Strehli sang with Austin-based bands including Fabulous Rockets, Angela & Lewis And The Sunnyland Special, and James Polk & the Brothers starting in 1966. In 1970, she teamed up with bluesman W.C. Clark in the Southern Feeling blues band. From 1971 until she left Austin, Strehli worked at Clifford Antone's blues club as a singer, stage manager, and booker, introducing new acts including Stevie Ray Vaughn. Vaughn returned the favor in 1985, bringing Strehli on stage to sing with him during his Carnegie Hall concert.
In 1987, Strehli released her first album, Soul Shake, with blues standards from Elmore James, J.B. Hutto and Eddie Taylor and Strehli's own compositions. In spite of a guest appearance on Austin City Limits and a tour with Doug Sahm, the album was not a big seller.
Strehli's best-know album is probably 1990's Dreams Come True, a collaboration with Austin contemporaries Marcia Ball and Lou Ann Barton as Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli & Lou Ann Barton.
Strehli left Austin in 1993, moving to California. Over the next five years, she released two more albums, Soul Shake (as Angela Strehli Band) and Deja Blue. She also made guest appearances on albums with Maria Muldaur and Pinetop Perkins.
In 2005, Strehli released Blue Highway, which featured guest appearances from Marcia Ball, Maria Muldaur and Paul Thon.
Strehli now devotes most of her time to running her Marin County restaurant, Rancho Nicasio, where she occasionally performs.
Telephone Blues
Angela Strehli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you get my baby on the line?
Hello operator
Please try to get my babay on the line
No I don't think I can hold on much longer
I'm afraid I'm goin' out of my mind
I'll tell you why
Chills were runnin' through my bones
Somethin' woke me up this morning baby
It felt just like chills were runnin' through my bones
It really hit me daddy
Am I gonna start every day of my life alone?
Talk to me baby
There I go Brian
Hello, hello operator
Can you get my baby on the line?
Hello operator
Please try to get my babay on the line
No I don't think I can hold on much longer
I'm afraid I'm going out of my mind
Oh no, I can't take it
I can't stand to see you ruin my life
Oh baby, I can't take it
I'm not just gonna stand by while I see you ruin my life
Don't you know I don't love no other man?
And I, I won't be no, no, nobody's wife
The lyrics of Angela Strehli's song "Telephone Blues" depict a desperate plea for connection and emotional support. The singer addresses the operator, requesting assistance in contacting her loved one. She emphasizes her need to reach her baby, expressing her urgency and fear of losing her grip on reality. The repetition of the phrase "Hello, operator" showcases her desperate attempts to establish a connection and find solace.
The singer then reflects on her current emotional state and the events that led to her distress. She reveals waking up with an overwhelming sense of coldness that seemed to penetrate her very being. These physical sensations serve as a metaphor for the emotional void and loneliness she experiences. She questions if she will continue waking up feeling this way, emphasizing the gravity of her loneliness. The use of the term "daddy" adds an intimate and personal tone to the lyrics, revealing the depth of her longing for companionship.
Returning to her plea to the operator, the singer reiterates her desperation, expressing her inability to endure the current situation any longer. The repetition highlights her sense of desperation and urgency. She confesses her fear of losing her sanity, indicating the toll that the absence of her loved one has taken on her mental well-being.
In the final paragraph, the singer confronts her loved one directly, asserting her own self-worth and refusal to accept a destructive relationship. She voices her dissatisfaction with the way her partner's actions are affecting her life, refusing to passively endure the pain they inflict. She emphasizes her commitment to herself and her own happiness, making it clear that she will not settle for being any man's wife if she is not genuinely loved.
Overall, "Telephone Blues" portrays the raw emotions of longing, desperation, and a quest for personal dignity and fulfillment. The lyrics capture the turmoil of a troubled relationship and the singer's plea for connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello operator
I am requesting the assistance of the telephone operator
Can you get my baby on the line?
Could you connect me with my beloved?
Please try to get my baby on the line
I implore you to make an effort to connect me with my beloved
No, I don't think I can hold on much longer
I am uncertain if I can endure for much more time
I'm afraid I'm goin' out of my mind
I am fearful that I am losing my sanity
I'll tell you why
Allow me to explain the reason behind my distress
I woke up this morning
At the start of the day, upon awakening from slumber
Chills were runnin' through my bones
An intense sensation of coldness pervaded my entire being
Somethin' woke me up this morning baby
I was aroused from sleep by an unknown occurrence, my dear
It felt just like chills were runnin' through my bones
The eerie feeling I experienced resembled a freezing sensation in my bones
It really hit me daddy
I was struck with a deep realization, oh father
Am I gonna start every day of my life alone?
Will I continue to commence each day in solitude?
Talk to me baby
Please engage in conversation with me, my love
There I go Brian
Here I am, my dear Brian
Hello, hello operator
Greetings again, dear telephone operator
Can you get my baby on the line?
Could you reconnect me with my beloved?
Hello operator
Once more, I request your assistance, telephone operator
Please try to get my baby on the line
I implore you to put me in contact with my beloved
No, I don't think I can hold on much longer
I do not believe I can persevere for an extended duration
I'm afraid I'm going out of my mind
I am consumed by the fear that my sanity is slipping away
Oh no, I can't take it
Oh no, I cannot endure this anymore
I can't stand to see you ruin my life
I am unable to witness you destroying my existence
Oh baby, I can't take it
Oh my love, I cannot bear this situation any longer
I'm not just gonna stand by while I see you ruin my life
I shall not passively observe as you devastate my existence
Don't you know I don't love no other man?
Are you aware that I do not hold affection for anyone else?
And I, I won't be no, no, nobody's wife
I have made up my mind not to be a wife to anyone, no one at all
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SAUL BIHARI, GEORGE A. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind