Billie Joe Armstrong and Elvis Costello, both famous musicians, teamed up f… Read Full Bio ↴Billie Joe Armstrong and Elvis Costello, both famous musicians, teamed up for one night on VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live." They played and sang songs such as Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and Elvis Costello's "Alison."

Billie Joe Armstrong is best known as the lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and frontman of the popular rock band Green Day.

Elvis Costello specializes in acoustic rock, and has performed with bands such as The Imposters.

Radio Radio
Billie Joe Armstrong & Elvis Costello Lyrics

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I was tuning in the shine on the late night dial
Doing anything my radio advised
With every one of those late night stations
Playing songs bringing tears to my eyes
I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
When the switch broke 'cause it's old
They're saying things that I can hardly believe
They really think we're getting out of control

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
So you had better do as you are told
You better listen to the radio

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
I wanna bite that hand so badly
I want to make them wish they'd never seen me

Some of my friends sit around every evening
And they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
And the promise of an early bed
You either shut up or get cut up, they don't wanna hear about it
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
So you had better do as you are told
You better listen to the radio

Wonderful radio
Marvelous radio
Wonderful radio
Radio, radio
Radio, radio
Radio, radio
Radio, radio
Radio, radio
Radio, radio

Radio, radio
Radio, radio

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Billie Joe Armstrong and Elvis Costello's song "Radio Radio" are a critique of the state of the media and its role in shaping public opinion. The singer starts off by describing how they used to listen to the radio late at night, feeling emotional over the music they played. But suddenly, they hear something that makes them want to turn off the radio, realizing that what they're hearing is propaganda rather than reality. The singer tells us that radio is considered to be a "sound salvation" in that it's thought to have a positive influence on society by bringing people together, but they also criticize the fact that radio stations are often owned by corporations who manipulate what is broadcasted to fit their interests. The chorus of the song speaks to this, saying that radio is "cleaning up the nation," and that people are told to listen to the "voice of reason" without being given a choice.

The second verse of the song expands on the idea that the media, through radio and television, has a powerful influence on shaping public opinion. The singer's friends worry about the future, but most people are "overwhelmed by indifference" and just want to tune out. The singer rebels against the idea of being silenced, saying that people who speak out about the way the media works are either ignored or attacked. They call radio "only inches on the reel-to-reel," essentially saying that what is played on the radio is limited and narrow-minded. In the end, the chorus is repeated to emphasize the idea that radio is both a force for good and a tool of manipulation that can be dangerous if people don't question what they hear.

Overall, "Radio Radio" is a clever critique of the music industry and the media at large, raising important questions about how we receive information and how it shapes our perceptions of the world. The lyrics are both humorous and biting, making the point that people must be vigilant and question what they're told, even when it comes from a seemingly benign source like a radio.

Line by Line Meaning

I was tuning in the shine on the late night dial
I was searching through the radio waves for a signal, anything that shone out to me in the late hours

Doing anything my radio advised
I was following whatever the DJs told me to do through their music

With every one of those late night stations
Through each and every late night radio station

Playing songs bringing tears to my eyes
Playing music that resonated so deeply with me it made me cry

I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
I was thinking of switching off my radio

When the switch broke 'cause it's old
When the switch on my old radio broke off

They're saying things that I can hardly believe
The announcers were saying unbelievable things that I could barely comprehend

They really think we're getting out of control
The announcers seem to believe that society was going out of control

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is a way of saving your soul through sound

Radio is cleaning up the nation
Radio is improving the state of the nation

They say you better listen to the voice of reason
They advise that you listen to reason

But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
They do not afford you any options since they consider it betrayal

So you had better do as you are told
You have no choice but to follow their direction

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
I want to turn on those who provide me with what I need

I wanna bite that hand so badly
I want to rebel so strongly against them

I want to make them wish they'd never seen me
I want to make them regret ever considering me

Some of my friends sit around every evening
Some of my friends spend their evenings doing nothing

And they worry about the times ahead
And worry about the future

But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
Everyone else is numb and apathetic

And the promise of an early bed
And the promise of going to bed early

You either shut up or get cut up, they don't wanna hear about it
You either stay silent or get silenced, people don't want to talk about the real issues

It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
It is just a few inches on the tape machine

And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
The radio is owned by so many misguided people

Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel
They're attempting to numb you from feeling anything at all

Wonderful radio
Fantastic radio

Marvelous radio
Amazing radio

Radio, radio
Radio, radio

Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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