Fountains of Wayne - Little Red Light - Lyrics Meaning

Although Fountains of Wayne had been putting out albums for some time, "Little Red Light" is taken from their first commercial breakthrough album, Welcome Interstate Managers. The song is a rocker, and the song writing skills of the famous Adam Schlesinger are much in evidence. While the piece moves quickly with tight lyrics is a fun way, the topic of the piece can take a few listens to really understand.

While some have taken it as a song about technology, a fan post on the Fountains of Wayne message board pinning the song as a relationship number when uncontested by the original writers. Thus, from initially seeming like a pantheon to the wonders of modern technology, the song is now taken as a guy's perspective on the post-break up experience. Despite upgrading repeatedly to better telecommunications equipment, the girl still won't call him.

The tempo of the song helps this meaning build, as the singer grows slightly more frenetic and pushed with each verse. He's upset that things are through, and wishes that she would call so that he could have a message light on his fancy phone. Ironically, despite constantly checking for left messages, it never occurs to him to leave on of his own.