What clues do the lyrics of the first verse give about the state of the phone system? Poor sound quality; operator-assisted calls; male operators. How routine has the telephone become in this song—was it a novelty or common?

The phone was invented in the 1870s. Why did it take so long to become a household appliance? What challenge did the telephone face in its early decades? It had to be adopted by enough people that there was someone on the other end to call. Telephone poles and wires had to be erected. Who were early adopters? Businesses. Many people had their first phone experiences with public telephones. Would the situation in this song have been possible with a public phone?

How was the telephone different from the telegraph in getting started? Telegraphs had central offices along the lines, required a trained operator who knew Morse code; telephones could be used by anyone with a voice, but required a complicated switching system to route calls to their destinations.

What other technologies required widespread adoption to be practical? Radio, television, digital television, two-way radio, email, social media, text.

What recent trend does this song remind you of? Remote work, school, and communication via internet platforms such as Zoom.  How are internet relationships similar to the one in this song? How is phone conversation different than online communication?