The music video was filmed in Los Angeles, California. "Call the Shots" was promoted through numerous live appearances, including a high-profile performance on The X Factor, and has since been performed on all of Girls Aloud's subsequent concert tours. The song, described as "an elegant electro-pop ballad," received positive reviews from most contemporary music critics. Music journalist, Peter Robinson, who runs the successful Popjustice describes the song as the "greatest pop song of the 21st century".
Described as "an elegant electro-pop ballad delivered with a restraint and maturity to rival groups of twice their age," the song juxtaposes guitar against an introduction and chorus heavy on synthesizer. The song is written in D major with a time signature in common time and a tempo of 126 beats per minute. The vocal range spans from B3 to B4. The chord progressions vary throughout the song, but include Bm, Gβ―m, G, Em, A, and D. The song follows verse-chorus form, which is rare for a Girls Aloud song to do.
The song's lyricist, Miranda Cooper, said that "Call the Shots" was actually "inspired by an article she read on something called (coincidentally) the Miranda Complex, named after the ambitious lawyer in Sex and the City, about how women are earning more than men and pushing ahead." The song's music was initially composed by Xenomania in 2005. The lyrics were written a year later during a songwriting session in Paris, France. "Call the Shots" was almost put forward as a single for Girls Aloud's 2006 greatest hits compilation The Sound of Girls Aloud, but the song was deemed "too downbeat, when a greatest hits single needs to be a celebration." Cheryl Cole told the Daily Star that the song is her favourite from Tangled Up, and that it "gives me goosebumps".
Call the Shots
Girls Aloud Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Must be something better, babe
All the names you called out of bed seem to fade
To sometime never planned
I won't cry for all the hunger in my heart, no
I won't cry because I've made it through this far
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
Out of the fire that burns inside me
A phoenix is rising
If you don't feel that you can love me
I won't shoot you down
I won't cry for all the hunger in my heart, no
I won't cry because I've stumbled through this far
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
I've seen life burn bright, I've seen it shimmer
They fade like starlight to a glimmer
I've seen life flow by, like a river
So full of twilight, dreams that glitter
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
The lyrics to Girls Aloud's song Call the Shots talk about the end of a relationship and the singer's refusal to succumb to the heartache caused by the breakup. The first two lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer seemingly having been disappointed before by someone. However, she is determined to move on and find something better, hence the line "Must be something better, babe".
The next lines speak of her former partner's attempts to control her and how little it matters to her. She refuses to cry for the pain in her heart, even though it is evident that she has been hurt before. There is a sense of empowerment in the song, with the singer suggesting that she has overcome many obstacles to get to where she is now, and that she will not be held back by anyone. The chorus is repetitive, with the phrase "Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me" repeated many times. The singer seems keen to emphasize that she is in control of her own destiny and no longer subject to the whims of others.
In the final verse, there is a reference to the "phoenix rising" from the ashes, suggesting that the singer has overcome whatever obstacles they have faced and come out stronger. She refuses to hold a grudge against their former partner, indicating that she has learned from the experience and is willing to move on. The final lines of the song speak of the beauty of life and the possibilities that exist for all of us, with the singer seemingly optimistic about the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Static tone on the phone I'll be breaking again
I am talking to you on the phone with a cold and distant tone, and I know that our relationship is breaking down.
Must be something better, babe
I know there must be something better out there for me, even if it means leaving you.
All the names you called out of bed seem to fade
The pet names and words of affection you used to say to me in bed are no longer meaningful or significant.
To sometime never planned
Our relationship was never planned to last forever, and now it seems like it will end soon.
I won't cry for all the hunger in my heart, no
I won't cry over the emptiness and longing I feel in my heart for something more, because it's not worth my tears.
I won't cry because I've made it through this far
I won't cry because I've already come so far in life and I know I can continue on without you.
Just coz you're raising the bet and call the shots now on me, ooh
Just because you are trying to take control of our relationship and make decisions without my input.
It really doesn't phase me how you spend your time, ooh-oooh
I don't care how you spend your time now that I know that our relationship is coming to an end.
Out of the fire that burns inside me
I am filled with a passionate and fierce energy that is driving me forward to something new.
A phoenix is rising
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I am emerging stronger and better than before.
If you don't feel that you can love me
If you don't feel that you can truly love and commit to me, then it's best to end things now.
I won't shoot you down
I won't judge or punish you for not being able to love me the way I need to be loved.
I won't cry for all the hunger in my heart, no
I won't cry over the emptiness and longing I feel in my heart for something more, because it's not worth my tears.
I won't cry because I've stumbled through this far
I won't cry because I've already gone through so many difficulties and challenges in life, and I know I can handle anything that comes my way.
I've seen life burn bright, I've seen it shimmer
I've experienced the highs and lows of life, and I know that everything can change in an instant.
They fade like starlight to a glimmer
The bright and shining moments of life can quickly fade away or become less significant.
I've seen life flow by, like a river
Life can sometimes feel like it is passing by quickly and without pause, like a river flowing swiftly downstream.
So full of twilight, dreams that glitter
Life can also be filled with beautiful and magical moments, like a dream at sunset that sparkles and shines.
Lyrics Β© Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN THOMAS HIGGINS, GISELLE ROBERTA SOMMERVILLE, LISA COWLING, MIRANDA ELEANOR DE FONBRUNE COOPER, TIMOTHY MARTIN POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheKingOfInappropriateComments
I've listened to this song for 12 years now and still haven't gotten tired of it. RIP Sarah Harding 5 Sept, 2021
@chrismiller6730
I love this song ,God rest her restless soul.
@bolazuli
for sure
@adawson001
Thanks for the morbid comment
@natureclips5849
Sarah had a classic vintage look like Dusty Springfield from 2007 onwards
@richmlvcable
i've seen life flow by like a river...π
@SuzyLuOfficial
I came here soon as I heard the news. I loved Sarah in this video & song. Gosh I feel awful, rest in peace beauty!
@beanstaIkjack
Me too. I don't watch tv so missed all the big brother stuff but even before her diagnosis when I saw some of it on YouTube, I was sad to see her like that, she seemed hurt by life, desperate, needy, unhappy. She was a total babe and that's how she should be remembered
@hannahmcburney1278
Same Sarah was a true inspiration alongside these girls #cancersucks
@olegsoben
RIP Sarah