Video Killed The Radio Star
Ben Folds Five Lyrics
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Lying awake intently tuning in on you.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.
Oh oh
They took the credit for your second symphony.
Re-written by machine on new technology.
Oh oh
I met our children.
Oh oh
What did you tell them.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Pictures came and broke your heart.
Oh oh
And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.
Oh oh
Your were the first one.
Oh oh
You were the last one.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car.
We can't rewind we've gone too far.
Oh oh
Oh oh
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car.
We can't rewind we've gone too far.
Pictures came and broke your heart.
Put the blame on VCR.
You are a radio star.
You are a radio star.
Video killed the radio star. [Repeats]
The lyrics of Ben Folds Five's "Video Killed the Radio Star" reflect on the shift in music culture and technological advancements. The first verse sets the scene of a nostalgic memory, where the listener reminisces about listening to the radio on their wireless radio back in 1952, and how it was a significant source of entertainment. However, the lyrics suggest that even though the listener was young at the time, it didn't stop them from being heavily invested in the content of the radio.
The second verse takes a more critical look at the impact of new technology on music. It suggests that the originality of classical music has been lost as the credit for the second symphony has been taken over by a machine, suggesting that technology has diminished the human effort in creating art. The following lines reflect on the ongoing struggles of artists due to the problems of an ever-changing environment in the music industry.
In the chorus, the lyrics elaborate that the advent of music videos has led to the death of the radio star. The line, "Pictures came and broke your heart," repeats twice, as it poetically describes the downfall of the radio industry when the music video trend took over. Later, in the third verse, Folds highlights how much things have changed for the worse as the song's characters reminisce about the good old days spent in the studio.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard you on my wireless back in fifty two.
I listened to you on my radio in 1952.
Lying awake intently tuning in on you.
I stayed up all night, focused on tuning in to your radio station.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.
Even though I was young, I still listened to your radio station.
They took the credit for your second symphony.
Someone else took credit for your composition.
Re-written by machine on new technology.
It was redone with new electronic instruments.
And now I understand the problems you can see.
Now I know the difficulties you encountered.
I met our children.
I introduced our kids to you.
What did you tell them.
What did you speak to them about?
Video killed the radio star.
Music videos replaced radio as the popular medium for music consumption.
Pictures came and broke your heart.
Images ended your radio career.
And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We reunite in a deserted recording space.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
We listen to old recordings and it feels like ages ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.
You recall how the jingles sounded.
Your were the first one.
You were the originator.
You were the last one.
You were the final one to be successful on the radio.
In my mind and in my car.
I remember it vividly, even while driving.
We can't rewind we've gone too far.
We can't turn back time, as we've progressed too much.
Put the blame on VCR.
Blame it on the video cassette recorder.
You are a radio star.
You have always been a star of the radio.
Video killed the radio star.
Music videos replaced radio as the popular medium for music consumption.
Video killed the radio star.
Music videos replaced radio as the popular medium for music consumption.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Geoffrey Downes, Trevor Charles Horn, Bruce Woolley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind