Talk To Ya Later – The Tubes | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#7); 1981

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

One time roadie John “Fee Waybill” Waldo started lugging equipment in Arizona for the Red, White and Blues Band prior to the group’s move to San Francisco in 1972. After relocating, Fee’s band renamed itself Arizona, and merged with Beans to become Beanizona., then later switched back to plain ole Beans. Meanwhile, Fee had graduated to tambourine on his way to singing lead, while his band mates began the search for another name. “Tubes, rods, and bulbs” – the bones that make up one’s inner ear – seemed a perfect fit, except for its length, so that was shortened to “Tubes.” The Tubes’ outrageous live act didn’t exactly translate into vinyl success. Starting with The Tubes in 1975, five albums came and went to underwhelming response. Finally, in 1981, Talk To Ya Later and Don’t Want To Wait Anymore – both from the decidedly more commercial The Completion Backward Principle produced by David Foster – cracked the mainstream rock Top 10 and the pop Top 40 respectively.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• David Foster

Lyrics Written by:

• The Tubes