“Obscene Phone Caller” was the follow-up single to Rockwell’s smash debut single “Somebody’s Watching Me”. It reached #35 on the US pop chart and was also a minor hit in the UK and Germany.
Continuing the themes of unknown lurking terrors, the song revolves around someone who makes an unsolicited c...
[Intro]
Hello
Who is this?
(Obscene phone caller, oh)
[Verse 1]
I came home knocked out after work
That's when my telephone goes berserk
How can I unwind or get some rest
Receiving sick phone calls from a lonely pest?
[Chorus]
(Oh, oh, oh) Find someone else to bother
(Mister or miss) Obscene phone caller
(Why do you) Get off breathing on the phone?
(Obscene phone caller) Leave me alone
[Verse 2]
Why did you have to pick me
Out of all the people in the directory?
I don't know what's going through your mind
But these naughty phone calls are a waste of time
I must have my number changed
Or trace these calls from whence they came
If Alexander Bell were alive today
Would he want the telephone to be used this way?
[Chorus]
(Oh, oh, oh) Find someone else to bother
(Mister or miss) Obscene phone caller
(Why do you) Get off breathing on the phone?
(Obscene phone caller) Leave me alone
[Bridge]
Listen here
I don't understand why you're callin' me, you know
I don't know who you are
You know, you call me every day, you breathe on the phone
Just let me know if you're a girl or something, maybe I'll talk to you
But you know, you don't say anything but...
[Chorus]
(Oh, oh, oh) Find someone else to bother (Obscene phone caller)
(Mister or miss) Obscene phone caller
(Why do you) Get off breathing on the phone? (Obscene phone caller)
(Obscene phone caller) Leave me alone
[Outro]
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Obscene phone caller, whoa)
Find someone else to bother (Obscene phone caller)
(Mister or miss) Obscene phone caller
You dirty little nasty twit
Obscene Phone Caller was written by Rockwell.
Obscene Phone Caller was produced by Curtis Anthony Nolen & Rockwell.
Rockwell released Obscene Phone Caller on Mon Jan 30 1984.
Rockwell told Rolling Stone the inspiration behind “Obscene Phone Caller”:
I always wanted women to just call me and be obscene phone callers.