“Call On Me” by Bebe Rexha
“Call on Me” came out on 31 March 2023, serving as the second single in advance of the album it came to be featured on, which is Bebe Rexha’s “Bebe” album. As of this writing, a little over a month later, this song, which is a product of Warner Records, has yet to chart.
But that said, it was written by Bebe Rexha alongside Dave Gibson, Jin Jin and Burns, the latter of whom also produced the track.
There is also a remix of this piece, produced instead by David Guetta, that is in the works.
Lyrics of “Call on Me”
Warner Music Australia defined this song as an “empowering anthem”, which is one comprehensive way of interpreting it. The surprise twist is that upon reading the title, you would likely assume that it is some type of addressee, along the lines of a romantic interest, whom Bebe is instructing to “call on” her.
However, as revealed in the chorus, when she needs “a lover”, “someone to hold (her)” and “someone to set (her) free”, the vocalist has come to “call on” herself rather than an outside party.
So what’s being inferred here, especially when taking the pre-chorus into consideration, is that the character Rexha’s portraying being such that she has become disillusioned with romance, having been in a relationship(s) which proved less than gratifying.
So now, she has decided that it would be more effective to act as her own “lover”. And we have come across songs with these similar types of sentiments before, whereas for instance a toxic-romantic relationship may have pushed the vocalist to the point where she concludes that henceforth it would be better to focus on herself instead of being fruitlessly preoccupied with a boyfriend.
But as for “Call on Me” the thing is that, noting the wording of the first verse for instance, it sorta sounds like Bebe is in part may be referring to literal self-love, i.e. masturbation, if you will.
“If I need a lover
Someone to hold me
Satisfy all my needs
If I need a lover
Someone to save me
Someone to set me free
I call on me”
Interesting to note is that Bebe’s disposition in “Call on Me” is in contrast to the disposition she had in the song “Visions (Don’t Go)“, which also appears on the same album as “Call on Me”.
