Holloway did not fit the Motown mold well. She lived in Los Angeles, not Detroit. She also had a grittier edge than the typical polished Motown performer, and wrote songs as well as sang them, which was unprecedented for a female Motown artist. Brenda Hollowy inspired many pop artists, including The Beatles who asked her to perform as the opening act on their 1965 tour of the U.S. She was the only female to open for them.
Operator
Brenda Holloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Operator, operator, I'm so glad that you found me home
I can hear my long gone lover
I've waited such a long long time
So please, operator
Put him on the line, I want him on the line
I want him on the line
Operator, operator, there is static in my line
Did he say that his love was true?
Did he say that his love was mine?
Did he say he was coming home?
Did he say where he has been?
I can't hear a word he's saying
If you keep buttin' in, you keep buttin' in
You keep buttin' in
I wanna know if he's comin' home again
It shouldn't take this much time
To clear my line, to ease my mind
Oh operator, please get straight
It's unfair to make me wait any longer
My curiosity is stronger
Don't you know that it's wrong, oh so wrong
Operator, operator, this is very strange
What is the holdup here? Doesn't he have the change?
Oh please operator, if he don't have another dime
Reverse the charge to me
Put him on the line, I want him on the line
I want him on the line
I wanna talk to that long gone lover of mine
I didn't expect him, please connect him right way
I beg of you to put him through without delay
The lyrics of Brenda Holloway's song "Operator" tell the story of a woman longing to speak to her long-gone lover. The song is filled with emotions of hope, anxiety, and frustration. The singer is grateful to the operator for finding her home and connecting her to her lover. She wants to hear his voice and know whether he still loves her or not. Despite the static in her line and the operator butting in, she persists in trying to connect to her lover. Her curiosity is stronger, and she cannot wait any longer to hear from him. She pleads with the operator to get things straight and connect her to him. Finally, she urges the operator to reverse the charges to her if her lover is out of change, so she can talk to him.
The lyrics of the song show the power of communication, and how it can help people connect and share their feelings. The singer's emotions are raw, and she is hopeful that she will get to talk to her lover after waiting for so long. However, the song also highlights the barriers to communication, such as static in the line and interference from others. The song is a classic example of soul music, with its powerful vocals and rich instrumentation.
Line by Line Meaning
Operator, operator, I'm so glad that you rang my phone
I am excited that you called me
Operator, operator, I'm so glad that you found me home
I am happy that you reached me at home
I can hear my long gone lover
I can hear my ex-boyfriend
I've waited such a long long time
I have been waiting for a long time to hear from him
So please, operator
Please help me connect with him
Put him on the line, I want him on the line
Please connect me with him, I want to talk to him
I wanna talk to that long gone lover of mine
I want to talk to my ex-boyfriend
Operator, operator, there is static in my line
There is interference in the phone line
Did he say that his love was true?
Did he assure me that his love was genuine?
Did he say that his love was mine?
Did he tell me that he loves me?
Did he say he was coming home?
Did he tell me that he is returning home?
Did he say where he has been?
Did he tell me where he has been?
I can't hear a word he's saying
I cannot understand what he is saying due to interference
If you keep buttin' in, you keep buttin' in
If you keep interrupting, I cannot understand him
I wanna know if he's comin' home again
I want to know if he is returning home
It shouldn't take this much time
Connecting should not take this long
To clear my line, to ease my mind
To get rid of interference and assure me that he is okay
Oh operator, please get straight
Please help me connect without interruption
It's unfair to make me wait any longer
It's not right to keep me waiting for so long
My curiosity is stronger
I am really curious to talk to him
Don't you know that it's wrong, oh so wrong
Don't you realize this situation is not right?
Operator, operator, this is very strange
This situation is unusual
What is the holdup here? Doesn't he have the change?
What is causing the delay? Does he not have enough money?
Oh please operator, if he don't have another dime
If he doesn't have more money, let me pay for the call
Reverse the charge to me
Put the charges on my phone bill instead of his
I didn't expect him, please connect him right way
I was not expecting his call, so please connect us without delay
I beg of you to put him through without delay
I am begging you to help me connect with him immediately
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Montrey
I like Brenda's adult take vs Mary's teen take. I really love them both equally because of their different singing styles. Brenda's runs were soothing like fine wine and Mary's husky chopped runs were something special.
Thomas Chavis
Simply brilliant! Brenda's singing, the musical arrangement, even the backgound vocals are cool. This is Motown at its very best.
dvlaries
This is Smokey Robinson at his most lyrically clever and endearing, his storyteller getting increasingly exasperated and panicked with a bad phone connection and a seemingly incompetent operator. To my 11 year old ears in 1965, the song was irresistible and still is. Improving on the Mary Wells take of the song in 1962, Holloway adds a delicious and unmistakable layer of sophisitication to this musical gemstone.
Michael fayers
what a singer, what a song, Motowns finest vocalist
U.J, Kamar
I first heard this song on the "Mary Wells Recorded Live on Stage" album and, though, Brenda Holloway's version is respectable, the interchange between Mary Wells and her backing group, the Love-Tones, whether on the studio or live version is unmatchable.
Armand Alegg
I couldn't turn on a radio in the summer of 1965 without hearing this track. I thought it was a big hit, but I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've heard it since. Still a terrific tune!
Allan Avery
A great production by a very talented lady with a golden voice !!
fatboygregory
this is one of my most favourite songs of all time...pure class
fametypebeat
Her voice is so clean,
joseph peden
Really like the way she gets insistent about it, so touching,strong, and genuine