She was born in Nagoya, Japan, at a U.S. military base, but raised in Marietta, Georgia. Wilson later gained a Masters Degree in Musical Education at Georgia State University.
In the Summer of 1977, she achieved fame after she recorded a song titled "Telephone Man", which was filled with suggestive lyrics and her breathy squealing voice. The song became a surprise hit single, having climbed the UK singles chart to #6, spending fully ten weeks in the listings; as well as making it to #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song would become a favorite of Dr. Demento's radio show many years later.
According to the liner notes in Rhino Records' collection of 1970s hit singles, Have A Nice Day, Wilson later recorded additional novelty songs, including "Dick The D.J." and "Peter, The Meter Reader".
She died in 2002, aged 53, after she lost control of her car on Highway 377 in Americus, Georgia, during an ice storm.
Telephone Man
Meri Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A-singin' do lolly, lolly shicky bum, shicky bum
Started movin' in it on a Tuesday at two
A-singin' do lolly, lolly shicky do, shicky do
Wednesday at three I called the phone company, singin':
"Hey baby, put a phone in for me"
Thursday at four he came a-knockin' at my door, singin':
"Hey, baby, I'm your telephone man
You just show me where you want it and I'll put it where I can
I can put it in the bedroom, I can put it in the hall
I can put it in the bathroom, I can hang it on the wall
You can have it with a buzz, you can have it with a ring
And if you really want it you can have a ding-a-ling
Because-a hey baby, I'm your telephone man"
Can you believe that? And then he says:
"Now when other fellas call ya tell 'em how it all began"
Well... can you imagine?
My heart began a-thumpin' and my mind began to fly
And I knew I wasn't dealin' with no ordinary guy
So while he was a-talking I was thinkin' up my plan
Then my fingers did the walkin' on the telephone man
Singin' hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Get it any way you can
Right? Ha ha ha, so...
I got it in the bedroom, and I got it in the hall
And I got it in the bathroom, and he hung it on the wall
I got it with a buzz, and I got it with a ring
And when he told me what my number was I got a ding-a-ling
A-singin' hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Just-a doin' my thing
Ha, ha... I've never done anything like this before!
The song “Telephone Man” by Meri Wilson is a playful and suggestive tale of a woman who calls the telephone company to install a telephone line in her apartment. The lyrics describe her calling the phone company on Wednesday and the telephone man coming to her apartment on Thursday. The telephone man offers to install the telephone in various places around the apartment, including the bedroom, hall, bathroom, and on the wall. He also offers different ring options, including a buzz and a ding-a-ling.
The woman in the song is impressed by the telephone man and decides to have some fun with him. As he is talking, she is “thinking up my plan.” When the telephone is installed, she sings about how she got it in the bedroom, hall, and bathroom, and with different ring options, including a ding-a-ling. The lyrics are playful and suggestive, suggesting that the woman is interested in more than just a telephone line.
Line by Line Meaning
I went to my apartment on a Monday at one
A-singin' do lolly, lolly shicky bum, shicky bum
I moved into my new apartment and felt so happy about it that I started singing.
Started movin' in it on a Tuesday at two
A-singin' do lolly, lolly shicky do, shicky do
The next day, I started to settle into the apartment while still singing happily.
Wednesday at three I called the phone company, singin':
"Hey baby, put a phone in for me"
On Wednesday, I decided to call the phone company to request a phone for my apartment.
Thursday at four he came a-knockin' at my door, singin':
"Hey, baby, I'm your telephone man
You just show me where you want it and I'll put it where I can
I can put it in the bedroom, I can put it in the hall
I can put it in the bathroom, I can hang it on the wall
You can have it with a buzz, you can have it with a ring
And if you really want it you can have a ding-a-ling
Because-a hey, baby, I'm your telephone man"
The following day, the telephone man arrived at my apartment, singing that he was there to install my new phone and that he could place it anywhere I wanted and give it any type of sound.
Can you believe that? And then he says:
"Now when other fellas call ya tell 'em how it all began"
I was amazed and surprised by the behavior of the telephone man who suggested that I should tell other men about how he installed my phone.
My heart began a-thumpin' and my mind began to fly
And I knew I wasn't dealin' with no ordinary guy
So while he was a-talking I was thinkin' up my plan
Then my fingers did the walkin' on the telephone man
I was excited by the telephone man's charm and realized that he was no ordinary guy. As he talked, I came up with a plan to get his attention, so I used my fingers to playfully touch him.
Singin' hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Get it any way you can
Right? Ha ha ha, so...
I continued to sing happily and acknowledge that I was enjoying myself while the telephone man was installing the phone.
I got it in the bedroom, and I got it in the hall
And I got it in the bathroom, and he hung it on the wall
I got it with a buzz, and I got it with a ring
And when he told me what my number was I got a ding-a-ling
A-singin' hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Hey lolly, lolly
Just-a doin' my thing
I got the phone installed all over my apartment and it had different sounds for incoming calls, and when the telephone man told me my phone number, it made me happy. So, I continued to sing and enjoy my new phone.
Ha, ha... I've never done anything like this before!
Lastly, I expressed my amazement at the new experience and how happy the telephone man made me feel.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thesailjunkie
Meri Wilson...So talented, so beautiful...died way too young.
@bkfleming4740
As a former telephone man I can say there is more truth in this song than most people will admit. Wild times in the 70s.
@tammimccormick7300
I actually wondered . I am so glad my husband was not a telephone man lol .
@skittishtrout1638
I believe that
@jesseswan5598
My dad was a telephone man in that era. I sent him this song and asked him if he was familiar with it. He said: “in the 70’s, being a telephone installer was the best job in the word.”
@shyannedianne1962
Wild times carried on as I can vouch for a certain sky engineer ;)
@swampwiz
Did the telephone man wear a tie?
@thenobullshtchannel8768
I put this song on my Halloween playlist and Dr. Demento playlist on Alexa & my punk playlist ,, hi 👋🏻
@Joseph-xf2me
Love quirky songs :)
@janlipski5215
I was a telephone man when this song came out. It is remarkable how this song reflects the true nature of one's employment. The 70s were golden years. We had many opening lines. One of our favorites was " Would you like a red one up the passage?"