"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, pick and/or phone:
“Many children grow through adolescence with no ripples whatever and land smoothly and predictably in the adult world with both feet on the ground. Some who have stumbled and bumbled through childhood suddenly burst into bloom. Most shake, steady themselves, zigzag, fight, retreat, pick up, take new bearings, and finally find their own true balance.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“My long two-pointed ladder’s sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there’s a barrel that I didn’t fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn’t pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“ET phone home.”
—Melissa Mathison, U.S. screenwriter, and Steven Spielberg. ET, ET The Extra-Terrestrial, realizing he can contact his home planet (1982)