Hello Operator (single)

From Stripespedia

The cover for the Hello Operator single, with Meg White next to her trademark peppermint bass drum.

Hello Operator is a song by The White Stripes. It can be heard on their second album, De Stijl. It was released as a single in May 2000 on the independent label Sympathy for the Record Industry.

Contents

Track Listing

7"

  • 1. "Hello Operator" (White/White)
  • 2. "Jolene" (Dolly Parton)

Band Quotes

  • Jack White : "That's the kind of thing I care about, like [Hello Operator] from our second album--that's a phone company finger-pointing song. I hate the rip-off company. I know everyone has to have a job, everyone has to work and get a paycheck to keep everything going, but it's pathetic that the better mouse trap doesn't win out."

Facts

  • John Peel listed Hello Operator as his single of the week, even though the single wasn't released in the UK.
  • The Kleptones sampled this on their album 24 Hours.
  • The drums solo's may be a musical illustration of the hospital clock ticking when someone's waiting for the operation results.

Lyrics


hello operator
can you give me number nine?
can I see you later?
will you give me back my dime?
turn the oscillator
twist it with the dollar bill
mail man bring the paper
leave it on my window sill

find a canary
a bird to bring my message home
carry my obituary
my coffin doesn't have a phone
how you gonna get the money?
send papers to an empty home?
how you gonna get the money?
nobody to answer the phone

External links

Personal tools