"Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" is a 1972 song written by

Jim Croce James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American Folk music, folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of o ...

. Croce's record was released on August 23, 1972. It was the second single released from Croce's album '' You Don't Mess Around with Jim''. It reached a peak of number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in December 1972, spending twelve weeks on the chart.

Content

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described the lyrics saying that "in

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

fashion, Jim Croce tries to track down his long lost lover with the help of the operator." The song relates one side of a conversation with a telephone operator. The speaker is trying to find the phone number of his former lover, who has moved to Los Angeles with his former best friend. He wants to demonstrate to both of them that he is well and over their betrayal, but admits to the operator that he is not. After the operator has given him the number, he is unable to read it, apparently due to the tears in his eyes. He then changes his mind and tells the operator not to place the call, appreciatively adding "you can keep the dime" (the then-standard toll he had deposited in a

payphone A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone or pay telephone or public phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or in high-traffic public areas. Prepayment is required by inserting coins or tel ...

). The story was inspired during Croce's military service, during which time he saw lines of soldiers waiting to use the outdoor phone on base, many of them calling their wives or girlfriends to see if their Dear John letter was true. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called the song a "strong story-telling tune in the

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

' Memphis' vein" and said that "the single is a near-perfect matching of this singer to the song."

Live performances

In 1973, Croce performed "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" on the series '' The Midnight Special''. Live versions of the song have also been released on the albums '' Jim Croce Live: The Final Tour'' and '' Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live''.

Track listing

7" Single (ABC-11335) # "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)" - 3:45 # "Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy) " - 2:40

Chart performance

References

{{Jim Croce 1972 songs 1972 singles Jim Croce songs Songs about telephone calls Songs written by Jim Croce ABC Records singles Vertigo Records singles