Yello was originally formed by Boris Blank and Carlos Perón in the late 1970s. Dieter Meier, a millionaire playboy with a very versatile career, was brought in when the two founders realised that they needed a singer. Meier and Blank joined forces in 1979 to release a single called I.T. Splash. The LP Solid Pleasure, featuring the hit dance single Bostich, was released the following year. It wasn't until 1983 that Yello received substantial media attention, with the release of I Love You and Lost Again. Peron left the band in 1983 to start a solo career.
Yello takes great pride in their original sound, which is mainly characterised by weird samples, a heavy reliance on rhythm and Dieter Meier's dark voice. Every track on a Yello album has been created by the band from scratch.
Sounds have been created using synths, samplers and effects by Boris Blank.
Yello rarely uses samples from previously released music; nearly every instrument has been sampled and engineered by Boris Blank, who over the years has built up an original sample library of over 100,000 named and categorized sounds.
The music is composed by Boris Blank, who considers himself a percussionist. When the tracks are mostly finished, Dieter Meier adds the vocal parts when fitting.
Unreal
Yello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With power that's pressure
The fortune to be made
Here I'm laid back at ease
I'm ready to please
Yes fate is my horizon
When time doesn't matter
I will find my way
The questions are answered
When you've been touched
When you've been touched by love
Touched by love
Touched by love
When you've been touched by love
I'm going through the heaven of love
And the hell of doubt
The brightest of light
And darkest cloud
You're close to me and far away
Time is passing slowly
I hear my voice
As if somebody else were speaking
I see you like in a mirror
Unreal
Unreal
Deep down inside
I open what is there
On images clear
I found what I had lost
I'm ready to please
Fate is my horizon
When times are doesn't matter
I will find my way
To the gods up above
The questions are answered
When you've been touched
When you've been touched by love
When you've been touched by love
Touched by love
When you've been touched by love
Touched by love
When you've been touched by love
In Yello's song Unreal, the singer seems to be expressing a feeling of weightlessness, both physically and emotionally. The power they feel is a pressure within themselves that motivates them to achieve great things and make their fortune. They feel laid-back and at ease, ready to please and take on anything. They see fate as their horizon and time doesn't matter as they journey through life. They are on a mission to find their way to the "gods up above" and find the answers they seek. But they know that the real answer lies in being "touched by love," and when they are, all their questions are answered.
The second half of the song is a bit more chaotic, with the singer seemingly going through a range of emotions and experiences. They describe going through both heaven and hell as they navigate love and doubt. They see both the brightest light and the darkest cloud in life. The person they are close to is both near and far at the same time, and time seems to be passing slowly. The singer even feels as if they are alienated from themselves, hearing their own voice as if it were someone else's. They see their loved one "like in a mirror," making them feel as though everything is "unreal."
Overall, the song seems to be about a journey towards finding oneself and one's purpose in the world. The singer is seeking answers to life's big questions, and they believe that finding love is the key to this. However, the journey is not an easy one, and the singer experiences both highs and lows along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feeling no weight
I'm unburdened by the weight of worry.
With power that's pressure
I have power, but it also comes with pressure.
The fortune to be made
I have the opportunity to make a fortune.
Here I'm laid back at ease
In my current position, I am relaxed and comfortable.
I'm ready to please
I am willing and able to make others happy.
Yes fate is my horizon
I believe in fate guiding me towards the future.
When time doesn't matter
Sometimes time is not a factor in achieving my goals.
I will find my way
I am determined to succeed.
To the gods up above
I will reach the highest levels of success.
The questions are answered
My questions are answered.
When you've been touched
When you've experienced.
When you've been touched by love
When you've experienced true love.
I'm going through the heaven of love
I'm experiencing great love.
And the hell of doubt
But sometimes I have doubts and struggles.
The brightest of light
Sometimes my happiness is at its highest.
And darkest cloud
But sometimes I experience sadness and disappointment.
You're close to me and far away
I have conflicting feelings about the closeness of a loved one.
Time is passing slowly
Time seems to drag on.
I hear my voice
I listen to my inner thoughts.
As if somebody else were speaking
It feels like someone else is speaking through me.
I see you like in a mirror
I see a reflection of you.
Unreal
It feels surreal and hard to believe.
Deep down inside
In my innermost thoughts.
I open what is there
I explore my true emotions.
On images clear
I am confronted with vivid images.
I found what I had lost
I rediscover something that was once lost to me.
When you've been touched by love
Once you experience true love.
Touched by love
The experience of true love.
When you've been touched by love
Once you experience true love.
Touched by love
The experience of true love.
When you've been touched by love
Once you experience true love.
Contributed by Sadie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.