Payphone

Song meaning of Payphone by Maroon 5

The pop ballad tells the story of a romance that ended suddenly.

Malik and Robopop created a piano line and demo recording, which Blanco combined into a suitable tune, to begin the writing process. They gave it to the lyricist, Levine. Adding hip-hop flavour to the Maroon 5 sound was another way that Blanco sought to throw a wrench into the works. "I love when things don't make sense, like, 'Holy fuck!' You don't hear him on the song at all," Blanco said. I enjoy it when bands experiment with diverse genres." Wiz Khalifa was commissioned by him for this.

The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, having debuted at number three. In Canada, it topped the charts for eight weeks running. It became the band's first-ever single to reach the top of the charts in the UK as well. In the world, "Payphone" sold the fifth most copies of any single in 2012.

Payphone lyrics by Maroon 5

I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change I spent on you

Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong

Where are the plans we made for two?

Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember

The people we used to be

It's even harder to picture

That you're not here next to me

You say it's too late to make it

But is it too late to try?

And in our time that you wasted

All of our bridges burned down

I've wasted my nights

You turned out the lights

Now I'm paralyzed

Still stuck in that time

When we called it love

But even the sun sets in paradise

I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change I spent on you

Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong

Where are the plans we made for two?

If "Happy Ever After" did exist

I would still be holding you like this

All those fairy tales are full of shit

One more fucking love song, I'll be sick

One more stupid love song, I'll be sick

Oh, you turned your back on tomorrow

'Cause you forgot yesterday

I gave you my love to borrow

But you just gave it away

You can't expect me to be fine (Oh-oh)

I don't expect you to care (Yeah)

I know I've said it before

But all of our bridges burned down

I've wasted my nights

You turned out the lights

Now I'm paralyzed

Still stuck in that time

When we called it "love"

But even the sun sets in paradise

I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change I spent on you (Oh, oh-oh-oh)

Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong

Where are the plans we made for two? (Yeah)

If "Happy Ever After" did exist

I would still be holding you like this

All those fairy tales are full of shit

All those fairy tales are full of it

One more fucking love song, I'll be sick (Yeah, uh)

One more stupid love song, I'll be sick, oh

Now I'm at a payphone

Yeah, yeah, now baby don't hang up

So I can tell you what you need to know

Baby I'm begging you just please don't go

So I can tell you what you need to know

(Wiz Khalifa):]

Man, fuck that shit

I'll be out spending all this money

While you're sitting 'round wondering

Why it wasn't you who came up from nothing

Made it from the bottom

Now when you see me I'm stunting

And all of my cars start with a push of a button

Telling me I changed since I blew up

Or whatever you call it

Switched the number to my phone

So you never could call it

Don't need my name on my shirt

You can tell that I'm balling

Swish, what a shame could have got picked

Had a really good game but you missed your last shot

So you talk about who you see at the top

Or what you could have saw but sad to say it's over for

Phantom pulled up valet open doors

Wished I'd go away, got what you was looking for

Now it's me who they want, so you can go and take

That little piece of shit with you (Yeah)

I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change I spent on you (Woo)

Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong (Yeah)

Where are the plans we made for two? (Yeah)

If "Happy Ever After" did exist (Oh)

I would still be holding you like this

All those fairy tales are full of shit (Yeah)

All those fairy tales are full of it

One more fucking love song, I'll be sick, oh

One more stupid love song, I'll be sick, yeah

Now I'm at a payphone