Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg wrote this song about a love interest… Read Full Bio ↴Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg wrote this song about a love interest who wasn't always there to answer his calls.

The book Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements explains that the love interest lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Westerberg lived in Minneapolis and was touring most the time, so their relationship was long distance. He often got her answering machine when he called on the telephone, a common thing in pre-cellphone 1984.

"I'm not a modern person," Westerberg says in Trouble Boys. "Technology irritates me."
After performing this song live, Westerberg often shouted out area codes. It was usually 313 for the Ann Arbor woman, but sometimes New York's 212 or some others.
Westerberg considers this one of his best songs. It was one of his favorites to play live.

Westerberg recorded this song solo, playing guitar and percussion. He started freezing out his bandmates starting with the Let It Be album, which created friction between him and Replacements guitarist Bob Stinson. After playing on the next album, Tim, Stinson was out of the band for good.

Answering Machine
The Replacements Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Try and breathe some life into a letter
Losing hope, never be together
My courage is at it's peak
You know what I mean

How do say you're okay to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to

An answering machine?

Big town's got its losers
Small town's got its vices
A handful of friends
One needs a match, one needs some ice

Call-waiting phone in another time zone
How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do say good night to
An answering machine?

Try and free a slave of ignorance
Try and teach a whore about romance

How do you say I miss you to
An answering machine?
How do you say good night to
An answering machine?
How do you say I'm lonely to
An answering machine?
The message is very plain
Oh, I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine

I hate your answering machine
I hate your answering machine

Overall Meaning

The Replacements' song "Answering Machine" is a melancholic and introspective track that deals with feelings of loneliness, loss and disconnection. The lyrics describe the frustration of trying to communicate with someone who is seemingly out of reach, either physically or emotionally. The first verse finds the singer struggling to express their feelings in a letter, acknowledging the impossibility of a reunion. However, the chorus highlights the absurdity of leaving such messages on an answering machine, symbolizing the futility of trying to bridge the gap between two people who are separated by distance or emotional barriers.

The second verse contrasts big town losers and small town vices, underscoring the notion that loneliness and desperation are universal experiences. The reference to friends needing a match and some ice suggests different needs and coping mechanisms. The third verse adds an additional layer of complexity, suggesting that seeking to enlighten others or to find love can be just as difficult and frustrating as reaching out to someone who is physically unreachable. The final chorus underscores the singer's sense of hopelessness and resentment towards the answering machine, which becomes the embodiment of the other person's indifference.

Line by Line Meaning

Try and breathe some life into a letter
Attempting to add some emotion to a written message

Losing hope, never be together
Feeling hopeless that a reunion is unlikely

My courage is at it's peak
Feeling brave and determined

You know what I mean
You understand my feelings

How do say you're okay to
Struggling with expressing feelings to

An answering machine?
A device that takes messages when the person is not available

Big town's got its losers
The city has its share of people who don't succeed

Small town's got its vices
The countryside has its share of bad habits

A handful of friends
Only a few people to rely on

One needs a match, one needs some ice
One friend needs a light, the other needs a cold drink

Call-waiting phone in another time zone
Phone that has call waiting service and placed in a different time zone