting that unexpected occurrences are indeed happening
Catch a cold, I know I shouldn't mind
Contracting an illness and realizing it should not be a cause for concern
No I'm sure
Feeling confident and certain
Today no newspapers
The absence of usual sources of information and news
No hairdressers, it's Monday
Lacking access to services and providers due to specific circumstances
My bed's sunk in the ground
Feeling weighed down and unsettled
The elevator is broken down
Encountering technical failures and limitations
So pinch me
Desiring confirmation and reassurance
It could happen to you
Implying that unexpected events can occur to anyone
It might happen to you
Indicating the potential occurrence of unforeseen circumstances
It should happen to you
Expressing the belief or expectation that unexpected events will come your way
It will happen to you
Asserting the inevitability of unexpected events in one's life
Writer(s): Marc Moulin, Telex
Contributed by Emily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stevelennon2388
Love it!.🧡
@AdventuresWithRandR
Superb
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
🎧▶🎶👾