Pay Phone

"Payphone" is a song performed by the American pop rock band Maroon 5. The song was released on April 17, 2012, as the lead single from their fourth studio album Overexposed (2012). It features American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was written by Adam Levine, Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio, Shellback and Khalifa, and produced by Blanco and Shellback. The song is a pop ballad and it talks about a romance that is no more.

The mid-tempo song finds Levine lamenting a deteriorating relationship and Khalifa's verse talks about how regretful the unlucky lover will be for walking away. The song's title comes from Levine's line: "I'm at a payphone trying to call home / All of my change I spent on you." The song has received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the catchy melody and named it "a radio success", but some others dismissed Khalifa's appearance and its title.

The official music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, finds Levine taking down some bank robbers and attempting to become the "hero" in a hail of bullets as he makes his escape, steals a gun from a robber and then gets mistaken for one. Because of this, he must escape from a fleet of policemen, which he does with ease. The video was positively received from critics, who considered it an enjoyable mini-action movie. The video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video, but lost out to "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction.

The song has proved to be a success. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at the number three spot before peaking at number two. The song sold a total of 493,000 copies. It became the best sales week for a digital song by a group and also the eighth-best sales week overall. It also reached number-one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and has stayed at the top for eight consecutive weeks. It also topped the UK Singles Chart.

"LYRICS"

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 fairytales are full of sh*t

One more stupid love song I'll be sick

You turned your back on tomorrow

Cause you forgot yesterday

I gave you my love to borrow

But just gave it away

You can't expect me to be fine

I don't expect you to care

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

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 fairytales are full of sh*t

One more stupid love song I'll be sick

Now I'm at a payphone...

[Wiz Khalifa]

Man work that sh*t

I'll be out spending all this money while you 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 stunning

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

Telling me the chances 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 show

You can tell it I'm ballin'

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've saw

But sad to say it's over for

Phantom pulled up valet open doors

Wiz like go away, got what you was looking for

Now ask me who they want

So you can go and take that little piece of sh*t with you

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 fairytales are full of sh*t

One more stupid love song I'll be sick

Now I'm at a payphone...