20 Best Songs About Phones

Chelsea Cooke

It’s no secret that phones have become an important part of our lives.

We use them to stay connected with friends and family, access the internet, and to do business.

And as our reliance on phones has grown, so too has the number of songs that have been written about them.

But what makes a good phone song? Is it the lyrics, the melody, or the sentiment?

We take a look at 20 of the best songs about phones and try to answer that question.

By the way, if you’re a fan of songs about phones, you might also enjoy songs about bags, songs about calls, songs about call me, songs about hats, and songs about radio.

Telephone – Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyoncé (Official Music Video)

The 2010s were a decade defined by technology.

From the rise of social media to the ubiquity of smartphones, it’s safe to say that our lives have been transformed by the digital age.

One song that perfectly captures this zeitgeist is “Telephone” by Lady Gaga.

Released in 2010, the song is a sprawling ode to modern technology, specifically cell phones.

In the span of nine minutes, Gaga explores themes of addiction, obsession, and paranoia, all through the lens of our relationship with our phones.

Payphone – Maroon 5

Maroon 5 - Payphone ft. Wiz Khalifa (Explicit) (Official Music Video)

The song “Payphone” by Maroon 5 is a song about, well, phones.

The lyrics tell the story of someone who is trying to reach out to a former lover, but all they have is a payphone.

The song reflects on the ways that technology has changed the way we communicate, and how sometimes it can be difficult to connect with the people we care about.

While the payphone may be a thing of the past, the sentiment in the song is still relevant today.

Love On The Telephone – Foreigner

Love on the Telephone

Love On The Telephone by Foreigner is a song about the ubiquity of phones and the ways they can both bring people together and drive them apart.

The lyrics tell the story of a couple who are constantly on the phone to each other, but never seem to actually connect.

Instead of talking, they just argue and hang up on each other.

The chorus reflects on how this technology that was supposed to bring people closer together has only served to push them apart. 

Need You Now – Lady A

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

Need You Now is a song recorded by American country music group Lady Antebellum.

It was released on January 26, 2010, as the lead single from their second studio album, Need You Now.

The song became the group’s breakthrough hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Country Chart and winning them Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The song is about a man and woman who are phone call away from each other, but are unable to connect due to the distance between them.

The lyrics express the loneliness and longing that come with being apart from someone you love.

Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand – Primitive Radio Gods

Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand

“Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand” is a song by Primitive Radio Gods that was released in 1996.

The song is about a man who is standing outside of a broken phone booth with money in his hand, trying to make a call.

However, the phone booth is not working and he is unable to make the call.

The song is seen as an allegory for how technology can sometimes fail us, even when we are trying to use it for good.

The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It has also been featured in several films and TV shows.

Calling My Phone – Lil Tjay

Lil Tjay - Calling My Phone (feat. 6LACK) [Official Video]

In the song “Calling My Phone” by Lil Tjay, the narrator is looking for his phone which he seems to have lost.

He is feeling frustrated and wonders who might have taken it.

The chorus of the song features a phone ringing, and the narrator is desperate to find it.

He goes through all of the possible places it could be, but he still can’t find it.

In the end, he decides to call his phone from another phone in order to try and find it.

Hanging On The Telephone – Blondie

Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone

Hanging on the Telephone is a song written by Jack Lee and made famous by the band Blondie.

The song is about the frustrations of modern day life and how we are always tethered to technology.

The opening line, “Don’t want to hear about your power outages or telephone blues,” sets the tone for the rest of the song.

Throughout the years, the lyrics have resonated with people who feel bombarded by technology and crave human connection.

Telephone Man – Meri Wilson

Telephone Man by Meri Wilson is a song about the ubiquitous presence of phones in our lives.

The lyrics tell the story of a woman who is constantly bothered by phone calls, to the point where she can’t even enjoy a quiet moment to herself.

The song reflects the growing frustration that many people feel towards constant interruptions and the never-ending stream of communication.

Mr. Telephone Man – New Edition

New Edition - Mr. Telephone Man (Official Music Video)

Released in 1984, “Mr. Telephone Man” was a breakout hit for R&B group New Edition.

The song is about a young man who is having trouble with his romantic partner and he turns to the telephone operator for advice.

The operator tells him to keep trying and not give up, which ultimately leads to the young man getting his girl back.

The song was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It has since been covered by various artists, including Justin Timberlake and Beyonce.

The Telephone Song – Astrud Gilberto

The Telephone Song is a Bossa Nova classic written by Brazilian musician Vinícius de Moraes and originally performed by Astrud Gilberto.

The song features a catchy melody and speaks to the ubiquity of phones and how they can both connect and disconnect us from the people we love.

The lyrics(in English) center around a woman who is trying to call her loved one, but keeps getting a busy signal.

She worries that he may be cheating on her, but ultimately decides to just let him be.

Telephone Operator – Pete Shelley

Telephone Operator

Pete Shelley’s “Telephone Operator” is a song about the original telephone operators, who were mostly women.

The song tells the story of how the operators would connect callers with their desired party, often with humorous results.

The operators would also listen in on conversations and sometimes even place calls themselves.

“Telephone Operator” is a light-hearted ode to these early operators and the important role they played in the development of telecommunications.

The song highlights the operator’s ability to connect with people and brings attention to the often-overlooked contribution of women to the field of telecommunications.

Obscene Phone Caller – Rockwell

Obscene Phone Caller

In the 1980s, Rockwell released a song called “Obscene Phone Caller.”

The song is about a man who receives obscene phone calls from a mystery caller.

The song became popular for its catchy beat and humorous lyrics.

However, the song also sheds light on a serious issue: the problem of obscene phone calls.

At the time, little was known about the phenomenon of obscene phone calls, and the song helped to raise awareness of the issue.

The Telephone Always Rings – Fun Boy Three

Fun Boy Three - The Telephone Always Rings (Official Music Video)

The Telephone Always Rings is a song by Fun Boy Three.

The song is about phones and how they are always ringing.

The song starts with a phone rang, followed by a voice mail message.

The message is from a person who is trying to sell something.

The person on the other end is not interested and hangs up.

The song then goes into the chorus, which is about how the phone always rings and how it is always someone trying to sell something. 

Answer The Phone – Sugar Ray

Sugar Ray- Answer The Phone

Phones are a staple in our everyday lives.

We use them to stay connected with our loved ones, to conduct business, and to access the internet.

It’s no wonder, then, that phones are a popular subject for songs.

Sugar Ray’s “Answer the Phone” is a perfect example.

The song is all about how phones can both be a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, they allows us to stay in touch with the people we care about.

But on the other hand, they can also be a distraction from the things that really matter.

The song paints a picture of how phones can sometimes take over our lives, and how we need to be careful not to let them do so.

Just Be A Man About It – Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton - Just Be A Man About It (Official Video)

“Just Be a Man About It” is a song by American singer Toni Braxton.

It was written by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid for Braxton’s second studio album, Secrets (1996).

The song was released as the album’s fourth single on November 12, 1996 in the United States.

“Just Be a Man About It” is a mid-tempo R&B song with lyrics that center around a woman telling her lover to stop calling her all the time and just be a man about it.

2 Phones – Kevin Gates

Kevin Gates - 2 Phones [Official Music Video]

In his song “2 Phones,” Kevin Gates raps about the dangers of becoming too attached to one’s phone.

He opens the song with the lines: “I got two phones / One for the Plug and one for the load / I’m living better ever since I went and got me two phones.”

Here, Gates is emphasizing how useful it can be to have two phones: one for work and one for personal use.

Put Your Number In My Phone – Ariel Pink

Ariel Pink - Put Your Number In My Phone (Official Video)

Put Your Number In My Phone by Ariel Pink is a song that is all about phones.

The lyrics talk about how we are constantly on our phones and how they have become such a big part of our lives.

The song is catchy and fun, but it also has a message that is important to think about. Pink sings about how we use our phones to stay connected to the people we love, but we also use them to avoid facing the problems in our own lives.

Thru Your Phone – Cardi B

Cardi B - Thru Your Phone [Official Audio]

In “Thru Your Phone”, Cardi B sings about the various ways that phones can ruin relationships.

She starts off by talking about how phones can be used to cheat, saying that she’s caught her man looking at other women online.

She then goes on to talk about how phones can be used to isolate people from each other, saying that she’s sick of staring at her partner’s phone screen instead of his face.

Phone In Heaven – Mike Manuel

MIKE MANUEL - If There's A Phone In Heaven II

“Phone in Heaven” by Mike Manuel is a song about phones and the ways they connect us to the people we love, even after they’ve passed away.

The lyrics tell the story of a man who is struggling to come to terms with his wife’s death, and how he finds comfort in remembering all the little moments they shared together.

The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, with the singer asking “if there’s a phone in heaven, can I call you tonight?”.

The song is a touching reminder of how important our loved ones are, and how even the simplest things can help us to feel closer to them.

Phone Down – Erykah Badu

Phone Down is a song by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu.

The song was released on October 18, 2016, as the lead single from her fourth studio album, But You Caint Use My Phone (2016).

The song is a R&B and neo soul track that features a laid-back production consisting of jazzy horns, funky drums and synths.

Lyrically, the song finds Badu singing about how she wants her lover to put their phone down and focus on her.