Arriving just as the UK punk scene was building momentum, the Heartbreakers developed a following playing in and around London. The Sex Pistols invited them to open on the ill fated Anarchy Tour. They shortly signed up with Track Records. Their debut--and only--studio album, L.A.M.F., featured all the Heartbreakers' popular live songs. The release of the album put a huge strain on the band because of anger among some band members over the poor quality of the mix. Several members left at this point. The band reformed in 1979 for a few farewell shows at Max’s Kansas City with drummer Ty Stix filling in for Nolan. The result was the live album Live at Max's Kansas City '79, considered a punk classic.
The band re-formed occasionally to play at New York clubs (and for a sold out show at The Lyceum in London, England in 1984) until the death of Thunders in 1991 of a supposed methadone overdose. The facts remain unclear: Johnny's passport and money were missing. The coroner's report said no alcohol was in his bloodstream, though many witnesses say Johnny was drinking the night before with people that he had just met. He was 38 years old. Jerry Nolan died of a stroke a few months later at age 40.
Live shows often consisted of songs performed with the New York Dolls or taken from Thunders' solo career. Richard Hell rarely plays music live, concentrating instead on writing and spoken word performances. Billy Rath's whereabouts are currently unknown, leading to various rumors such as that he died or became a priest. Walter Lure still performs about once a month with his band the Waldos, playing mostly Heartbreakers songs. The influence of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers is still noticeable today in many punk rock bands. Johnny Thunders solo work is mainly made up of live albums, although he recorded the critical success So Alone in 1978 and Que Sera Sera in 1985. He often worked with Patti Paladin of the band Snatch and they recorded an album of covers, Copycats in 1987.
Gett Off the Phone
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers Lyrics
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Anything goes
All you ever knew was a bullshit phone
Now you're on the bells
Yacking in the booths
But where you supposed to go?
Well I just don't know so,
There's nobody home
So get off the phone
Cause I don't want you
Cause I don't want you
What's that ringing sound?
Everything's going round and round
Calling everybody and their mother too
But don't call me cause I just left you so,
Get off the phone
There's nobody home
So get off the phone
Cause I don't want you
Cause I don't want you
You hung up on love when I called that night
You hung up on bells at the ring side fights
You hung up on your heart
You hung up on the world
Now you hung yourself on the telephone pole so,
Get off the phone
There's nobody home
So get off the phone
Cause I don't want you
Cause I don't want you
I don't care
What you wear
You ain't gonna go
No where
Get off the phone
There's nobody home
So get off the phone
Cause I don't want you
Cause I don't want you
The lyrics of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers's song "Gett Off the Phone" deal with the theme of disconnection and the need to detach from modern technology. The opening lines suggest the age of the person being addressed in the song. At ten years old, there are no boundaries and anything goes. They have grown up with the ubiquitous phone and all its technological features. The song then goes on to describe a scenario where the person is constantly on the phone, talking endlessly. But the singer is not interested and wants them to get off the phone. The chorus repeats this demand, "Get off the phone, there's nobody home, cause I don't want you." The person is connected to their phone mentally and emotionally, but they need to realize they are wasting their time.
The tone of the song is lighthearted and full of humor. The use of the word "bullshit" conveys the idea that the singer has had enough of the person's behavior. They are not taking them seriously, and the song implies that the person is not interesting or engaging enough to hold the singer's attention. The use of language throughout the song is casual and slang-based, and this adds to the overall feel of the lyrics. The final stanza is particularly hard-hitting, talking of the person having hung themselves on a telephone pole, a metaphor for the mental and emotional damage that can come from being too attached to one's phone.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten years old
The singer is addressing someone who is acting immature and calling them out for their behavior.
Anything goes
The person being addressed is acting recklessly and without regard for others' feelings or well-being.
All you ever knew was a bullshit phone
The person being addressed has become overly reliant on their phone and is not engaging with the real world.
Now you're on the bells
The person to whom the artist is talking is spending too much time using phones and is frequently calling people.
Yacking in the booths
The person to whom the artist is talking is frequently talking on the phone, and they don't seem to have anything productive to say.
But where you supposed to go?
The singer is questioning the motives of the person they are talking to by asking where they are trying to get with all of their phone calls.
Well I just don't know so,
The singer is acknowledging their lack of understanding of the person's motives despite their questions.
Get off the phone
The artist is telling the person to stop using their phone.
There's nobody home
The artist is saying that there is nobody on the other end of the phone that the person is calling and that the person should give up on trying to call this someone.
Cause I don't want you
The artist is making clear that they don't want to have anything to do with the person to whom they are speaking.
What's that ringing sound?
The singer is asking about the ringing sound of the phone as a way of calling attention to the fact that it's becoming a problem.
Everything's going round and round
The artist is saying that the constant ringing and calling is becoming dizzying and disruptive to their peace of mind.
Calling everybody and their mother too
The person being addressed is making an excessive number of calls and trying to contact everyone, even those who are not important to them.
But don't call me cause I just left you so,
The singer is telling the person that they recently ended the relationship they had and they have no interest in rekindling anything with the person they are talking to.
You hung up on love when I called that night
The singer is referencing a past event where the person they are addressing opted to end a relationship instead of recieving a call from them.
You hung up on bells at the ring side fights
The person being addressed has become disinterested with the involvement in things that were once important to them.
You hung up on your heart
The person being addressed has become disconnected from their emotions and is numbing themselves.
You hung up on the world
The person being addressed is no longer engaging with the world, instead they're keeping stuck to their phone and making an endless amount of calls.
Now you hung yourself on the telephone pole so,
The singer is using a dark metaphor to tell the person that they had become too tied up with their phone and will suffer the consequences of that lifestyle.
I don't care
The artist doesn't sympathize with the person.
What you wear
The artist is indifferent to the other person and focused on making it clear their opinion without being distracted by anything else.
You ain't gonna go
The artist knows that other person is wasting their time, and therefore they won't go far in life if they continue to use the phone the way they currently do.
No where
The singer is emphasizing to the person to whom they're talking the hopelessness of their entire situation.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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