With guitar in hand, Craig can turn any setting into an intimate affair, infusing his music and lyrics with an uncompromising humanism rarely seen in today's production-heavy climate.
Craig makes it a point to keep the relationship with his fans personal, inviting and accepting any opportunity to make his audience as much a part of the performance as he is. Don't be surprised if one day you find yourself enjoying one of Craig's renowned shows in the comfort of your own living room.
In 2012, Cardiff was nominated for a Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo, and for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Contemporary Singer of the Year.
For more information, tour dates, and music, please visit the official Craig Cardiff site.
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Craig Cardiff's Bandcamp page
Radio Home
Craig Cardiff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's no sign of you
Out the window green grass cross the white fence
Its x and y and the blue eyed descendant
I'm sitting on a half bed
Well it don't sit too good
Nicotine, caffeine, Novocaine
Sometimes i love that chemical haze
Why am i waiting on you?
Why am i waiting at all?
Why am i waiting on you?
I don’t know why you don't radio
Why don't you radio
Why don't you radio
I was thinking of Apollo; looking up at that last frontier
And a pigeon hit the window
Now it's down in the hedge
I'm looking at its wing
I'm looking at its neck
I'm a man with a shovel now
I'm a man with a hole to dig
Across the fence from the mouths of the idiots
Hey jack what's that? Give the man a laugh
In a shoebox, what kind of fashion is that?
Why am i waiting on you?
Say, why am i waiting at all?
Why am i waiting on you?
I don't know why don't you radio
Don't know why don't you radio
Why don't you radio
Why don't you radio
But I'm a man in a lobby now
With magazines dating back to 1968
Man on the moon
He's a man with a shovel
How'd they get me on the cover of Time?
I'm, I wish I could remember, but I don't
What did I bury up there, what's fuck, wait a minute, hey
Neil who? Arm what?
Why don't the names match up?
Tag says this; that says that
Novacaine, thorozine, valium
Nurse, gather Nurse do it and don't do that
I'm due back; due back on a....
Why am i waiting on you?
Say, why am i waiting at all?
Why am i waiting on you?
I don't know why don't you radio
Why don't you radio
Why don't you radio
The lyrics of “Radio Home” by Craig Cardiff express the feeling of being alone and waiting for someone who is not coming back. The singer comes home and finds nobody there. Through the window, he observes the green grass and crosses the white fence. The imagery of the landscape is vivid as he is trying to grasp a reality where the absence of the loved one is as sharp as the colors outside. The song then continues with the singer’s internal monologue questioning why he is still waiting and why his love does not “radio” him. The repeated use of the word “radio” is suggestive of a longing for a connection with someone who is not physically present. The singer seems lost in his thoughts, and even though he is taking heavy doses of chemicals, his mind cannot escape the pain of emptiness.
The song then shifts gears and becomes more introspective as the singer talks about Apollo and how a pigeon hits the window. This event seems to accentuate the feeling of the singer's alienation from the world around him. He transforms himself into a man with a shovel who is digging holes and erecting fences. He feels disconnected from the others around him and observes that the world has become a place for the “mouths of idiots.” He then imagines a strange reality where he is on the cover of Time magazine, experiencing a surrealistic moment where he forgets what he is doing and what is happening around him. The repetition of the line, “Why am I waiting on you?” and the imagery throughout the song suggest a deep sense of longing and waiting for something that seems unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I come home
Upon returning home
And there's no sign of you
Without any evidence of the subject being present
Out the window green grass cross the white fence
Observing the scenery outside
Its x and y and the blue eyed descendant
Reflecting on the complexity of genetics
I'm sitting on a half bed
Perched on an incomplete piece of furniture
Well it don't sit too good
It's not comfortable
Nicotine, caffeine, Novocaine
Listing addictive substances
Sometimes I love that chemical haze
Occasionally enjoying the effects of substance use
Why am I waiting on you?
Questioning the reason for waiting
Why am I waiting at all?
Questioning the validity of waiting
Why am I waiting on you?
Repeating the question, emphasizing the uncertainty
I don’t know why you don't radio
Expressing confusion about the lack of communication
Why don't you radio?
Directly asking the subject to communicate
I was thinking of Apollo; looking up at that last frontier
Contemplating space travel
And a pigeon hit the window
Experiencing a sudden interruption
Now it's down in the hedge
Noticing the aftermath of the disruption
I'm looking at its wing
Examining the bird's injury
I'm looking at its neck
Examining the bird's injury
I'm a man with a shovel now
Transitioning to a different role
I'm a man with a hole to dig
Having a task to complete
Across the fence from the mouths of the idiots
Being near foolish, talkative people
Hey Jack what's that? Give the man a laugh
Being ridiculed by the people
In a shoebox, what kind of fashion is that?
Questioning the appropriateness of a shoebox's use
But I'm a man in a lobby now
Changing locations again
With magazines dating back to 1968
Observing outdated literature
Man on the moon
Referring to a historical event
He's a man with a shovel
Connecting another person to the task of digging
How'd they get me on the cover of Time?
Pondering the reason for being on a magazine cover
I'm, I wish I could remember, but I don't
Admitting to forgetfulness
What did I bury up there, what's fuck, wait a minute, hey
Recalling a confusing memory
Neil who? Arm what?
Struggling to understand a reference
Why don't the names match up?
Questioning discrepant information
Tag says this; that says that
Encountering conflicting labels
Novacaine, thorozine, valium
Listing more addictive substances
Nurse, gather Nurse do it and don't do that
Addressing medical personnel
I'm due back; due back on a....
Sharing a planned return date
Why am I waiting on you?
Asking the question again
Say, why am I waiting at all?
Asking for clarification
Why am I waiting on you?
Repeating the question, still uncertain
I don't know why don't you radio
Reiterating the confusion around communication
Why don't you radio?
Requesting communication again
Contributed by Madison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.