Comments on: RADIO ON!! My favorite rock songs about radio

By: Tapeleg

Tapeleg — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:14:53 +0000

Mexican Radio? No? OK.

By: diymedia

diymedia — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:07:24 +0000

Hands down: “Liberation Frequency” by the Refused:

“What frequency are you getting?
Is it noise or sweet sweet music?
On what frequency will liberation be?”

By: Mod Index

Mod Index — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:01:19 +0000

One likes to believe in the freedom of music,
But glittering prizes and endless compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrity.

Invisible airwaves crackle with life
Bright antenna bristle with the energy
Emotional feedback on a timeless wavelength
Bearing a gift beyond price, almost free

For the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall,
Concert hall
Echoes with the sounds of salesmen.
Of salesmen!

(Rush, Spirit of Radio)

By: JJuggle

JJuggle — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:09:04 +0000

Matt, that’s a very nice piece. I listen to the local community college rock radio station when I can. The DJs are all local and they broadcast local news. It’s a PBS station and broadcasts national NPR news, the car guys and a few other national show on the weekend, but most of the programming is local.

Also, a more recent song that is sort of on point is Marc Cohn’s, Listening to Levon. It’s more about the composer’s experience than radio specifically, but that experience is very much delivered over the radio which figures prominently in events from the ’70s and to the present day. The opening lyrics:

I was sitting with Mary
In my dad`s blue Valiant
Rain was coming down…
And the radio was playing
Mary was talking
A million miles a minute
I could not hear one word she was saying

Cause I was lost
I was gone
Listening to Levon
In another world
In another place
I was was lost
I was gone
Listening to Levon
I was looking at Mary`s eyes
but I was listening to Levon

By: Jennifer Waits

Jennifer Waits — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

It’s interesting to think about how radio is represented in song lyrics. Thanks for this!

Of course your post reminds me of various college radio odes, including The Replacements’ “Left of the Dial,” which uses the left side of the radio band as a metaphor:

“Weary voice that’s laughin’, on the radio once
We sounded drunk, never made it on
Passin’ through and it’s late, the station started to fade
Picked another one up in the very next state

On and on and on and on
It’s sad to move on
On and on and on and on and…

Pretty girl keep growin’ up, playin’ make-up, wearin’ guitar
Growin’ old in a bar, ya grow old in a bar
Headed out to San Francisco, definitely not L.A.
Didn’t mention your name, didn’t mention your name

If I don’t see you there in a long, long while
I’ll try to find you
Left of the dial”