William J. Gaither (born March 28, 1936) is an American singer and songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴William J. Gaither (born March 28, 1936) is an American singer and songwriter of southern gospel and Contemporary Christian music. He has written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife, Gloria. Besides performing solo and with his wife, Gaither has appeared as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, the Gaither Vocal Band, and as a part of his "Homecoming" groups.

Gloria Gaither (b. March 4, 1942) is a songwriter for gospel music, along with her husband, Bill Gaither. She also sang in the Bill Gaither Trio, one of the most influential groups in recent Christian music.

Turn Your Radio On
Bill & Gloria Gaither Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every time I turn the radio on some cat's singin' a happy song
About a woman who wakes him up every morning and loves him
Scrambles his eggs and unscrambles his life butters his toast with a golden knife
Bears his kids and nearly bout all of his burdens
And I just sit there starin' at the wall wonderin' how I missed it all
I've been out half of the night and I'm hung over
Nobody woke me rubbin' my feet just the sound of a jackhammer out in the street
And this ole room ain't exactly a field of clover

Am I the only tavern-hoppin' beer-can-poppin' fool left in the world
Am I the only sad-and-lonely meek-weak-freak without a girl
No one to love and make me happy call me baby or call me pappy
Am I the only low-and-lonely woman-needin' jukebox-feedin'
Sufferin' son of a gun left in the world
[ guitar - steel ]
Every time I turn the radio on some cat's singin' a happy song
About the woman who serves him love on a silver platter
Makes his coffee sweet and warm holds him in her lovin' arms

I look in the mirror and I wonder what's the matter
Am I the only tavern-hoppin'...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bill & Gloria Gaither's song Turn Your Radio On lament the singer's lack of a loving relationship in their life, contrasting with the happy songs they hear on the radio. The singer describes "some cat's singin' a happy song" about a woman who loves and nurtures them, but laments their own solitude and loneliness. The singer seems to be wallowing in self-pity, wondering why they haven't found a woman to make them happy and fulfill their needs. They describe their own life as being hungover and unpleasant, in contrast to the happy songs they hear.

The lyrics touch upon a common theme in popular music, that of the search for love and companionship. The singer is unable to find the fulfillment that they hear in the songs on the radio, and is left wondering what's wrong with them. The lyrics suggest that the singer is feeling sorry for themselves, and that they need to take action if they want to find love and happiness.

Overall, the lyrics to Turn Your Radio On are a poignant reflection on the human experience, and the search for love and companionship. The contrasting images of the happy songs on the radio and the singer's lonely reality create a powerful emotional effect.

Line by Line Meaning

Every time I turn the radio on some cat's singin' a happy song
Whenever I switch on the radio, there's always someone singing a joyful tune.

About a woman who wakes him up every morning and loves him
Singing about how fortunate he is to have a woman who wakes him up every day with love.

Scrambles his eggs and unscrambles his life butters his toast with a golden knife
She not only cooks for him, but she also makes his life better and perfect by her presence.

Bears his kids and nearly bout all of his burdens
She carries almost all his loads, including raising their children.

And I just sit there starin' at the wall wonderin' how I missed it all
I am here sitting blankly, questioning how I missed such a wonderful thing.

I've been out half of the night and I'm hung over
I was out drinking and partying half the night, and now I'm hung over.

Nobody woke me rubbin' my feet just the sound of a jackhammer out in the street
No one was there to wake me up with a foot massage; I woke up to the annoying sound of a jackhammer outside.

And this ole room ain't exactly a field of clover
Let's be honest; this room is not in good condition.

Am I the only tavern-hoppin' beer-can-poppin' fool left in the world
Am I the only person who spends all his time drinking at taverns and making foolish decisions?

Am I the only sad-and-lonely meek-weak-freak without a girl
Do I stand alone in feeling sad and lonely, weak and powerless, without a loving companion?

No one to love and make me happy call me baby or call me pappy
There is no one to love, care and make me happy, to address me with terms of endearment.

Am I the only low-and-lonely woman-needin' jukebox-feedin'
Do I stand alone in craving music to provide me emotional support as a woman in need?

Sufferin' son of a gun left in the world
Am I the only one who feels unwanted and unloved in this world?

About the woman who serves him love on a silver platter
The song on the radio is about the fortunate fellow who receives undiluted love as served to him on a silver platter.

Makes his coffee sweet and warm holds him in her lovin' arms
She not only makes him sweet and warm coffee but also holds him in her loving embrace.

I look in the mirror and I wonder what's the matter
I glance at my reflection in the mirror and question what the problem is with me.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@johannasuero403

8y↑9

Welcome and listen into a radio station
Where the mighty hosts of heaven sing
Turn your radio on - turn your radio
Turn your radio on - turn your radio on
If you wanna feel those good vibrations
Coming from the joy that His love can bring
Turn your radio on - turn your radio on
Turn your radio on

Turn your radio on - oh yes, turn your radio on
And listen to the music in the air - and listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on - oh yes, turn your radio on
And glory share - and glory, glory share
Turn your lights down low - oh yes, turn your lights down low
And listen to the master's radio - and listen to the master's radio
Get in touch with God - get in touch with God
Turn your radio on - turn your radio on

A don't you know that everybody is a radio receiver
All you gotta do is listen for the call
Turn your radio on - turn your radio
Turn your radio on - turn your radio on
If you listen in you will be a believer
Leanin' on the truth that will never fall
Get in touch with God - get in touch with God
Turn your radio on

Turn your radio on - oh yes, turn your radio on
And listen to the music in the air - and listen to the music in the air
Turn your radio on - oh yes, turn your radio on
And glory share - and glory, glory share
Turn your lights down low - oh yes, turn your lights down low
And listen to the master's radio - and listen to the master's
Turn your lights down low and listen to the master's radio
Get in touch with God - get in touch with God
Turn your radio on - turn your radio on

All comments from YouTube:

@OldCBnGuns

3y↑8

One of the oldest videos on YouTube. This song saved me. With my radio technology knowledge. This simple
Song opened me up to god. I am a hospice nurse and I routinely pray with families. It’s so deep and emotional
It’s just awesome and intouch with god like the song says!

@chainman100

5y↑36

I miss Rex Nelon one of the best bass singers there ever was.

@BluevesPL

4y↑3

Exactly.

@ChristinaMarieAngelicque-vc3nx

47w↑1

WHENEVER BEN LACY SPEER SANG "TURN YOUR RADIO ON", I CRIED!

@JoypeaceinJesus

7y↑17

Gospel hymns are beautiful!! I love to talk and sing about God. It's the refreshing and lovely thing to do 😊

@ChristinaMarieAngelicque-vc3nx

41w↑1

I MET BEN TWICE AFTER LUBBOCK CONCERTS; HE WAS SO WONDERFUL TO ME! I MISS HIM!

@dianefiske-foy4717

4y↑6

So many of these folks have gone on, but I sure am glad that the Gaither folks have all of them and this great music saved on one kind of video or another.

@SylvusPresley

2y↑2

Will never forget the smoothness of ole Rex’s voice… a sound embedded in my childhood memory… Lol I shared an elevator with him onced and liketa died about it🥲😂😂💜💜💜💜😇🙏 🎶

@stonemaze9925

3y↑2

Singalong with Jesus! I'm in!

@mrjack4808

4y↑4

A very nice song. Wonderful to see all the singers and audience clap their hands as they sing this great song.

@marcellemcdonald7762

4y↑3

Used to listen to this as a little girl .. literally "On the Radio" 😊 Happy to hear it again 40 yrs later.. God bless them all.
Such fond memories.

@suwaiterpapa4257

32w

❤I love all the voice nice

@davidwesson6381

4y↑2

What are you waiting for, America? Turn your radio on!

@johannasuero403

8y↑9

@demonative9945

4y↑14

If you listen closely you can hear JD at the end nailing that Eb1 lol

@jordido5242

2y↑1

Well, he did not sing it. You can see him in the end not even holding the mic properly.

@sharonpinner1207

3y↑2

Love Rex!!

@thoneyomoboye350

30w

Published on March 7, 2017

@BluevesPL

6y↑8

Who is a main bass here? That "get in touch with god" is so sang so well

@EnchiladaMan360

6y↑5

Rex Nelon. He was the principal of the Homecoming Friends' bass section from the early 1990s until his death in 2000.

@BluevesPL

6y↑1

Raymond Lisle its not his voice, i meant in "in touch with god"

@yes_no_maybe45

Nicolas Cage in that case that would be ( correct Me if I’m wrong) JD Sumner

@BluevesPL

@@yes_no_maybe45 Jd has no mic here, and its definitely not his voice. Right there has much more power

@aidans5052

It’s a track

3 More Replies...

@MrTrashcan1

Not being Christian, the first time I heard this song was on the radio (of course) by Ray Stevens. I thought he wrote it as a funny song. Years later I looked it up and discovered it was was by Albert Brumley back in the 30s. Then I found the clip on YT with Gaither and Lowry going back and forth. Just love it!

@rickmckee6698

I pray that you will accept the Lord Jesus as your Savoir, he is coming back, please be ready !

@MrTrashcan1

@@rickmckee6698 I am Jewish and pray to a single God, as did Jesus. Paul, a Greek pagan, invented Christianity and one can see how it is allegorical to paganism's understanding of the "universe," which ironically I now suspect may be true. Still, while I know Christian music is beautiful in order to draw people in, I love it nonetheless.

@ethanrichard4950

@@MrTrashcan1 Jesus made it clear He was the one of three persons in the trinity. He might have prayed to one God, but that God is three persons. And anyone can find an allegory if they try. There needs to be proof no one else in the entire New Testament was real/telling the truth. I don't see it. Paul wasn't exactly preaching Christianity in the most friendly, loving place in the world. He suffered for it.

@MrTrashcan1

@@ethanrichard4950 Sorry, but whatever Jesus was purported to have said was stated by others long after he died, and there is no proof that any of that is factual. If you believe he said it, that's fine by me. And that God is a trinity is paganism, but again, you are free to believe whatever you wish.

@ethanrichard4950

@@MrTrashcan1 The OT clearly prophecies Jesus, a savior from our sins, and teaches a difference between God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 'Long after he died' the earliest writings are within a half of a generation. And there's no explanation suitable enough, it seems to explain the empty tomb.

3 More Replies...

@ktf595

AMEN!.

@boredom120

5y↑5

omg this is an oldie song! Guy's hair isn't gray! 😂💞

@kristabrewer9363

Of course his hair isn't gray. This is like maybe their 5th video

@jerrypullen4890

5y↑4

Great song did Albert brumley write this?

@321beebo

4y↑1

Yes! He wrote a lot of great songs.

@yes_no_maybe45

6y↑3

Is Jd in there because it sound like it and I think I saw him in there

@BluevesPL

5y↑1

He is, but without mic.

@kristabrewer9363

5y↑1

I like this song, and I've heard it a hundred times, but I never did get the meaning of it

@jacobbelcher3512

5y↑3

This song is telling of how a radio will share what it is receiving. If we act like a radio and receive God's word, then we will not only have joy but we will also most likely share what we are receiving. One thing that all of us are called to do is be an evangelist and spread God's message, but we must first be a receiver in order to do so. We cannot share joy unless we have received it first. I am pretty sure that is what this song is saying. I hope this helps. I love this song too, and I never get tired of it. The same is true for all the old hymns, I never get tired of them.

As far as things like where the song says, "Turn your lights down low" I am not sure what the meaning of that is. I have an old Trutone tabletop tube radio from 1937, and this song was released in 1939. All radios then would have had tubes in them, but that is irrelevant information in regards to this topic. However, what is relevant is one feature that my Trutone has on it. There is a relatively dim fluorescent bulb that has a translucent shutter over it that moves to indicate the signal strength of whatever station it is tuned to. Because the shutter is translucent, it is really difficult to see what position it is in unless there is very little ambient light in the room. I doubt that this could be what the song is alluding to, but it is a possibility. It makes sense to me since the lights have to be turned down low in order to tell if it is tuned in to a station completely. I hope this helps too.

@kristabrewer9363

Well, after reading what you thought the "Turn Your Radio On" meant, I thought that the "Turn Your Lights Down Low" mean that we had to shut ourselves off and OUR interpretation of things, and listen to God

@jacobbelcher3512

@@kristabrewer9363 Oh, no I interpreted it as we have to be finely tuned in and hear what God says very clearly and follow where He leads us, but not to shut ourselves off from the world. The world is a beautiful place that was created for us to live on before we go to live with Him, so we should not shut ourselves off to things around us. I have a radio that has a tuning indicator on it and it is very dim and hard to see if there is much ambient light. In order to see it properly you have to have very little to no ambient light, but that is also because the radio and the light is 82 years old. It is the original fluorescent bulb, and I do not want to try to find a replacement for it because I found one years ago and it was over $200. Anyway, I thought the song was alluding to some device like what my radio has on it, but I very seriously doubt it is because I haven't seen that feature on any other radio. It is pretty easy to tune in to a station completely by just listening, so then that feature is pretty much unnecessary. I'm not really sure what the "Turn your lights down low" means in the song, but all I can say for sure is I sure do like the song.