Heatmiser was an alternative rock band that originated in Portland, Oregon … Read Full Bio ↴Heatmiser was an alternative rock band that originated in Portland, Oregon in 1992. Consisting of Elliott Smith (guitar and vocals), Neil Gust (guitar and vocals), Brandt Peterson (bass; later to be replaced by Sam Coomes, frontman of Quasi), and Tony Lash (drums), they were known for their well-crafted lyrics and songs featuring melancholic and cheery words and melodies. The pop-oriented songs of Elliott Smith were a contrast to the darker songs of Gust, while both Smith and Gust's songs touched on subjects such as anger, alienation, loneliness and despair.

The band broke up in the fall of 1996 after Smith's solo work began gaining popularity. Gust went on to play in the band No. 2. Coomes carried on as half of Quasi, as well as playing as a guest musician for Built to Spill and Sleater-Kinney. Lash currently keeps himself busy as a producer. He helped with the production of Death Cab for Cutie's first two studio albums (Something About Airplanes and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes).

Collect to NYC
Heatmiser Lyrics

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You're a silence on the phone
Yo're a song with just one fucking note
And I'm clued-out cole
Like an off-color joke
When I call collect to NYC
Everybody learns eventually
To go hang it up
You go hang it up

It's really really easy

Yeah, I put your letter down
But this graffiti finds it's way around
I want to talk
Why you want to stop?
It's impossible for me

So here's my trick: when I hear your "hello"
I know I'm listening to alcohol
Oh, I'm drunk on a call

I heard you found some other guy
Some high note you thought I couldn't hit

But I never tried
No, I never did

Overall Meaning

The song "Collect to NYC" by Heatmiser is a heart-wrenching ballad that portrays the feelings of a protagonist who is trying to connect with his lover who is in New York City. The song highlights the frustration and desperation felt by the singer as he tries to get in touch with his lover through a collect call. The opening lines of the song, "You're a silence on the phone, You're a song with just one fucking note" perfectly expresses the singer's despair as he keeps trying to connect with his lover.

Throughout the song, the singer tries to make his lover understand how much he needs her, and how much he wants to communicate with her. He feels like he's being ignored and abandoned, and this feeling is portrayed in the lyrics, "When I call collect to NYC, Everybody learns eventually, To go hang it up, You go hang it up, It's really really easy". The desperation to communicate and to be heard is palpable and is represented through the references to graffiti on the wall, and how he is trying to trick his partner into speaking with him.

The song is a moving portrayal of the challenges that can come with long-distance relationships and how hard it can be to make a real connection with someone. The desperation, longing, and ultimately the defeat of the singer is highlighted in the haunting melody and the piercing lyrics that bring the listener close to the emotions that the singer is feeling.

Line by Line Meaning

You're a silence on the phone
You're not speaking even if you're present

You're a song with just one fucking note
You're always singing the same tune

And I'm clued-out cole
I'm lost and confused

Like an off-color joke
Like a joke that's inappropriate or awkward

When I call collect to NYC
I'm making a long-distance call to a specific city

Everybody learns eventually
Everyone comes to know something at some point in their life

To go hang it up
To give up or quit

You go hang it up
You should give up too

It's really really easy
It's not hard to do

Yeah, I put your letter down
I stopped reading the letter you sent me

But this graffiti finds it's way around
Even if I ignore your message, I still see reminders of you everywhere