Telephone
Britney Spears Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello
Hello, baby, you called
I can't hear a thing
I have got no service in the club you see, see

Wa-wa-what did you say?
Huh? You're breaking up on me
Sorry, I cannot hear you
I'm kinda busy

K-kinda busy
K-kinda busy
Sorry, I cannot hear you
I'm kinda busy

Just a second
It's my favorite song they're gonna play
And I cannot text you
With a drink in my hand, eh?

You shoulda made some plans with me
You knew that I was free
And now you won't stop calling me
I'm kinda busy

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna think anymore
I left my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna talk anymore
I left my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
Stop telephonin' me
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
I'm busy

Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
Stop telephonin' me
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh

Can call all you want but there's no one home
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone

Call when you want but there's no one home
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
Out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone

The way you blowin' up my phone
Won't make me leave no faster
Put my coat on faster, leave my girls no faster

I shoulda left my phone at home
'Cause this is a disaster
Callin' like a collector
Sorry, I cannot answer

Not that I don't like you
I'm just at a party
And I am sick and tired
Of my phone ri-ringing

Sometimes I feel like
I live in Grand Central Station
Tonight I'm not takin' no calls
'Cause I'll be dancin'

'Cause I'll be dancin'
'Cause I'll be dancin'
Tonight I'm not takin' no calls
'Cause I'll be dancin'

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna think anymore
I got my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna talk anymore
I got my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna think anymore
I got my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Stop callin', stop callin'
I don't wanna talk anymore
I got my head
And my heart on the dance floor

Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
Stop telephonin' me
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
I'm busy

Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
Stop telephonin' me
Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh

Can call all you want but there's no one home
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone

Call when you want, but there's no one home
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
My telephone, mi-mi-mi, my telephone

'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone
My telephone, mi-mi-mi, my telephone
'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
And you're not gonna reach my telephone

We're sorry, the number you have reached




Is not in service at this time
Please check the number or try your call again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Britney Spears's song Telephone is a message to a lover who keeps calling her. She is conveying that she is at a club and cannot hear him. The chorus clearly states that she does not want to talk to him and her heart and mind are lost in the music at the dance floor. She advises her lover that he will not be able to reach her even if he tries to call. She left her phone at home and is busy dancing with her friends. She is rejecting his calls and trying to enjoy her night out without being disturbed. The lyrics of the song lament the constant interruption of technology in our lives and the joy that can be derived from disconnecting and focusing solely on the present moment.


The song is essentially about being free and happy in the moment, leaving behind stress and distress and just unwinding, enjoying the music with friends. It encourages people to put their phones aside and connect with the people in front of them, to live life in the way it is meant to be lived, in the present. The lyrics of this song align with the overarching theme of the album in which it was released, Circus, focusing on the difficulties and pressures Spears faced in her life because of her celebrity status.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello, baby, you called
The singer is addressing someone who called her


I can't hear a thing
The singer cannot hear the person who called due to a bad phone signal at the club


I have got no service in the club you see, see
The singer is specifying the reason for not being able to communicate over the phone – the lack of cellular service in the club


Wa-wa-what did you say?
The artist is asking the caller to repeat his words because she cannot hear him


Huh? You're breaking up on me
The artist cannot understand the words because the caller's voice is breaking up


Sorry, I cannot hear you
The singer apologizes for being unable to hear the caller due to poor phone signal


I'm kinda busy
The singer is busy doing something else


K-kinda busy
The artist emphasizes that she is very busy


Just a second
The artist asks for a moment of time


It's my favorite song they're gonna play
The artist is excited that her favorite song is about to be played in the club


And I cannot text you
The singer says she cannot text the caller right now because she is holding a drink


With a drink in my hand, eh?
The artist implies that her hands are currently occupied, making it impossible to text


You shoulda made some plans with me
The singer is blaming the caller for not making advance plans to meet her


You knew that I was free
The singer implies that the caller already knew she was free and should have made plans accordingly


And now you won't stop calling me
The singer is frustrated with the caller who keeps calling her despite her inability to answer


Stop callin', stop callin'
The artist is asking the caller to stop calling her


I left my head
The artist is not thinking too hard at the moment


And my heart on the dance floor
The singer is enjoying herself dancing


Can call all you want but there's no one home
Nobody will pick up if the caller keeps calling


And you're not gonna reach my telephone
The artist’s telephone is not in a reachable position


'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
The artist is in the club partying and drinking champagne


The way you blowin' up my phone
The caller is being very persistent


Won't make me leave no faster
The caller’s persistent calls are not making her leave the club any faster


Put my coat on faster, leave my girls no faster
The artist is trying to imply that the caller’s constant calls wouldn’t make her leave the club any sooner and rush her out of the door


I shoulda left my phone at home
The singer regrets not leaving her phone at home to avoid the caller's unwanted calls


'Cause this is a disaster
The singer is saying the situation, where the caller keeps calling is a disaster


Callin' like a collector
The singer is comparing the caller to someone who can’t take no for an answer


Sorry, I cannot answer
The artist apologizes to the caller for not being able to answer


Not that I don't like you
The artist is trying to make it clear that she likes the caller


I'm just at a party
The singer is just attending a party


And I am sick and tired
The singer is annoyed and has had enough of the constant calls


Of my phone ri-ringing
The artist is exhausted by the ringing of her phone because of the calls


Sometimes I feel like
The artist expresses her feeling of being constantly disturbed by the caller


I live in Grand Central Station
The artist sarcastically compares her situation to that of someone living in Grand Central Station – a busy railroad terminal in New York City


'Cause I'll be dancin'
The singer implies that she is going to dance and not answer any more calls


Stop callin', stop callin'
The artist is asking the caller to stop calling her


I got my head
The singer emphasizes that she now has her head in the party mood


And my heart on the dance floor
The singer emphasizes that all her focus is now on the party


'Cause I'm out in the club and I'm sippin' that bub'
The singer implies that she's partying and sipping champagne in the club, away from the caller's reach


Please check the number or try your call again
The artist is informing the caller that his call is unable to connect and is asking him to try again or check the number




Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

SummerDiamandis

The way her vocals are processed is giving me Radar / Blackout era vibes. It would have fit perfectly on that album

Gerardo O

It’s not mixed and mastered so it sounds like this cause it’s unfinished unfortunately but this would’ve obviously been a bop either way

bhae Yotch

rightttt

luukassl

your profile picture :D :D ahhh, you're doing great, Kim

Hat pal

sadly its on circus era

ben wiggins

do people forget that Gaga actually wrote the song for britney, and it just didnt reach the final stages of completion??? Britney is amazing and shes been around for over 10 yrs!!! so clearly shes been doing something right :D <3 <3

Niko Passi

20 years now Lmaoo

Emir çan

Now 20 years...........

Ballaz

Still the GOAT

Raphaël

11y ago omg

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