The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be
It's even harder to picture
That you're not here next to me
You say it's too late to make it
But is it too late to try
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away
You can't expect me to be fine
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Man, fuck that shit
I'll be out spending all this money
While you're sitting round wondering
Why it wasn't you who came up from nothing
Made it from the bottom
Now when you see me I'm stunting
And all of my cars start with a push of a button
Telling me the chances I blew up
Or whatever you call it
Switch the number to my phone
So you never could call it
Don't need my name on my show
You can tell it I'm ballin'
Swish, what a shame could have got picked
Had a really good game but you missed your last shot
So you talk about who you see at the top
Or what you could have saw but sad to say it's over for
Phantom pulled up valet open doors
Wished I'd go away, got what you was looking for
Now it's me who they want, so you can go and take
That little piece of shit with you
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember
The people we used to be
It's even harder to picture
That you're not here next to me
You say it's too late to make it
But is it too late to try
And in our time that you wasted
All of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow
'Cause you forgot yesterday
I gave you my love to borrow
But you just gave it away
You can't expect me to be fine
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down
I've wasted my nights
You turned out the lights
Now I'm paralyzed
Still stuck in that time
When we called it love
But even the sun sets in paradise
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Man, fuck that shit
I'll be out spending all this money
While you're sitting round wondering
Why it wasn't you who came up from nothing
Made it from the bottom
Now when you see me I'm stunting
And all of my cars start with a push of a button
Telling me the chances I blew up
Or whatever you call it
Switch the number to my phone
So you never could call it
Don't need my name on my show
You can tell it I'm ballin'
Swish, what a shame could have got picked
Had a really good game but you missed your last shot
So you talk about who you see at the top
Or what you could have saw but sad to say it's over for
Phantom pulled up valet open doors
Wished I'd go away, got what you was looking for
Now it's me who they want, so you can go and take
That little piece of shit with you
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone, baby it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two
If Happy Ever Afters did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick
Now I'm at a payphone
Lyrics submitted by thrwmyhrtawy.
Payphone Lyrics as written by Adam Noah Levine Benjamin Levin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The meaning itself is pretty simple. It's talking about a relationship that ended abruptly (for one of them at least) and not peacefully. The singer of the song is crushed and wants the fairy tell ending, but knows better. While the ex could care less and as such, ruined any chance they had of even being friends afterwards. Then at the end Wiz represents that confidence we use to pick ourselves back up. That voice in our heads telling us to move on, and not take the person back if they ever try to rekindle things.
I love the chorus in this song a lot. The first time I heard it my friend made a stupid remark about it being a "payphone" and not a "cellphone" and how if he used a cell he could call for free... My interpretation of it is that "I'm at a payphone trying to call home" refers to trying to rediscover himself but "all of my change I spent on you" implies that he was so focused on his significant other, and not his own self, that he doesn't know how to be himself anymore without his ex by his side.
All in all I think it's a great song. It's easy to relate to. I'm sure most have been in that spot where their feelings want the person back, but in their head they know they need to move on because the person probably isn't right for them.
I agree with Planetearth and Defeeds,
To add to their interpretations, I believe the reason Levine chose a payphone rather than a cellphone or even any kind of phone, home phone, is because he is describing how lost he is now that he is apart from his ex-girlfriend.
After their break-up, he lost all his routine familiarties, and is now stranded in a big city, or better yet, deserted. He doesn't feel he belongs anywhere else but with her, she is "home". Therefore, he uses a payphone.
I agree completely, nice interpretation.
I read Defeed's explain and I didn't agree with it. But as I read urs it occurs to me that you guys are viewing the lyrics in another light. Or ur guy's meanings is correct it's just incomplete. I think it's missing this part:Adam's lyrics are "I'm at a payphone trying to call home". You guys already got the payphone part. But for me the "trying yo call home" part always stood out 4 me. To me that translates his heart is with her and home is where the heart is. So he is trying to reach her because she is home to him. Than this lyric:"all of my change I spent on you" is where I find ur guy's meanings are incomplete (Defeed's, wordsthenbeat, sect.) I believe the word payphone was used to emphasis that he'll use all his money just to reach her; his that desperate & in love. I think it was a way if showing he'll spend all if his money, as its states on her just to reach thus person.
I agree with Dfeeds.
To expand on that, I think the relationship came to an end and he's coming to grips with the reality of the situation. A part of him wants to believe in "fairy tales" however he is much too jaded for that now. It just won't work, as she "thinks it's too late to make it". He wants to have a go at it for one last try but it is unfortunately in vain. She wants nothing to do with him. He gave her everything and lost himself, while she moved on. He wishes she cared, even though he said he doesn't. He stills seems to be stuck and in disbelief that she really is done.
The payphone is a metaphor for reaching people he cares about. People that will help him out of this mess. It reminds me of not knowing anyone where he is, and having relied on his partner for his emotional connections. It could metaphorically mean his past self before all this drama dragged him down. He needs to get in touch with the past to let go of his present situation. He is unable to, as he wasted all of his time and energy on this girl. The song relates a lot of wasted time. He is left destitute with only questions of why and bittersweet memories.
Calling from a payphone also is a signal of distress and emergency in this day and age. Adam has said this about the song. For example if you called a loved one from a payphone, you'd probably be stranded somewhere and not just calling to say "hey". Finding one might be the hardest part though.
I agree with you. I'd like also to point out the words he uses to express value.<br /> <br /> Pay phone/ Change / Spent / Wasted. All of them sounds like he propably invest on a romance that wasn't worthy
I love the cynicism and bitterness of this song.
The video i suggest you watch the video as i do this!
Okay so you know like the story of superman or fairytales or spiderman? well its supposed to be like that. parts of different moveis for ephisizing on "farytale" its not real what hes trying to say. it was fake love. "I'm at a payphone trying to call home" refers to trying to rediscover himself. if you notice no one usues payphones anymore they use cell phones but in this instant he uses a payphone because hes "starting all over" "trying to call home" Woudln't he just call her? hes speaking to an operater. the operater is gonna direct his call. he is trying to call home. "all of my change I spent on you" implies that he was so focused on her, and not his own self, that he doesn't know how to be himself anymore without his ex by his side. hence why hes at payphone and hes in teh middle of nowhere. hes lost at the end on a payphone. now if you notice he ( during 2:28) runs off with a car he stole with her. Why would he run off with out her? as he does that hes singing "I've wasted my nights, You turned out the lights Now I'm paralyzed, Still stuck in that time, When we called it love, But even the sun sets in paradise" now what is he saying? hes saying it was all a waste im leaving but "even the sund sets in paradise" that means theres and end to everything- esp this relationship. Then it proceedss to be a police chase. Meaning (idk how to say it better but ) shes saying "OH HELL NO GET YO ASS BACK HERE WERE STILL IN A RELATIONSHIP" and he clearly doesnt want to be in it. Then its wiz's part Wiz is there not only because he has his part but to point out to "her" that Im doing 100 times better with out you. and repeats it a couple of times then says how i bet she wishs to be with him so on. and hes there just cos. then Adam swerves so that both poilce cars crash meaning he got out of the relationship. as he drives away the "if happy ever after still exist" starts playing as an indication this "farytale is over bitch" and then Adam looks sexy as FUCK and ends the video
@aleyah13 omg I CANT! lmao the last thing you said was HILARIOUS AF! and that was such a beautiful interpretation
I think this is a song about a person who is looking back and questioning about the breakup and then about their relationship. To me the first line is essentially about the person saying how they spent so much time changing themselves for the other person and in a sort of disbelief they're asking what ever happen to all those plans they had made with each other. They're asking the other person "can we try again?". In the end the person comes to terms with it though. They say that this person does see a future with them anymore and doesnt even try to see what happiness they had in the past, which is communicated in the line "Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow, Cause you forgot yesterday". The person is saying how they're not ok and how they're stuck this sadness of what could have been by saying the lines "I've wasted my nights,You turned out the lights Now I'm paralyzed, Still stuck in that time,When we called it love"
I think Adam Levine wrote this song about his ex-girlfriend. The song was released this month, the same month he broke up with Anne Vyalitsyna.
Just a guess.
I think so too..
some good thoughts here. think, however, that just simply the guy found out she cheated on him. thats the bottom line. Think of the emotional turmoil, pain, and heartache that one experiences when that is found out. Nothing worse. keep that in mind and listen to the song again and you will see that everything fits that scenario. as someone earlier mentioned, the wiz rap thing doesnt really fit, except his last line, which may be referring to "take that piece of sh*t guy you cheated with outta my way and my life'. this really is a brilliant song.
"you turned your back on tomorrow 'Cause you forgot yesterday I gave you my love to borrow, But you just gave it away"
These lines right here speak to me. She forgot that I gave her my love and she just tossed it aside. She turned her back on me and the relationship.
"You can't expect me to be fine, I don't expect you to care"
Another one, I doubt she would care about how I feel, and I don't expect her to. Women are so heartless. :(
@CarbonCore No they aren't, men are heartless. all they pretty much view girls today is as sex objects and then they tell you they love you but then they cheat on you with a girl that can actually pull out because you are just saving yourself for the right person OR you would smash your ex when you were with them but you were waiting for the relarionship to get more intense. but ofc the guy cant wai so he chooses a stupid reason to break up, and now that the girl cant have him shes in much pain
THATS why men are cruel and heartless. and if a woman were to be heartless it's most likely from getting their heart broken before countless amount of times so at this point they kind of just gave up on guys and use their love for granted since it would be the only way to keep them happy and to never be heartbroken again/ which is basically all from a guy's wrong doing
He spent all his time on the relationship and somehow felt it didn’t work so he’s sounding very frustrated angry and heartbroken and the way he sings this song is very well done to express all those emotions rolled into one. All else is clear. Basically if you give so much into a relationship you do expect something in return . Just a thought .... if he was spending all his time on her when did she get the time to cheat. He was all over her all the time. Maybe he should have let her breathe a little :)))