Pick Up the Phone

## Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring Sebastian Lundberg

"**Pick Up the Phone**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released exclusively to his website on July 20, 2016. Fans could access it by entering their email address and zip code. Being the lead single and 11th track from his album, *Drogas Light* (2017), it features guest vocals from Sebastian Lundberg of Trinity Music. It was intended to be for his previous album, *Tetsuo & Youth*.

## Music video

The official music video was uploaded to Fiasco's YouTube channel on August 28, 2016. It depicts a couple who struggles with communication, resulting in a tragic end.

## Personnel

* Bob Horn – mixer
* David Kutch – masterer
* Eshraque "iSHi" Mughal – writer, producer
* Sebastian Lundberg – writer
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – vocals, writer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Uhh, I just need a minute to replenish who I am

And who I am is so dependent on exactly where we stand

I stand in any pose, anythin' but tippy-toes

Don't want you to feel smaller, always taller

Now I'm a cheerleader, she a baller

The difference in height isn't aight, I left my ego at the altar

Now every ring's a sting and everythin' I taught ya

Is comin' back around to me, just like revolvers

And every single click is just hammerin' it home

Who knew Russian Roulette involved answerin' the phone?

Until my signal dwindles or my channel is in roam

Or my cellphone dies or it's cancer in my dome

And dear nix the tone, as I pour my fuckin’ pain out

One of your short nodes, might blow my fuckin' brains out

But you ain't even pick up

Talkin' to myself, exactly what you sick of

[Pre-Chorus: Sebastian Lundberg, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Feeling kinda restless

Did you get my message?

It's swirling around and so (*Yeah, c'mon!*)

No, don't tell me that you care (*Uh huh*)

When I know you're standing there (*Yeah*)

I left the story of my life on your answering machine (*What's up? Yeah*)

[Chorus: Sebastian Lundberg, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Hello, can you hear me?

Hello, are you there?

Hello, would you pick up the phone?

Hello, can you hear me?

Hello, are you there? (*Yeah, are you there? Are you there? Are you there?*)

Hello, would you pick up the fuckin' phone?

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

We were like, "If a tree falls in the forest and

No one is around, does it really make a sound?"

That's romantic and profound, but now

We're like lumberjacks holdin' the axes that brung it down

So I'm now on your message, talkin' 'bout "Remember?"

Silence in return, that sound like 'Timber!"

There's some that can't see the forest because they're liars

But I can't see the forest 'cause of the fire

And in our prehistorics, the flowers was rootin' for us

Brontosaurus ate the flowers, T-Rex ate the Brontosaurus

And then the T-Rex turned around and ate the florist

That's why I lost my FTD endorsements

But that's really not important

My sadness' a snitch, my melancholy informant

Despair wears a wire, my longin' rappin' a song

My worry is a rat, my lonely tappin' the phone

[Pre-Chorus: Sebastian Lundberg, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Feeling kinda restless

Did you get my message?

It's swirling around and so (*Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh*)

I wanna give you reasons (*Yeah*)

Tell you what I'm feeling

But none of these lines are secure (*Nah*)

No, don't tell me that you care (*Uh huh*)

When I know you're standing there (*Yeah*)

I left the story of my life on your answering machine (*What else? Uh huh*)

My tears run off your shoes (*Yeah*)

Like waters from a goose (*Uh*)

You try to wash off all the dirt

But your hands aren't getting clean

[Chorus: Sebastian Lundberg, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Hello, can you hear me?

Hello, are you there?

Hello, would you pick up the phone?

Hello, can you hear me?

Hello, are you there? (*Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?*)

Hello, would you pick up the fuckin' phone?

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

The make-believers on receivers as you sit back and observe

As the rubber curly cord just absorbs all my words

Will you collect us then connect us or neglect us on the whole?

Into the wall, then cross the wires on the telephone poles

Then bounces off the towers, then up into the satellites

Then falls down back to Earth to bring a broken heart back to life

Happens all the time, lost an appetite and lack of sleep

If it's dead and flatten line, I'll leave a message at the beep

[Chorus: Sebastian Lundberg, *Lupe Fiasco*]

Hello, can you hear me?

Hello, are you there? (*Hello, are you there? Yeah*)

Hello, would you pick up the phone? (*Come on*)

Hello, can you hear me? (*Come on*)

Hello, are you there? (*Come on*)

Hello, would you pick up the phone?

Would you pick up the phone?

Would you pick up the phone?

Hello, would you pick up the fuckin' phone?

## References

1. ↑ Slavik, Nathan (July 21, 2016). "Lupe Fiasco & The Hidden Power of Fan Data for Artists". *DJBooth*.
2. ↑ Rollings, Maya (July 20, 2016). "Lupe Fiasco Drops New Track "Pick Up the Phone"". *Vibe*.
3. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". *Twitter*. February 10, 2022.
4. ↑ Ivey, Justin (August 29, 2016). "Lupe Fiasco Premieres New "Pick Up the Phone" Video". *XXL*.