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Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand
| cover = Standing Outside A Phone Booth PRG.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Primitive Radio Gods
| album = Rocket The Cable Guy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| B-side = Feel Me
| released =
| recorded =
| studio = The Master Bedroom (Carlsbad, California, US)
| genre = Alternative rock
| length = 5:39
| label =
| writer =
| producer = Chris O'Connor
| next_title = Motherfucker
| next_year = 1996
| misc =
}}
"'Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand'" is a song by American alternative rock group Primitive Radio Gods. Their debut single, it was released from the soundtrack to the 1996 black comedy film 'The Cable Guy' and was also included on the band's first album, 'Rocket'. Its chorus consists of a sample from the 1964 B.B. King song "How Blue Can You Get", and the enigmatic lyrics of the song describe a troubling relationship in which two people cannot connect on an emotional level. The song was released in the United Kingdom on March 18, 1996, and was serviced to US radio on June 11, 1996.
"Standing" peaked at number one on the 'Billboard' Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It became a crossover radio hit over the following few months, reaching number two in Canada and number 10 on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 Airplay chart. Primitive Radio Gods have not had another chart hit, making them a one-hit wonder. The success of the song bolstered sales for 'Rocket', helping it sell over 500,000 copies.
Background
The song's title is a reference to the unrelated song "Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1978 album, 'Further Adventures Of'. Primitive Radio Gods frontman Chris O'Connor stated that he was struggling to name his new song, so he picked up 'Further Adventures Of' and adapted the title "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" from it. Like the rest of 'Rocket', O'Connor recorded the song on an Ampex 16-track recorder inside a friend's garage. Afterwards, Connor tried to sign onto a record label, but none were interested. Several months later, he tried again by sending tapes of his songs to the labels, this time attracting the attention of Columbia Records, with whom he eventually signed.
Composition
"Standing" is a modern rock song whose lyrics, which are seemingly nonsensical, describe the relationship between a man and his partner, who are unable to connect emotionally. The song starts with a quiet bass guitar and a clacking percussion beat, then transitions to the main instrumentation with a vocal sample from "How Blue Can You Get", a 1964 song by American singer-songwriter B.B. King. The sound of church bells can be heard intermittently throughout the song, and a piano solo constitutes the track's bridge. Toward the end of the song, O'Connor sings the sampled line of "How Blue Can You Get": "I've been downhearted baby / ever since the day we met".
Reception
AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote "With its loping, unthreatening hip-hop beats and its looped B.B. King sample, 'Standing' had all the appeal of an adult novelty for most listenersit was something that was out of the ordinary, to be sure, but not something that you would want to investigate much further."
Track listings
'US promo CD'
# "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" (edit) 4:35
# "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" (album version) 5:39
'UK 7-inch vinyl and cassette single'
# "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand"
# "Feel Me"
'UK maxi-single'
# "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand"
# "Mona Lisa"
# "Feel Me"
Credits and personnel
Credits are lifted from the UK maxi-single liner notes.
'Studios'
* Recorded at the Master Bedroom (Carlsbad, California, US)
* Mastered at Whitfield Street Recording Studios (London, England)
'Personnel'
* Chris O'Connor writer, producer
* Leonard Feather, Jane Feather writers of "How Blue Can You Get"
* David Vaught engineering
* Ray Staff mastering
* Lisa Wright photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
Category:1996 debut singles
Category:1996 songs
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Primitive Radio Gods songs
Category:Songs written by Leonard Feather
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