"Pick Up the Phone" was the debut single from Brakes. It is a political rant bemoaning the failure of the world's leaders to sort out major issues. It implores the leaders of Israel, Palestine, America and the United Kingdom to simply "pick up the phone" and talk to each other. This version is distinguished from the album version by the changing of "Yasser" to "Abbas" in recognition of the death of the former Palestinian leader. The B-side, "Cheney", is blunter, simply telling Dick Cheney to "stop being such a dick". It is unique amongst singles, in that it is only 28 seconds long.
The video was directed by Hamilton of British Sea Power, at a cost of £70. All three tracks were later re-recorded and released as part of the band's debut album, Give Blood.
Famous quotes containing the words pick up the, pick up, pick and/or phone:
“My only companions were the mice, which came to pick up the crumbs that had been left in those scraps of paper; still, as everywhere, pensioners on man, and not unwisely improving this elevated tract for their habitation. They nibbled what was for them; I nibbled what was for me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Always too eager for the future, we
Pick up bad habits of expectancy.
Something is always approaching; every day
Till then we say....”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Friendship is learned by watching and listening to you. If she sees that your friends are people you like and trust and don’t pretend with—people who suit you—she probably won’t pick friends who just pass by, or people who can help her or improve her status. If you treat friends in a special way, if you are kinder, more generous, more sympathetic, more forgiving with friends, she probably will be, too.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“I went into the kitchen and got halfway to the phone before I realized that I couldn’t call her.... A lot of people who lost a mother or father or husband or wife will tell you that they find themselves almost talking out loud. I do that a lot.”
—Bill Clinton (b. 1946)