Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand explained

Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand
Cover:Standing Outside A Phone Booth PRG.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Primitive Radio Gods
Album:Rocket The Cable Guy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-Side:
  • "Feel Me"
  • "Mona Lisa"
Studio:The Master Bedroom (Carlsbad, California, US)
Genre:Alternative rock[1] [2]
Length:5:39
Label:
Producer:Chris O'Connor
Next Title:Motherfucker
Next Year:1996

"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 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Triple A charts. It became a crossover radio hit over the following few months, reaching number two in Canada and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. Primitive Radio Gods have not had another chart hit, making them a one-hit wonder.[3] The success of the song bolstered sales for Rocket, helping it sell over 500,000 copies.[4]

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.[5] [6] 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.[7] Like the rest of Rocket, O'Connor recorded the song on an Ampex 16-track recorder inside a friend's garage.[8] [9] Afterwards, O'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.[8]

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.[10] 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.[3] The sound of church bells can be heard intermittently throughout the song, and a piano solo constitutes the track's bridge.[10] [3] 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".[10]

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 listeners—it was something that was out of the ordinary, to be sure, but not something that you would want to investigate much further."[11]

Track listings

UK 7-inch and cassette single[12] [13]

  1. "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand"
  2. "Feel Me"

UK maxi-CD single[14]

  1. "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand"
  2. "Mona Lisa"
  3. "Feel Me"

Australian maxi-CD single[15]

  1. "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" (edit)
  2. "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" (album version)
  3. "Mona Lisa"
  4. "Feel Me"

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the UK maxi-CD single and US promo CD liner notes.[14] [16]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[17] 10
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[18] 19
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[19] 32
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[20] 1
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[21] 7
US Triple A (Billboard)[22] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] 34
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[24] 13
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[25] 40
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)12
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[26] 41
US Triple A (Billboard)[27] 6

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United KingdomMarch 18, 1996[28]
United StatesJune 11, 1996Contemporary hit radio[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best. Cosores. Philip. Consequence of Sound. July 4, 2017. December 29, 2021.
  2. Web site: BuzzFeed. Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed. 37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven’t Thought About Since The Late ‘90s. November 19, 2015. November 5, 2023.
  3. Web site: Throwback Thursday: Primitive Radio Gods – Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. b.liebman. The Indy Review. August 31, 2017. January 21, 2021.
  4. Web site: Throwback Thursday: Primitive Radio Gods. Kenney. Kevan. Radio.com. June 11, 2020. January 21, 2021.
  5. Web site: Bruce Cockburn. Trouser Press. October 20, 2017.
  6. Web site: Interview with Primitive Radio Gods. Tomatrax. May 19, 2015. October 20, 2017.
  7. Benefit Concert Rocks Foundation; K-tel Brings Back '70s Classic. Newman. Melinda. Billboard. 108. 37. 14. September 14, 1996. January 21, 2021.
  8. Popular Uprisings. Borzillo. Carrie. Carrie Borzillo. Billboard. 108. 23. 18. June 8, 1996. January 21, 2021.
  9. The Modern Age. Bambarger. Bradley. Billboard. 108. 28. 105. July 13, 1996. January 21, 2021.
  10. Web site: Back Off, Jerk: Primitive Radio Gods' "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand". Yellin. Michael. Glide. November 26, 2014. January 21, 2021.
  11. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r239490/review|pure_url=yes}} Rocket]. Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. AllMusic. March 11, 2012.
  12. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. Primitive Radio Gods. 1996. UK 7-inch vinyl disc. Columbia Records, Ergo Records. 662769 7.
  13. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. Primitive Radio Gods. 1996. UK cassette single sleeve. Columbia Records. 662769 4.
  14. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. Primitive Radio Gods. 1996. UK maxi-CD single liner notes. Columbia Records, Ergo Records. COL 662769 2.
  15. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. Primitive Radio Gods. 1996. Australian maxi-CD single liner notes. Columbia Records, Ergo Records. 663307 2.
  16. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand. Primitive Radio Gods. 1996. US promo CD liner notes. Columbia Records, Ergo Records. CSK 7752.
  17. Radio Songs. Billboard. September 14, 1996. subscription. October 14, 2023.
  18. Adult Pop Airplay. Billboard. September 28, 1996. subscription. October 14, 2023.
  19. Mainstream Rock Airplay. Billboard. August 24, 1996. subscription. October 14, 2023.
  20. Alternative Airplay. Billboard. July 27, 1996. October 14, 2023.
  21. Pop Airplay. Billboard. August 24, 1996. subscription. October 14, 2023.
  22. Adult Alternative Airplay. Billboard. July 27, 1996. October 14, 2023.
  23. RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. April 1, 2018.
  24. RPM Year End Alternative Top 50. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. April 1, 2018.
  25. The Year in Music. Billboard. 108. 52. YE-36, YE-78. December 28, 1996. January 21, 2021.
  26. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 30. December 27, 1996.
  27. Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Triple A Tracks. Airplay Monitor. 4. 53. 24. December 27, 1996.
  28. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 35. March 16, 1996. May 28, 2021.
  29. Selected New Releases. Radio & Records. 1149. 35. June 7, 1996. April 24, 2021.

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