This flirtatious song is about gathering up one’s courage to approach a stranger and to give that person your phone number.

Most people have fantasized about seeing someone attractive, going up to that person, smiling, and handing over their phone numbers. Carly Rae Jepsen sings “Call Me, Maybe” about just such an encounter. Her fantasy in the song is that seeing the object of her affection inspires her to toss coins in a wishing well for a relationship with him. “Pennies and dimes for a kiss” is that wish, and Jepsen goes on to describe the person, who is a kind of 2011 version of James Dean: ripped pants and a steamy glance. Jepsen sings, too, that even though this guy takes his time with calling her, she falls in love with him instantly. He gave her “nothing at all,” but it was still love at first sight, all sparks and fireworks.

Folk or Pop?

Originally, Jepsen imagined the song as a folk song, all acoustic and reliant on her voice. Her friend Tavish Crowe and she toyed it with and presented it to their producer, Josh Ramsay. He thought it would be a bigger hit as a pop song and helped them morph it into something completely different, adding beats and a string section. It must have worked because when Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez heard it, they presented it to Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun. After that, the sky truly was the limit. Jepsen is thoughtful about the song. The bubblegum nature of its final version was never what she really wanted to do. But, she acknowledges that its popularity, and the income that the song generated, set her up for life so that she could make the music that really mattered to her, similar to some of the commissions Mozart took so that he could afford to live while changing the world of music. She says that the song is a gift because of the way she benefited from it.

Chart Performance

The song didn’t just reach No. 1 on the Canada Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It was No. 1 in 14 other countries, as well, from Asia to Eastern Europe. It was in the top five in half a dozen other countries too. It sold 10 million copies in the United States, and in Japan, it has more than 50 million streaming purchases. In more than a dozen countries, it’s either gold, platinum, or diamond.

Other Media

Given the song’s theme, TV producers have chosen it for soundtracks of shows with a romantic subtext. “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” “Wedding Season,” and “Castle” are three notable examples. The song’s bubblegum nature made it just right for dancing reality shows like “So, You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With the Stars.”

Lyrics

I threw a wish in the well
Don’t ask me, I’ll never tell
I looked to you as it fell
And now you’re in my way
I trade my soul for a wish
Pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn’t looking for this
But now you’re in my way

Your stare was holdin’
Ripped jeans, skin was showin’
Hot night, wind was blowin’
Where you think you’re going, baby?

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
It’s hard to look right at you, baby
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
And all the other boys try to chase me
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe

You took your time with the call
I took no time with the fall
You gave me nothing at all
But still, you’re in my way
I beg and borrow and steal
At first sight, and it’s real
I didn’t know I would feel it
But it’s in my way

Your stare was holdin’
Ripped jeans, skin was showin’
Hot night, wind was blowin’
Where you think you’re going, baby?

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
It’s hard to look right at you, baby
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
And all the other boys try to chase me
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe

Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad, I missed you so, so bad
Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad
And you should know that
I missed you so, so bad
(Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad)

It’s hard to look right at you, baby
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe

Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe
And all the other boys try to chase me
But here’s my number, so call me, maybe

Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad
I missed you so bad, I missed you so, so bad
Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad
And you should know that
So call me maybe

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Carly Rae Jepsen / Joshua Keeler Ramsay / Tavish Joseph Crowe

Call Me Maybe lyrics © Universal Music Corp., Jepsen Music Publishing

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