Among the more popular family acts on the '70s R&B circuit, Memphis' Sylver… Read Full Bio ↴Among the more popular family acts on the '70s R&B circuit, Memphis' Sylvers recorded for Pride, MGM, Capitol, Casablanca, and Geffen during their 13-year chart run. No less than nine of the ten brothers and sisters in the family — Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, James, Edmund, Ricky, Angie, Pat, Foster — performed in the group that was viewed as a Southern version of the Jackson 5. Their 1972 Pride single "Fool's Paradise" got things going in the right direction, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts. They had three other Top Ten R&B hits in the '70s, but their biggest song was "Boogie Fever" in 1975. It perfectly captured the disco spirit and topped both the R&B and pop charts that year. "Hot Line" was another Top Ten on both lists in 1976, and their second biggest single. They scored another Top 20 R&B single on Casablanca in 1978, "Don't Stop, Get Off," but the charming qualities of their earlier material seemed more calculated. They couldn't recapture the spark during their mid-'80s period on Geffen.

Hot Line
The Sylvers Lyrics

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Number please

Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
For your love, for your love
Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
On the hot line

I'm calling on the hot line for your love
Baby, cause Im burnin' up
Like a house on fire
My desire
Is climbin higher
Baby, whoo-ooo
Girl, the way you move your lips
I can tell you got fire in your kiss
The way you flash your eyes
Looks like lightnin' lightin' up the sky

Stop all the calls in the world
Till I catch you, girl
Catch you at home
I asked the CIA
If it was ok, to use their private phone
Oh, baby, baby

Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
For your love, for your love
Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
On the hot line

Operator, excuse me please
But this is more than an emergency
Take those phones off-a your ears
'Cause this is only for my baby to hear

Stop all the calls in the world
Till I catch you, girl
Catch you at home
I asked the CIA
They said it was ok, to use their private phone
Oh, baby, baby

Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
For your love, for your love
Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
On the hot line

Baby, where are you
Here am I
Should I get in touch with the FBI
I know my call will be accepted
There's no chance of bein disconnected, on the

Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
For your love, for your love
Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
On the hot line

Don't keep it busy
Don't make me dizzy
Your love makes me want to shout, Ow
You're my lover, undercover
You know what I'm talkin' about

Hot line, hot line
Calling on the hot line
For your love, for your love
Hot line, hot line

Calling on the hot line
On the hot line

Overall Meaning

The Sylvers’ “Hot Line” is a funky and upbeat song about unbridled passion and desire for a lover. The singer is calling their lover on the “hot line” because they’re burning up for them “like a house on fire.” They’re so intensely enamored and impassioned that they want all other phone calls in the world to stop until they can reach their lover. They want to catch their lover at home and they even ask the CIA if they can use their private phone to make the call. The singer is confident that their call will be accepted and they express that their lover’s love makes them want to shout.

The lyrics describe the intense excitement and lust one can feel when in love. The singer’s desire is so strong that they can’t focus on anything else until they get in touch with their significant other. The use of the “hot line” as a metaphor for the need to connect with one’s lover is clever and adds an extra level of excitement to the song. The singer is relentlessly pursuing their lover and will stop at nothing to express their love.

Line by Line Meaning

Number please
Asking for someone's phone number

Hot line, hot line Calling on the hot line For your love, for your love Hot line, hot line Calling on the hot line On the hot line
The singer is calling someone they love on a special phone line

I'm calling on the hot line for your love Baby, 'cause I'm burning up Like a house on fire My desire Is climbing higher Baby, whoo-ooo
The singer is feeling an intense desire for their loved one, and compares it to a fire

Girl, the way you move your lips I can tell you got fire in your kiss The way you flash your eyes Looks like lightning lighting up the sky
The artist is expressing their attraction to their loved one, and compares their movements to lightning

Stop all the calls in the world Till I catch you, girl Catch you at home I asked the CIA If it was ok, to use their private phone Oh, baby, baby
The artist wants their loved one to only receive their call, and tries to justify using a secure phone line

Operator, excuse me please But this is more than an emergency Take those phones off-a your ears 'Cause this is only for my baby to hear
The singer requests the attention of the phone operator, and emphasizes the importance of their call

Baby, where are you Here am I Should I get in touch with the FBI I know my call will be accepted There's no chance of being disconnected, on the
The singer is becoming more desperate to reach their loved one, and jokes about involving the FBI to ensure their call goes through

Don't keep it busy Don't make me dizzy Your love makes me want to shout, Ow You're my lover, undercover You know what I'm talkin' about
The artist pleads with their loved one to make time for them, and declares their love and attraction

Hot line, hot line Calling on the hot line For your love, for your love Hot line, hot line Calling on the hot line On the hot line
Reiterating the use of a special phone line to reach the artist's loved one

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK J. PERREN, KENI ST. LEWIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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