No Name #2

I've got to agree with Badge; this song could refer to a number of small, distinct situations.
What I've personally got going on in my mind is that there's this guy who's too closed up in himself, too depressed, to take normal invitations of friendship from people and socialize with them. He picks up the phone with "concrete hands"- hands that are afraid to move- and receives an invitation to come out of his hovel; except he's too afraid of the consequences and too distrustful to follow through on this. "a couple of words that hid a crime" could simply be deception. words that he doesn't trust.

Upon reading the other comments, I think it's probably just about his girlfriend breaking up with him.
But, I wanted to write that down because it's the first thing that came to my mind upon hearing the song. go figure.

I don't think it's pregnancy. I think she is just breaking up with him. He pretends not to care, but obviously that is not the case.

I think it's actually about a girl that he was interested in but she keeps stringing him along. She calls to try to get sympathy from him, and he finally stands up to her. Even though he stands up for himself, it still doesn't change the way he feels. Anybody who's been in this situation will know what I'm talking about.

yeah i totally agree with the 'do what you have to do' thats what i was thinking. see i think its this bout this guy who gets stoned and his girlfriend calls him. 'Concrete Hands Pick Up the Telephone Ring'. when im stoned i just feel soooo heavy and just wanna sit and think to myself and smile. so anyway she calls and tells him shes pregnant and of course any guy would do this, he flipps out. 'do you know who your talking to? yeah and i dont care who' 'she whispered quiet terror news' he then wants to like get outta it he doesnt care if its a baby or not he wants to get rid of it. 'he didnt give a hoot, he sed do what you have to do.' so he gets up from his sitting position. (whenever i get up quick and im outta it i just have to sit down, or i fall over) that could be 'im lieing here on the ground' or mabe 'a studdering step you hear when your falling down' so i think she says to him im keeping the baby and hes not ready for a baby, as you can see hes a junkie mess. now on the inside hes crying to himself. 'killing time wont stop this crying' and i think 'time' stands for when the babys due. he's a loose cannon now and mabe suicidal? 'you better start watching what messages that you send now' 'no more situations ill only go in to be kicked out' then hes saying how it hit him like a brick wall he wasnt expecting this at all. he was just "leaning back chilln out" 'he got knocked down leaning like he ran into a cloths line' BUT HEY WHAT DO I KNOW? Thats just what i kindda got outta the song. hes a great artist its a shame how his life ended. what a way to go man. but hey we can only hope hes in a better place now. Peace.

she whispered quiet terror news....i love the guitar when he sings that line. and the bridge,

"You better start watching what message that you send now No more situations I only go in to be kicked out He got knocked down leaning like he ran into a clothesline And remembered a couple of words that hid a crime You're just fine You'll be just fine But I'm on the other line" pure Elliott. it almost scares me how easily I can relate to Elliott's song. i think i might be getting obsessed. but i just can't ignore his genius.

This is on my top 5 favorite Elliott songs. I love the harmonica. It amazes me that he could play all these instruments so well. I always just refer to this song as "the angry phone call". Elliott has said that naming the song is the hardest part so I named it for him, lol.

struffle? I thought it was 'stuttered'...?

before i read the lyircs/comments i always thought it was about a suicide caller. in my mind i pictured a suicidal girl calling a pay phone, and an anonymous man answers, not giving a shit-"do what you have to do"-when he could of saved her life. this is obviously not what the song is about but for some reason that is what i always pictured when listening to no name #2. on of my favorite songs though, now reading the comments its obvious i was wrong, i think the previous comments are correct

I always thought this song sounded like it was about a call to the suicide hotline.

this is one of my favorites - many times i just enjoy the feeling of this song, but looking at the lyrics it seems to tell a tale about a girl telling her boy that she is pregnant and his world shatters and he disconnects.