Songs (and more) About Calling and Writing

[DMAFl]

Once upon a time, we grabbed our phone's receiver when we wanted to dial out or answer a call.  We pulled out a pen and paper to write a letter and we couldn't wait to get cards and letters from far away friends and loved ones.  Now having a "landline" is becoming more of a punchline and a lot of people think that Palmer penmanship is something to be shunned.  Running out of postage stamps used to be a real problem (remember?), now a small quantity of Forever stamps might last us a very long time.

No doubt that our smartphones are almost as important to us as food, shelter, and clothing.  They do it all. When my phone battery gets too  low, and must be charged, I start experiencing separation anxiiety.  And it is hard to imagine living without emails, texting, social media, etc..  

But once those old phones and letters were all over the place in popular music once. Those old songs would never be the same if they used "today's" communications.  "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is kind of a sweet upbeat old song.   Not nearly as endearing if it involved a docusigned (signed!) private message (sealed!) with a read receipt (delivered!)

So:  Songs About Telephones, Phone Calls, and Written Communications

and if you'd like to contemplate how those songs might be different today (and so bad) it would be fun to see those comments)

[DarcyFarrow]

Hanging on the Telephone (Blondie)

[DarcyFarrow]

Long Distance Operator (Dylan)

[JohnD131536]

Why Don't You Write Me - the Jacks

[DarcyFarrow]

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (Police):

"I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way"

[DarcyFarrow]

Big Lie Small World (Sting)  

"I sat down and wrote this letter"

[DarcyFarrow]

Take the Last Train to Clarksville (Monkees)--the song is a phone call

[JohnD131536]

You Didn't Answer My Letter - the Initials

[DarcyFarrow]

Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen)

the entire song is a letter

[JohnD131536]

I Could Write A Book - the Chants

[DarcyFarrow]

Letter to Jon (Janis Ian)

[DarcyFarrow]

Telephone Call (Stevie Nicks)

[DarcyFarrow]

Burn All the Letters (Indigo Girls)

[DarcyFarrow]

Letter to Home (Glen Campbell)

[JohnD131536]

I Wrote A Letter- the Serenaders

[DarcyFarrow]

An Open Letter to NYC (Beastie Boys)

[JohnD131536]

The Letter - the Medallions

[MaVolta]

Eye Of The Storm  -  Scorpions

I'm on my way home, on my way home
Yesterday seems long ago, so long ago
I'm on my way home, sending postcards home
And greetings from the eye of the storm

[JohnD131536]

Operator - Jim Croce

[DarcyFarrow]

Letter to You (Springsteen)

[MaVolta]

Always Somewhere  -  Scorpions

Arrive at seven the place feels good
No time to call you today
Encores till eleven then Chinese food
Back to the hotel again

I call your number the line ain't free
I like to tell you come to me
A night without you seems like a lost dream
Love I can't tell you how I feel

[DarcyFarrow]

“One Call Away”—Charlie Puth

[DarcyFarrow]

Don't Call on Me (Monkees)

[DarcyFarrow]

Don't Pick Up the Phone (Kim Carnes)

[BobH07]

London Calling:  Clash

[BobH07]

Telephone Line:  ELO

[BobH07]

Long Distance Runaround:  Yes

[BobH07]

Call Me:  Blondie

[BobH07]

Hold The Line:  Toto

[BobH07]

The Letter:  Box Tops

                      Joe Cocker

[BobH07]

The Book Of Love:   Monotones