On December 3, 2012, after being inactive for a year, bassist Joey Chicago announced through a letter on Facebook that both vocalist John Falls and guitarist Jeff James would not be continuing on with the band, thus bringing an end to Egypt Central.
In 2014, a post was made to the band's Facebook page, announcing a new EP of previously unreleased songs titled Murder in the French Quarter that was set for release on August 19, 2014.
On April 1, 2019 a mysterious teaser video appeared on the band's Facebook page. The teaser appears to feature new music along with a cryptic 06 06 19 message. The video was re-posted on May 6, 2019. On June 6, 2019 Egypt Central released Raise the Gates as a new single, confirming a reunion. On June 18, 2019, another cryptic teaser appeared on both Facebook and Instagram with a new date 07 05 19. On July 5, 2019 Egypt Central released "Dead Machine" on their Youtube channel. On April 13, 2020 Egypt Central released a new single "Over Soon" on all platforms. October 20, 2020, the band announced on their instagram page the release of a new single set for November 11.
Citizen Radio
Egypt Central Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've had California turn on me
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
I found truth in the aftermath
And got everything that ever really mattered back
You can believe in that
I won't be compromised
I know how to survive the worst that you can give
And I will never, ever go away
I can pull myself out of the grave
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
And I've seen another future through
The broken hearts down Union Avenue
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
And I've had to wait long enough
I can't turn back now, there's no givin' up
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
I won't be used again
I've learned how to defend myself against the world
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
I won't be compromised
I know how to survive the worst that you can give
I won't be used again
I've learned how to defend myself against the world
And I found that perfect love
But she could never understand where I was coming from
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
And I've had friends walk away
I will never understand the choice they made
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close.
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
I told you so
I'm holdin' on
I told you so
I'm holdin' on
The song "Citizen Radio" by Egypt Central is about perseverance in the face of adversity. The lyrics paint a picture of the singer facing various struggles, from having their dreams betrayed by California, to finding a way to defend themselves against the world. The song encourages listeners to keep fighting, even when it seems like the odds are against them.
The first verse talks about having dreams of California but also experiencing betrayal from the same place. The second verse describes how the singer has found truth and everything that matters back. This truth they found could be a realization or a hard-learned lesson. The chorus talks about a Citizen Radio, which is used as a metaphor for people who want to be heard but are unheard. The singer is telling us that they will be heard and they will always be the ones who told us so.
The bridge talks about finding perfect love but still being misunderstood by the other person. It also refers to friends walking away, and the singer accepts that they will never understand the reasons behind that. The final chorus repeats the theme of perseverance, holding on and never giving up.
Overall, the song is a message of hope that encourages listeners to keep going and not give up even when life gets tough.
Line by Line Meaning
I've had California dreamin'
I've had idealistic aspirations that are difficult to achieve.
And I've had California turn on me
And my idealistic aspirations didn't turn out to be what I had hoped for.
You can believe in that
This is true and can be trusted.
I found truth in the aftermath
I discovered the real truth after the fact.
And got everything that ever really mattered back
After discovering the truth, I regained everything that truly mattered to me.
I won't be compromised
I won't allow anyone to make me change my mind or beliefs.
I know how to survive the worst that you can give
I have experienced some of the worst situations possible and know how to survive them.
And I will never, ever go away
I will always be here and never leave.
I can pull myself out of the grave
I have the strength to overcome even the most difficult situations.
Step back and watch the show
Stand back and observe what's happening.
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
Listen to the message being broadcast on Citizen Radio.
We will be heard before the curtains close
Our message will be heard before the end of the event.
The voice of the unknown
The voice of someone who is typically unheard.
We'll always be the ones who told you so
We will always be the ones who knew what would happen.
And I've seen another future through
I have seen a different future through my experiences.
The broken hearts down Union Avenue
The sadness and despair I have seen on Union Avenue.
I can't turn back now, there's no givin' up
I cannot retreat now, I must keep going.
I won't be used again
I won't allow others to take advantage of me again.
I've learned how to defend myself against the world
I've learned how to protect myself from the difficulties of life.
And I found that perfect love
I found someone who I thought was perfect for me.
But she could never understand where I was coming from
However, she couldn't understand my perspective.
And I've had friends walk away
I've had friends abandon me.
I will never understand the choice they made
I will never understand why they made that decision.
I'm holdin' on
I'm continuing to persevere despite difficulties.
I told you so
I warned you this would happen.
Writer(s): Blake Allison
Contributed by Katherine V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cristian6814
I've had California dreamin'
And I've had California turn on me
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
I found truth in the aftermath
And got everything that ever really mattered back
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
I won't be compromised
I know how to survive the worst that you can give
And I will never, ever go away
I can pull myself out of the grave
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
And I've seen another future through
The broken hearts down Union Avenue
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
And I've had to wait long enough
I can't turn back now, there's no givin' up
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
I won't be used again
I've learned how to defend myself against the world
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
I won't be compromised
I know how to survive the worst that you can give
I won't be used again
I've learned how to defend myself against the world
And I found that perfect love
But she could never understand where I was coming from
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
And I've had friends walk away
I will never understand the choice they made
You can believe in that
You can believe in that
Step back and watch the show
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We will be heard before the curtains close.
The voice of the unknown
Hear the cry on the Citizen Radio
We'll always be the ones who told you so
I told you so
I'm holdin' on
I told you so
I'm holdin' on
@georgeisaacs4343
10 mil on Spotify and 1m monthly listeners 4 years after break up. The temptation must be there for them to regroup
@CALiiGeddonTwo
Brand new song just released today.
@jaroslavkozuch
Imagine that. Amazing
@supraman019
Been following EC, for like 10 years now. Seen the changes. I remember hearing this song when it was, "California Dreams" and "Raise the Gates." I feel the chorus to California dreams was the best and Raise the Gates, you can tell the band was trying to find the groove with this song. The song is great, hope it continues to grow on me, and wanted to wish the band, farewell, EGYPT CENTRAL. Thanks for the memories and being a huge part of my life.
@aprilcraddock4769
Yes, California Dreams was definitely the best version. I wish they would have just left it alone.
@Valaso-Osalav
I didn't realize you guys had these songs wow you guys really are a great band your in my top 5 favorite bands I love you guys your music is great I can relate to it and it helps me everyday get through difficult times so thank you Egypt central.
@thiccdenial5417
Had this song stuck in my head for the longest time
@Tyraanyol
Just rewatching all your songs and i think this one would be the perfect opener at live shows. God, how badly i want to see you guys in concert 😁🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
@nrh0320
Farewell EC you guys helped me get through a very tough time in my life. I look forward to seeing devour the day flourish.
@Lelogb
This song is just amazing!