Jesse Malin (born January 1968 in New York City) is an American singer-song… Read Full Bio ↴Jesse Malin (born January 1968 in New York City) is an American singer-songwriter who started his performing career at the age of 12 in the 1980s in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack. After that Malin was the original frontman for the 90's punk/hard rock band D Generation. After that band broke up in 1999, Malin formed the alt. rock band Bellvue before he began to work on solo material. Malin's solo songs have displayed such influences as Paul Westerberg, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. In 2010, he formed a band called Jesse Malin & the St. Mark's Social and later the same year released as single as a member of Rodeo Queens.

In going solo, Ryan Adams, an old friend, was impressed by Malin's songs and offered to produce a record for him, in spite of having never done it before. Malin's debut, "The Fine Art of Self Destruction," was made in just under a week, and was released in January, 2003. He toured both the US and the UK in support of the album.

Malin's follow-up, "The Heat," was released in June, 2004. He released his third solo album, "Glitter in the Gutter," in March, 2007.

In 2010, Malin formed a band called Jesse Malin & the St. Mark's Social and released an album called Love It To Life; the title comes from a quote by Joe Strummer (the title was previously used on a 2007 UK release of live material on the One Little Indian label.) Featuring a more rockier approach, the album's first single was "Burning The Bowery" and next single was "All The Way From Moscow." Love It To Life was referred to as "the best album of his career" by Paste Magazine.

In December 2010, Malin, along members of Green Day, formed the band 'Rodeo Queens'. They released one song, along with a video, called 'Depression Times'. D Generation reunited in 2011 and continue to play live.

In 2019, Jesse Malin released the critically acclaimed album "Sunset Kids," in collaboration with American roots icon Lucinda Williams and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

Operator
Jesse Malin Lyrics

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Operator, well could you help me place this call
See, the number on the match book is old and faded
She's living in L.A.
With my best old ex-friend Ray
A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated

But isn't that the way they say it goes
Well let's forget all that

And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine, and to show
I've overcome the blow
I've learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself
That it just wasn't real
But that's not the way it feels

Operator, well could you help me place this call
'Cause I can't read the number that you just gave me
There's something in my eyes
You know it happens every time
I think about the love that I thought would save me

But isn't that the way they say it goes
Well let's forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine, and to show
I've overcome the blow
I've learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself
That it just wasn't real
But that's not the way it feels
No, no, no, no
That's not the way it feels

Operator, well let's forget about this call
There's no one there I really wanted to talk to
Thank you for your time
Ah, you've been so much more then kind
You can keep the dime

But isn't that the way they say it goes
Well let's forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine, and to show
I've overcome the blow
I've learned to take it well
I only wish my words
Could just convince myself

That it just wasn't real
But that's not the way it feels

Overall Meaning

In Jesse Malin's song "Operator," the singer is asking a telephone operator for help placing a call. The number on the matchbook they have is old and faded, but they're hoping to get in touch with their ex-girlfriend who is living in Los Angeles with the singer's former friend, Ray. Despite the fact that she sometimes hated Ray, they were close enough that the singer wants to reach out and let her know that he's doing okay. However, even as the singer tries to convince themselves that they've "overcome the blow" of the breakup, they're not entirely convinced. They wish their words could convince themselves that the relationship "just wasn't real," but they can't deny the way they feel.

Malin's lyrics are filled with longing and regret, capturing the way we can pine for those who have moved on from us. The singer is reaching out into the past, hoping to reclaim something that is long gone, but ultimately they can't. They try to convince themselves that it's better this way, but there's a melancholic undercurrent to their words. In the end, the singer decides not to make the call, realizing that there's no one on the other end they really want to talk to. They thank the operator for their time and end the conversation, leaving the song on a bittersweet note.

Line by Line Meaning

Operator, well could you help me place this call
The singer needs the operator's help to make a call

See, the number on the match book is old and faded
The source of the phone number is unreliable

She's living in L.A. With my best old ex-friend Ray. A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated
The singer wants to contact someone they used to know, who is now living with someone they used to be close to, but had a complicated relationship with

But isn't that the way they say it goes
The artist acknowledges that what they are experiencing is a common experience

Well let's forget all that
The artist wants to move past the common experience and focus on their current goal

And give me the number if you can find it
The singer requests the operator to provide the phone number, acknowledging their own inability to find it

So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine, and to show
The singer wants to reach out to the person they used to know to reassure them they are doing well and have overcome the difficulty of their past relationship

I've overcome the blow
The artist has moved past the negative experience and is in a better place emotionally

I've learned to take it well
The artist has developed resilience and can handle difficult situations better

I only wish my words. Could just convince myself. That it just wasn't real
The artist wants to believe that the negative experience was not real, but acknowledges that it was

But that's not the way it feels
Despite the singer's desire to move past the negative experience, they still feel the pain

There's something in my eyes. You know it happens every time. I think about the love that I thought would save me
The artist experiences emotional distress when they think about someone they loved, who they thought could save them from their troubles

Operator, well let's forget about this call
The singer changes their mind about making the call

There's no one there I really wanted to talk to
After reflecting, the singer realizes they don't actually want to speak to the person they intended to call

Thank you for your time
The singer thanks the operator for their assistance

Ah, you've been so much more then kind
The artist is grateful for the operator's help

You can keep the dime
The artist offers to let the operator keep the money needed to make the call

Contributed by Kylie Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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