We’ve all wanted someone to call us but didn’t know how to tell them. Luckily, countless songs exist about wishing someone would just pick up the phone and give you a ring. From hip hop to pop to rock & roll, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 best songs with call me in the lyrics.
“Call Me” – Blondie
As one of the most influential new wave bands ever, it’s no surprise Blondie had a ton of hits. Their song “Call Me” was not only their biggest single but also the theme of the 1980 film American Gigolo. Lead singer Debbie Harry wrote the lyrics from the perspective of the film’s main character Julian, a male prostitute.
The lyrics make sense in the context of being written from Julian’s perspective. This comes out in the chorus with the lyrics “call me on the line / call me any, any time / call me I’ll arrive / you can call me day or night.”
Stevie Nicks was originally asked to write “Call Me” but had to turn it down due to contract obligations. Harry was then asked and wrote the lyrics and melody in just a few hours.
“Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen
In 2012, pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen released one of the catchiest songs ever. Even Justin Bieber agrees with us. The upbeat pop song about wishing your crush would call you caught our ears with the infamous chorus “hey I just met you / and this is crazy / but here’s my number / So call me maybe.”
“Call Me Maybe” was originally written as a folk song but was then produced to sound pop. Shortly after it became popular, many people began doing lip dubs to it, including celebrities like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Tisdale. The song would reach #1 on the Billboard Top 100 and nearly 600 million streams on Spotify.
“Hotline Bling” – Drake
Drake has had more hits than many artists in history, and “Hotline Bling” is no exception. The Canadian actor-turned-musician released the pop and r&b song in 2016 as part of Views, an album that showed more of his emotional side. The song is about an ex with whom Drake has history, as the first line of the song is “you used to call me on my cell phone / late-night when you need my love.”
“Hotline Bling” received different critical responses, but the music video skyrocketed the song to popularity. You may remember Drake dancing and singing in front of plain backgrounds with different lighting.
You may also remember the memes in response to the video; they were so popular that even a Super Bowl commercial was created around the video, featuring Drake himself.
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
It may be puzzling to determine why someone would tell another person “call me by your name” but Lil Nas X had a clear vision with this song. While his claim to fame was his country rap song “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” took the world by storm.
In June of 2019, Lil Nas X came out as gay. Two years later, he released “Montero” a song with sexually explicit lyrics about a boy, and the catchy chorus “call me when you want / call me when you need / call me by your name / I’ll be on the way.” The song’s title and lyrics were inspired by the film Call Me By Your Name, which is about a gay romance.
“That’s Not My Name” – The Ting Tings
Speaking of names, there are quite a few that The Ting Tings don’t want you to call them. The British pop rock duo released “That’s Not My Name” in 2007, and then again in 2008 after lots of promotion. It debuted at the top of both the UK and US charts shortly after its re-release.
In an interview, lead singer Katie White said that while the song is upbeat and fun, it’s actually sad for her. The lyrics were inspired by her frustration with the music industry. The chorus repeats “they call me” followed by different names, including “hell” “her” and “Jane.”
Then comes the title of the song with White singing “that’s not my name!” We’d be frustrated, too, if no one could get our name right.
“Don’t Call Me Baby” – Madison Avenue
With the 1980s wave of electronic music, Madison Avenue made its mark as a staple electronic band. “Don’t Call Me Baby” became the Australian duo’s best-known song since it reached #2 on ARIA Singles Chart in 1999.
The lyrics are empowering, with frontwoman Cheyne Coates singing “don’t call me baby / you’ve got some nerve and baby, that’ll never do / you know I don’t belong to you.” Not only does Coates make it clear that she doesn’t belong to this admirer, but she also takes it a step further by calling them “baby” and showing she’s in control.
“Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” – Arctic Monkeys
When English indie rock band the Arctic Monkeys wrote “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” frontman Alex Turner stated they wanted to write a straightforward song. Upon hearing the lyrics, straightforward is the best way to describe them.
The lyrics depict the singer calling and texting what seems to be an old flame: “It’s three in the mornin’ and I’m trying to change your mind.” The singer has left “multiple missed calls.”
After many attempts to contact the old flame, they send a message to the singer, asking “why’d you only call me when you’re high?” Sometimes, substances cause us to do things we wouldn’t do sober, like calling up an ex.
“Royals” – Lorde
New Zealand native Lorde became a household name when her debut single “Royals” was released in 2013. The song topped all kinds of charts, including the Billboard Hot 100. Lorde, whose real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, became the youngest female artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
The lyrics in “Royals” express the singer’s dissatisfaction with the luxurious lifestyles often portrayed in pop and hip-hop music. Lorde sings “every song’s like / gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom” pointing to songs that idolize gold teeth (grills), expensive liquor such as Grey Goose, and “tripping” on expensive drugs.
She goes on to sing “we’ll never be royals” as she and her people will never find joy in these kinds of lavish things. She then says “let me be your ruler / you can call me queen bee / and I’ll rule / let me live that fantasy.” Lorde has a different fantasy and likes it that way.
“You Can Call Me Al” – Paul Simon
Paul Simon is a legend whose career lasted over 60 years. He originally was a part of Simon and Garfunkel, and then would go on to solo music. Among his many hits was “You Can Call Me Al” a song that reached the top five in more than seven countries.
“You Can Call Me Al” was inspired by a party Simon attended with his ex-wife Peggy Harper. A French composer named Pierre Boulez was at the same party and accidentally referred to Paul as “Al” and Peggy as “Betty.” Simon took this story and wrote the lyrics “I can call you Betty / you can call me Al.” Who would have thought a funny party story could inspire such a hit song?
“Don’t Call Me Angel” – Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, & Lana Del Ray
Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Lana Del Ray are all huge pop stars on their own. So, it was big news when the three collaborated on “Don’t Call Me Angel.” The song was the lead single on the soundtrack to the 2019 Charlie’s Angels reboot.
While the song received some negative criticism because the three singers have different and unique styles, it still debuted at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics say “don’t call me angel / you ain’t got me right / ain’t from no Heaven” indicating that the singers aren’t innocent, naive women like many are led to believe.
“Don’t Call Me Up” – Mabel
The theme of not calling in songs that feature “call me” in the lyrics is quite common. English-Swedish songwriter Mabel proves this in her 2019 song “Don’t Call Me Up.” The music video for this song has surpassed 250 million views on YouTube.
Mabel wrote “Don’t Call Me Up” in response to her feelings after a breakup. She felt sad about it, but she wanted to write a positive breakup song. She sings about going out and feeling better that she’s not in the relationship anymore, saying “when I’m underneath the bright lights / when I’m trying to have a good time / don’t call me up.” You go, girl!
“Wild Boy” – Machine Gun Kelly ft. Waka Flocka Flame
Long before Machine Gun Kelly was making pop-punk songs with Travis Barker, he was a rapper. His 2011 song “Wild Boy” featuring well-known artist Waka Flocka Flame put him on the map as a rap artist. The song peaked at 49 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-hop and the music video has over 163 million views on YouTube.
The lyrics allude to MTV’s hit show JackAss, with MGK rapping “yeah, bitch, call me Steve-O / I’m a wild boy.” He compares himself to being wild like Steve-O, an actor who would do crazy things for the TV show like act as human shark bait or get sling-shotted while in a port-a-potty.
“Don’t Laugh At Me” – Mark Wills
In the heartfelt song “Don’t Laugh At Me” country musician Mark Wills sings about not judging others. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Country charts. The song was only recorded and performed by Wills; it was written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin.
The lyrics were inspired by Shamblin’s daughter who came home from school one day and said she had been bullied for having freckles. The lyrics of the chorus go “don’t laugh at me / don’t call me names / don’t get your pleasure from my pain. / In God’s eyes we’re all the same.” The main message is that we’re all equal, and we shouldn’t tease others for being different.
“Calling Dr. Love” – Kiss
There’s no doubt that Kiss is one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Their 1976 single “Calling Dr. Love” was written by bassist Gene Simmons while he was staying at a Holiday Inn in Evansville, Indiana. The title was inspired by a scene from Men in Black where hospital personnel announces on the intercom “Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard.”
In the song, Simmons sings “they call me Dr. Love / I’ve got the cure you’re thinking of.” It’s clear Simmons had love and sex on the brain while writing this hit.
“How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” – Prince
Prince was a magical artist. He could make dance hits like “1999” as easily as he could give you raw emotion with songs like “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” This song recalls a past lover, and the singer wants to know why they didn’t work out.
“What I want to know, baby / what we had was good / how come you don’t call me anymore?” And then follows “call me, girl, sometime.” Who wouldn’t want to call Prince back?
“Call Me When You’re Sober” – Evanescence
Evanescence is a female-fronted rock band that produced the iconic song “Bring Me to Life.” Their hit “Call Me When You’re Sober” depicts the frustration of only receiving calls from someone you care about when they’re under the influence: “You never call me when you’re sober.”
“Lips of an Angel” – Hinder
Even if you’re not a fan of rock music, you probably know (and secretly love) the song “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder. The lyrics depict a man talking to his ex-girlfriend on the phone without his current girlfriend knowing: “Honey why you calling me so late? / My girl’s in the next room / sometimes I wish she was you.” This song reached #3 on the Billboard Top 100.
“Kiss Me Thru the Phone” – Soulja Boy
Rapper Soulja Boy released “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” in 2008, the song with the infamous telephone number “Six-seven-eight, triple nine, eight-two-one-two.” This song is about missing your significant other so much you want them to kiss you through the phone during a call. Soulja Boy raps “call me, text me, I need you in my life.”
“Call Me” – Luke Combs
Luke Combs is one of the most popular modern country artists today. In “Call Me” he sings about all the things his love interest will call him, including “an S.O.B. and every name in the book.” These lyrics imply that his love interest hates him, but then he ends the chorus with “baby, we both know you’re going to call me.” Despite this person’s attitude towards Combs, they’re still going to call him because they miss him.
“How Come You Don’t Call Me” – Alicia Keys
In 2002, Alicia Keys covered Prince’s “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” and released it under a slightly different title, “How Come You Don’t Call Me.” Keys said that after the first time she heard the original song, she played it every day for three weeks. While the cover received different reviews, Keys stated that Prince told her he loved it.
Conclusion
There are numerous songs with the phrase “call me” in the lyrics. These twenty are only some of the most well-known. Do any of your favorite songs say “call me?” Let us know what we may have missed by dropping a comment. You may also be interested in some of our other lists, including the best songs about coffee, plants, blue eyes, clouds, and Friday.
