Dial Up
Ted Leo and the Phramacists Lyrics


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Pack up what you own,
and you dial up who you can phone,
and you save up all your pennies,
and we hope but, oh -- is there any --
and we wonder, oh, how can he put you out tonight?

Go back in your mind,
twenty years in time,
and we'll go a-walking through your garden;
see the trees you planted in your yard then.
All your work, it didn't seem so hard then,
but it's hard tonight.

Five years further on,
from the stage it looked like we'd won,
but how many of those who heard you play
have gone their insouciant ways?
And the streets run bloody to this day,
and to your house tonight.

And we, still so touched,
can we offer you that much
more than those who you fought
and who left you with nought,
and who lied to you?
They lied to you,
They lied to you, lied to you, lied to you, lied to you
but this you always knew.

So pack up your bulls and smalls,
and we'll tack up your painting on our walls,
and we'll write down all our songs then,
and we'll right up all our wrongs then,




and we'll tear up the streets a million strong then,
in your name tonight.

Overall Meaning

The song Dial Up by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, appears to be about the struggle of an artist, possibly a musician or a painter, who is faced with the harsh realities of life. The lyrics seem to suggest that the artist is facing financial difficulties and is forced to pack up their belongings and reach out to anyone they can think of for help, using a dial-up connection to make phone calls. The repeated phrase "is there any" conveys a sense of desperation, as the artist wonders if there is anyone who can help them out of their current predicament.


The song then takes a nostalgic turn, as the listener is encouraged to go back in time twenty years and revisit the artist's garden, where they once planted trees that now stand tall. The lyrics paint a picture of a time when the artist's work didn't seem so hard, but now feels insurmountable. The song then fast-forwards to five years later, where the artist seemed to have won, but many of those who once admired their work have moved on, leaving the artist to confront the harsh reality of a world where the streets run bloody.


The song ends with a call to action, as the lyricist implores the listener to join in a movement to honor the artist's name. This could be seen as a commentary on the fleeting nature of fame and recognition, and a call for more lasting legacies.


Line by Line Meaning

Pack up what you own,
Gather and collect all of your belongings


and you dial up who you can phone,
Contact anyone you can reach through your phone


and you save up all your pennies,
Save all the money you can


and we hope but, oh -- is there any --
We hold onto hope, but question if it will be enough


and we wonder, oh, how can he put you out tonight?
We question how someone can put you out or make you leave tonight


Go back in your mind,
Travel back in your memories


twenty years in time,
Specifically, go back two decades


and we'll go a-walking through your garden;
Together, we'll explore your garden


see the trees you planted in your yard then.
Take a look at the trees that you had planted in your yard at that time


All your work, it didn't seem so hard then,
Back then, all of the work you did seemed easy to accomplish


but it's hard tonight.
Currently, everything seems much more challenging


Five years further on,
Fast forward another five years after the previous event


from the stage it looked like we'd won,
From our point of view while performing, it seemed like we were victorious


but how many of those who heard you play
But, how many people who watched us play


have gone their insouciant ways?
Have gone on to be carefree and unconcerned in their own lives?


And the streets run bloody to this day,
The streets are still filled with violence and brutality to this day


and to your house tonight.
This has an impact on your home tonight


And we, still so touched,
We are still heavily impacted by this experience


can we offer you that much
Is there anything more that we can offer you


more than those who you fought
More than those who fought against you


and who left you with nought,
And left you with nothing


and who lied to you?
Who also lied to you?


They lied to you,
They have been dishonest and misleading towards you


They lied to you, lied to you, lied to you, lied to you
They have been repetitively telling you lies


but this you always knew.
However, deep down, you knew all along


So pack up your bulls and smalls,
So pack up all your belongings


and we'll tack up your painting on our walls,
We will put up your paintings on our walls


and we'll write down all our songs then,
We will write down all our songs from this time period


and we'll right up all our wrongs then,
We will try to make amends from our past mistakes


and we'll tear up the streets a million strong then,
We will come together as a large group and take a stand for what is right


in your name tonight.
We will do this in your name tonight




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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