Wednesday 23 April 2008

Brrrrr, Brrrrr.... Brrrr, Brrrrr

Songs where the central theme is phones or the use thereof. Peripheral mentions of ringing someone up don't count.


  • 5.7.0.5. - City Boy. But there's no reply.
  • 634-5789 - Wilson Pickett, the Blues Brothers, Bon Jovi and (best of all, says Chris) Ry Cooder.
  • Babe - Take That.
  • Beechwood 4-5789 - The Marvelettes. You can call me up and have a date any old time - very obliging.
  • Call Me - Blondie. Appelle-moi, mon cherie.
  • Donna - 10 CC. Scores extra points for phone sound effects.
  • Hanging On The Telephone - Blondie.
  • Hello, This Is Joanie (The Telephone Answering Machine Song) - Paul Evans. Joanie just died in a car crash, but hey, at least we can still hear her voice on the answering machine.
  • I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder. Free key change with every chorus.
  • Is Vic There? - Department S
  • Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - In Deep.
  • Love It When You Call - The Feeling.
  • Memphis, Tennessee - Chuck Berry. Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee.
  • Midnight Moonlight - The Be Good Tanyas.
    "If you ever get lonesome / and you're down in San Antone / just beg, steal or borrow / two nickels or a dime / and call me on the phone."
  • Name And Number - Curiosity Killed The Cat
  • Nobody Home - Pink Floyd.
  • One Of The Boys - Mott The Hoople. Can't find the recording now, and the lyrics give nothing away, but I'm pretty sure this has something to do with phones.
  • Pennsylvania 65000 - Glenn Miller Band
  • Private Number - Judy Clay & William Bell. And several other songs of the same name.
  • Red Frame White Light - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. About an old-fashioned UK phone box.
  • Ring Ring - Abba. "The happiest sound of them all." Not in our house.
  • Ring Ring - Mika. "Is that you on the phone? / You think you're clever / But you're never saying nothing at all."
  • Sylvia's Mother - Dr Hook. And the operator said "40 cents more for the next three minutes..."
  • Talk To Me Baby - The Blues Band.
  • Telephone - Diana Ross
  • Telephone - Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé
  • Telephone Call from Istanbul - Tom Waits
  • Telephone Line - E.L.O. Let it ring for evermore.
  • Telephone Man - Meri Wilson. She got it in the kitchen, she got it in the hall...
  • Wanna See Your Telephone Bill - Telephone Bill and the Smooth Operators.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Telephone Call from Istanbul - Tom Waits

Telephone - Diana Ross

"if you ever get lonesome
and you're down in san antone
just beg, steal or borrow
two nickels or a dime
and call me on the phone" - from "Midnight Moonlight by the Be Good Tanyas

Unknown said...

"Wanna see your telephone bill" by Telephone Bill and the Smooth Operators

Unknown said...

634-5789 - done by Wilson Pickett, the Blues Brothers, Bon Jovi and (best of all) Ry Cooder

"All you got to do is pick up the telephone
And dial it (634-5789)
That's my number (634-5789)
Hey (634-5789)
That's my number (634-5789)
Oooh, hooo (634-5789)
I'm runnin' to ya baby, where I belong (634-5789)
Cause if you need me, want me, tell me that you love me (634-5789)
Anytime, anywhere, come on baby (634-5789)
Oooh hooo (634-5789)
(634-5789)
(634-5789)"
etc

Unknown said...

Curiously "634-5789" (is a totally different song from "Beechwood 4-5789" by the Marvelettes and different again from "Jenny (867-5309" by Tommy Tutone

Unknown said...

... but on the other hand "Jenny(867-5309)" is basically the same as "967-5309 - Jimmy" which is the gay version

Unknown said...

"He Knows You Know" by Marillion
ends with a telephone call - pretty sure we have Pink Floyd to thank for that.

Unknown said...

Ring Ring - Mika

You Won't See Me - Eels

Love It When You Call - The Feeling

Biffo said...

"Telephone in her car"- Weddings Parties Anything. Also scores points for trimphone ring tone.

Biffo said...

"Telephone in her car" by Wedding Parties Anything. Scores extra for Trimphone sound effects from the '70's

Biffo said...

"Party" by Christine Anu starts with a recorded phone message...'Message is get a haircut and a proper job'

Unknown said...

Hoe about "Der Telefon Anruf" by Kraftwerk

"We are sorry, Your international call cannot be completed as dialled
Please check the number and dial again
The number you have called is wrong
Please call information
Please check the number and dial again"
Perhaps the lyrics are better in German

Unknown said...

Having posted that one by the Be Good Tanyas how could I possibly have forgotten their song entitled "Broken Telephone."

I hope non-functioning telephones count since a lot on your list have some technical problem.

Unknown said...

Tears On The Telephone (Le Téléphone Pleure)- Claude Francois