“Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)” is a folk-pop song written and performed by Jim Croce, released as the second single from his major-label debut album You Don’t Mess Around with Jim on August 23, 1972. The track peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart, becoming one of Croce’s signature hits.
The song was composed in 1966 during Croce’s service in the Pennsylvania National Guard, where he enlisted to avoid the Vietnam draft. While stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Croce observed servicemen waiting in long lines in the rain to use outdoor payphones to call their wives or girlfriends. He was particularly moved by soldiers trying to confirm if their “Dear John” letters were true, often pleading with manual telephone operators to connect their calls as they used their last dime to verify their partners’ fidelity.
Lyrically, the song narrates a heartbroken man’s desperate attempt to call his ex-lover, who has moved to Los Angeles with his former best friend, Ray. The protagonist speaks to the operator rather than his ex, revealing his inability to convince himself he has moved on. The song features Croce’s warm baritone vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded at The Hit Factory in New York City in late 1971.
- Inspiration: Drawn from Croce’s National Guard experiences and anecdotes from patrons at the Riddle Paddock bar in Pennsylvania.
- Legacy: The song’s iconic line, “You can keep the dime,” was honored in 2000 when Martin Guitar embedded 1973 dimes into the third fret of 73 custom guitars in Croce’s tribute.
- Tragic Context: Croce died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973, just months after the song’s chart run, cementing its status as a classic of 1970s singer-songwriter music.
[Verse 1]
Operator, well could you help me place this call?
See, the number on the match book is old and faded
She’s living in L.A. with my best old ex-friend Ray
A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated
[Chorus]
But isn’t that the way they say it goes?
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
[Verse 2]
Operator, well could you help me place this call?
Cause I can’t read the number that you just gave me
There’s something in my eyes
You know it happens every time
I think about the love that I thought would save me
[Chorus]
But isn’t that the way they say it goes?
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
[Post-Chorus]
No, no, no, no
That’s not the way it feels
[Verse 3]
Operator, well let’s forget about this call
There’s no one there I really wanted to talk to
Thank you for your time
Ah, you’ve been so much more than kind
You can keep the dime
[Chorus]
But isn’t that the way they say it goes?
Well let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine, and to show
I’ve overcome the blow
I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real
But that’s not the way it feels
