It is 2013. You’ve just downloaded Because the Internet. You get to track five. The beat drops—that thick, filtered bassline that feels like a humid Oakland night—and Donald Glover starts humming. It’s a moment. Honestly, Childish Gambino Telegraph Ave isn't just a song; it’s a time capsule of a very specific era where the lines between rap, R&B, and digital existentialism completely evaporated.
Most people call it "Telegraph Ave," but the full title is actually "Telegraph Ave ("Oakland" by Lloyd)." That’s important. It’s not just a stylistic choice. It’s a nod to the fact that the song literally samples a Lloyd track that didn't exist in the real world yet—Glover had Lloyd record a hook specifically to be sampled as if it were an old radio classic. It’s meta. It’s complicated. It’s very Donald Glover.
The Sound of Anxious Romance
The song starts with the sound of a car door closing and a radio being tuned. You hear the "Oakland" snippet. It feels tactile. Then, the real track kicks in. The production, handled by Glover and his long-time collaborator Ludwig Göransson (who, by the way, has since won Oscars for Oppenheimer and Black Panther), is lush. It’s got this driving, rhythmic pulse that mimics the feeling of cruising down a long stretch of road with way too much on your mind.
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You've probably felt that specific type of "driving to see someone you shouldn't" energy. That's the core of the song.
Glover’s vocals here are peak "Singing Gambino." He’s not trying to be the hardest rapper in the room; he’s vulnerable. He’s talking about the distance between Los Angeles and Oakland, but really, he’s talking about the emotional distance between two people who are trying to make something work in a world that’s constantly distracting them.
The lyrics are scattered with specific NorCal references. Mentioning the 1-0-1. Talking about the "Town." It gives the track a sense of place that most pop-rap lacks. It’s not generic. It’s grounded in the reality of a drive up the coast, even as the production feels like it’s floating in space.
That Music Video Ending (Wait, What?)
If you haven’t seen the music video for Childish Gambino Telegraph Ave in a while, go watch it. Now. It features Jhené Aiko—who was basically the MVP of 2013-2014 R&B—and it starts off as this beautiful, sun-drenched travelogue in Kauai. They’re eating fruit. They’re swimming. They’re looking adorable.
Then the ending happens.
It’s one of the biggest "left turns" in music video history. Just as they’re about to get hit by a car, Glover’s character transforms into this terrifying, multi-limbed alien creature. It’s jarring. It’s weird. But it fits the larger narrative of Because the Internet and the character of "The Boy." The idea is that no matter how human or relatable these moments feel, there is something inherently "other" or broken about the protagonist. He’s an alien in his own life.
The Lore of The Boy
To really understand why this song matters, you have to remember that it was part of a massive multimedia project. Glover released a 72-page screenplay to accompany the album. In the script, the scene for Telegraph Ave involves The Boy driving to see a girl he used to know, hoping that physical proximity will fix his internal emptiness.
Spoiler: It doesn't.
That’s the tragedy of the song. The music sounds hopeful—the "Oakland" hook is incredibly warm—but the lyrics are desperate. He’s pleading. "Don't fly away, my girl." He’s terrified of being alone, yet he’s driving toward a situation that he knows probably won't satisfy him.
Why the Production Still Holds Up
Ludwig Göransson’s influence cannot be overstated here. In 2013, most rappers were chasing "Trap Lord" sounds or minimal DJ Mustard beats. Childish Gambino Telegraph Ave went the opposite direction. It used:
- Layered Synths: They feel warm, almost analog, swirling around the listener.
- Live Percussion: The drums have a "thwack" to them that feels more like a 70s soul record than a programmed 808.
- The Lloyd Sample: Using a contemporary artist to fake a "classic" sound was a brilliant move that added a layer of nostalgia to a brand-new song.
The song is structurally weird, too. It doesn't follow a strict Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge format. It breathes. It has long instrumental passages where the bass just carries you. It feels like a journey.
The Cultural Impact and "The Aesthetic"
For a certain generation, this song defines the "Tumblr Era" of hip-hop. It was the peak of the "Sad Boy" movement, but before it became a meme. People were obsessed with the aesthetic of the video, the Hawaiian shirts, and the existential dread that Glover was selling.
But looking back, it’s more than just a vibe. It was a precursor to the "genre-less" music we see today. You can hear the DNA of Childish Gambino Telegraph Ave in artists like Steve Lacy, Tyler, The Creator’s later work, and even some of the more melodic moments from Kendrick Lamar. It proved that a rapper could be weird, melodic, and deeply cinematic all at once.
There’s a common misconception that Because the Internet was just a gimmick because of the screenplay. That’s wrong. The music stands on its own. If you strip away the alien ending and the 70 pages of dialogue, you’re still left with one of the best road-trip songs ever recorded.
How to Experience Telegraph Ave Today
If you’re revisiting this track or hearing it for the first time, don’t just play it on your phone speakers while you’re doing dishes. That’s a waste.
- Get in a car. This is non-negotiable.
- Wait for sunset. The lighting matters.
- Drive somewhere with no specific destination. 4. Listen to the transition. If you play the album in order, the way "Sober" or "The Party" leads into the mood of the middle section is vital.
The song deals with the "in-between" moments of life. The 15 minutes of silence between a fight and an apology. The long drive home after a party where you realized you didn't know anyone. It’s a song about the distance between who we are and who we want to be for the people we love.
Honestly, Childish Gambino Telegraph Ave is probably the most "human" moment on an album that was obsessed with the internet. It reminds us that even in a world of scripts and digital personas, the feeling of a steering wheel under your hands and a nervous knot in your stomach is as real as it gets.
Practical Next Steps for Fans
- Watch the "Clapping for the Wrong Reasons" short film: It serves as a prequel to the album and features the same house from the "Telegraph Ave" vibe.
- Analyze the Lyrics via Genius: Look for the specific references to "The Boy’s" father (played by Rick Ross in the video world). It adds a layer of "daddy issues" that makes the romantic desperation even more poignant.
- Listen to the Lloyd "Oakland" version: Try to find the clean version of the Lloyd sample to see how Göransson warped it into the final product. It’s a masterclass in sampling.