Telephone Rock

by Little Jerry (Jerry Nelson) and The Monotones (Christopher Cerf, Richard Hunt and Jeff Moss)

(lead singer picks up phone in phone booth)

Operator: Number please

I'm saying hey operator, please give us a hand
Ya gotta help us out 'cause we're the telephone band
We're calling all people that are sittin' at home
With some rocking and rolling on the telephone
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah....

Rock rock rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Everybody sing now
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
It's the latest thing yeah
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Ya know ya hear that ring now
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock

Operator: Hello? Who is this? What do you mean by calling me up and bothering me like this!

Please operator, please give us a chance
The people are waiting so please dial us this dance
They want to hear our music yeah they want us to sing
So operator please make their telephone ring
Yeah yeah yeah....

Rock rock rock rock rock
The telephone rock
You know you can't go wrong
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Come on and dial that song
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
We'll hold on all night long
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock

Operator: Listen, if you young scallywags don't stop bothering me I guess I'm gonna call the police!

Said hey everybody all across the land
We're here to entertain you with the telephone band
So take off your shoes start shaking your feet
And dance like crazy to our telephone beat
Yeah yeah yeah....

Rock rock rock rock rock
The telephone rock
People don't you hear that tone
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Come on baby hold the phone yeah
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Let's hear it one more time
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
You know it only costs a dime yeah
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
(muffled by next lines overlapping)

(operator arrives at booth with policeman in tow)

Operator: There they are Officer.
There are the whippersnappers that have been calling me up!

Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Don't ya hear that beat
Yeah yeah a real live wire
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
I'm hung up on ya baby
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
You're gonna be the receiver of all my love
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
It's a good connection baby
Rock rock rock
The telephone rock
Hey put that booth down!
Where ya going with this telephone booth?

(as they're carried off in the booth)

As transcribed by the archive Webmistress Tiny Dancer


Originally released on the album

Signs!

Signs! (1977) Children's Television Workshop

available on the video

Rock and Roll!
Rock & Roll


Also available on DVD and with A Bert Toy!