Don't Call Me Up

Album: High Expectations (2019)
Charted: 3 66
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Don't Call Me Up" finds Mabel giving her no-good boyfriend the boot.

    Don't call me up
    I'm going out tonight
    Feeling good now you're outta my life
    Don't wanna talk about us


    Mabel told The Sun: "It's about having that person in your life who doesn't appreciate you as much as you appreciate them and as soon as things end they start calling you again. It's about being strong and saying 'No you've had your chance.'"
  • Mabel wrote the song with Steve Mac (Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You", Clean Bandit's "Symphony") and Camille Purcell (Little Mix's "Shout Out To My Ex", Jess Glynne's "I'll Be There"). It was written during Mabel's debut session with Steve Mac and was the first song they did together.

    Mabel told Genius that this collaboration with the two songwriters was the first time she'd "made something that was that kind of pop, but in a way that it was still me."
  • Lyrically, Mabel set out to write a feel-good breakup song. She explained it's about that moment when you realize you've got over your ex. It's when you think, "Hey, yesterday I spent all day thinking about this person and I woke up today and I just don't care anymore."
  • When Mabel penned the song, she was still getting over a breakup, feeling low and hung up on the situation. Writing "Don't Call Me Up" helped her start again.

Comments: 1

  • Mihle Maseti from South Africa I love, I love, I love. This song is amazing. It gave me goosebumps.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.