Drake played various venues in his native Pennsylvania for several years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, eventually having his material cut by Joe Diffie, Mark Chesnutt and The Oak Ridge Boys. By 2003, He was signed to Warner Bros. Records as a recording artist. That year, he landed his first Top 40 hit on the Billboard country music charts with "One Last Time", a song inspired by the 2001 crash of United Airlines Flight 93.[2] This song was included on his self-titled debut album, also issued that year; after charting three more singles, he was dropped from Warner Bros. in 2004.
In 2007, Drake signed to the independent Big Machine Records label, charting with the single "Say Yes". An album for Big Machine was originally slated to be released in 2007; however, he has since been dropped from their roster.
Radio
Dusty Drake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This bathroom floor's feeling cold on my feet
But I keep the rhythm by brushing my teeth to the radio
The nest thing I knew, that toothbrush in my hand
At ten thousand screaming fans through my radio
Back to Earth, off to work, that is the deal
I'm not a star, but I know how it feels to be on my radio
Well I pulled into work and heard "Born To Be Wild"
I reached for the knob and I cranked it up loud
And I blasted that Harley straight on through the town on my radio
No, these aren't handlebars, it's just my steering wheel
And I'm not a rebel, but I know how it feels on my radio
Music carries hearts away
Turns then 'round and makes then stay
Proves there's nothing you can't do
And by itself, makes dreams come true
We pulled off the road just to talk for a while
I pulled her closer, then I saw her smile
Lit up by the soft amber light of the dial on my radio
And somehow the DJ knew just what to play
And the singer knew just what to say
To make her melt in my arms that way by the radio
Two innocent hearts and an automobile
I'm not a stud, but I know how it fels, thank God for that radio
I've learned how to love and I've learned about life
And I've done it all staring straight through the eyes of my radio
In Dusty Drake's song "Radio," the first verse talks about waking up to a clock radio, feeling the cold bathroom floor beneath his feet, but keeping the rhythm of his morning routine by brushing his teeth to the radio. Suddenly, he sees his toothbrush as a microphone and he imagines himself performing in front of a crowd of 10,000 screaming fans. This is a good image of how music can transport us to another world, where we can imagine a reality where we are rock stars or just someone more confident than who we are in our day to day lives. The lyrics go on to describe how music plays a role in his everyday life, even on his way to work, where he listens to "Born to be Wild" and images himself cruising down the road on a Harley. The song takes a turn when he meets someone special and they share a moment together, illuminated by the soft amber light of the radio dial. The DJ knows just what to play and the singer knows just what to say, making this moment even more special. Music has been a constant companion for him and has taught him about life and love, allowing him to grow and learn.
The first interesting fact is that "Radio" was released in 2003 and became Dusty Drake's biggest hit, reaching #21 on the Billboard country charts. Drake co-wrote the song with John Bohlinger, who is also a guitarist and producer. The song has a catchy melody and relatable lyrics that touch on the power of music in our lives. Interestingly, the song was not originally intended to be a single, but the response from listeners was so strong that it became one. Another interesting fact is that Dusty Drake had a background in engineering before pursuing a career in music. He worked as a construction engineer in Atlanta before moving to Nashville to follow his dreams. "Radio" was featured on his album "One Last Time," which was released in 2003. The album also includes other tracks such as "Say Yes", "I Am The Working Man", "The Wish", "Something", and "A Night On The Town". Drake hasn't released any new music since 2003 and has since focused on songwriting and producing for other artists in Nashville.
Other interesting things about this song include the fact that Dusty Drake's father was a radio DJ and reportedly inspired the song. Also, in the music video for "Radio," Drake drives a 1970 GTO during the scenes where he imagines himself cruising down the road on a Harley. Additionally, the song has been covered by other artists such as Ashley Monroe and Clay Walker. The song's chord progression is fairly simple, using the chords G, D, Am and C for the verses and G, D, and C for the chorus. Many musicians have used the song as a cover or to practice their own songwriting, due to the easy-to-learn melody and lyrics. Overall, "Radio" is a memorable song that captures the power of music in a relatable way for many listeners.
Chords:
Verse: G, D, Am, C
Chorus: G, D, C
Line by Line Meaning
Clock radio wakes me up from my dreams
I wake up to the sound of a clock radio breaking through my dreams.
This bathroom floor's feeling cold on my feet
I feel the coldness of the bathroom floor under my bare feet.
But I keep the rhythm by brushing my teeth to the radio
I brush my teeth in rhythm with the music playing on the radio.
The next thing I knew, that toothbrush in my hand Was a microphone and I was staring back At ten thousand screaming fans through my radio
In that moment, I imagined myself as a famous musician holding a microphone in front of a crowd of ten thousand fans, all through the power of my imagination.
Back to Earth, off to work, that is the deal
I return to reality, heading to work like every day.
I'm not a star, but I know how it feels to be on my radio
Even though I'm not a famous musician, I can still feel like one while listening to the radio.
Well I pulled into work and heard 'Born To Be Wild' I reached for the knob and I cranked it up loud And I blasted that Harley straight on through the town on my radio
While driving to work, I heard 'Born To Be Wild' and turned up the volume so loud that I imagined riding my Harley through town.
No, these aren't handlebars, it's just my steering wheel And I'm not a rebel, but I know how it feels on my radio
I'm not really riding a motorcycle; it's just my imagination running wild with the sound of the music on the radio.
Music carries hearts away Turns then 'round and makes then stay Proves there's nothing you can't do And by itself, makes dreams come true
Music has the power to transport us, hold us in its embrace, and remind us that anything is possible.
We pulled off the road just to talk for a while I pulled her closer, then I saw her smile Lit up by the soft amber light of the dial on my radio
I stopped the car to have a conversation with the person I was with, and her smile was illuminated by the soft light of the radio dial.
And somehow the DJ knew just what to play And the singer knew just what to say To make her melt in my arms that way by the radio
The music that played on the radio perfectly captured the moment, making the person I was with feel at ease in my arms.
Two innocent hearts and an automobile I'm not a stud, but I know how it feels, thank God for that radio
Neither of us were experienced in matters of love, but the music playing on the radio helped us find our way.
I've learned how to love and I've learned about life And I've done it all staring straight through the eyes of my radio
While listening to the radio, I have learned important lessons about love and life, and have been able to imagine myself living them out.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW LUIS CASTRO, UFORO EBONG, TAALIB JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER UMANA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind