Telephone Blues
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Feat Eric Clapton Lyrics


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I couldn't sleep last night.
I was sitting by my telephone.
All the time a-wastin',
All the love you've never shown.
But someday, someday darling,
You will realize I'm alone.

The last time I saw you,
You promised me you would call.
But time is running out, babe;
No call at all.
My life is so lonely
Standing by my telephone.




But someday, someday darling,
You will realize I'm alone.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of John Mayalls Bluesbreakers Feat. Eric Clapton's song "Telephone Blues" express unrequited love, waiting and desperation. The singer of the song is sitting by his phone, waiting for a call from his lover who has promised to call before but hasn't. He cannot sleep and is wasting time thinking about the love he has shown but hasn't received in return. He knows he is alone and hopes that one day his lover will realize his pain.


The second stanza reveals that this is not the first time the singer has been promised a call. It implies that his lover has a history of disappointing him. The singer's loneliness is highlighted by standing by the telephone, emphasizing the importance of the phone call to him.


Overall, the song is a heart-wrenching reflection of a one-sided relationship. The singer's longing for his lover's attention and affection is evident in the lyrics. The emotional depth of the song and the skillful guitar playing by Eric Clapton make it a classic in the blues genre.


Line by Line Meaning

I couldn't sleep last night.
I was tossing and turning in bed all night, unable to fall asleep.


I was sitting by my telephone.
I was anxiously waiting by the telephone, hoping that you would call.


All the time a-wastin',
Every moment that goes by without hearing from you feels like wasted time.


All the love you've never shown.
I feel as though you haven't expressed your love for me as much as I need and deserve.


But someday, someday darling,
I hold onto the hope that one day you will realize how important I am to you.


You will realize I'm alone.
I am feeling lonely right now and I hope that you understand how much I need your love and support.


The last time I saw you,
When we last saw each other in person,


You promised me you would call.
You gave me your word that you would contact me in the near future.


But time is running out, babe;
As more time passes, my hope that you will keep your promise decreases.


No call at all.
I have yet to receive any communication from you, which is making me feel anxious and sad.


My life is so lonely
I'm feeling isolated and unhappy, which is made worse by your lack of communication.


Standing by my telephone.
I feel like I'm standing by my phone, waiting for something good to happen, but it never does.


But someday, someday darling,
Despite my loneliness, I still believe that things will improve between us.


You will realize I'm alone.
I hope that you understand how much I need your love and support right now, because without it I feel very alone.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@artmoresfc

Maravilha. Não conhecia essa canção. Cheguei até aqui depois de ler Luz & Sombra - Conversas com Jimmy Page. Ele disse que era um dos melhores solos de Clapton. Certamente.

@52rupert

A master class in how to construct a slow blues solo . Gorgeous.

@rod280459

Awesome tune - Had it on vinyl for many years until I wore it out ! Thanks for uploading ! Just discovered a version with JM + Peter Green - that's good too.

@513mayer

I.ve loved this since I first heard it on those british blues compilations by Mike Vernon. Great stuff!

@johnnynoirman

GREAT BLUES!...I've learned all about the blues.... The video compliments the song in a very nice way.

@Allan-et5ig

EC's tone changed radically by 66,' still, a great recording as others have noted, produced by Page.

@ldognz

Greatest blues ever :)

@hilliebruinsma8420

The best British blues I ever heard

@screwmaster404

I agree with Jimmy. It is one of Claptons best solos.

@PepeLadd

Nice but Mayall's version with Peter Green was magic.

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