Radio Radio
Elvis Costello \/ The Attractions Lyrics

I was tuning in the shine on the late night dial
I was listening to the radio and trying to find a station that played good music at night.

Doing anything my radio advised
I was so engrossed in the music being played on the radio that I followed the station's recommendations without thinking twice.

With every one of those late night stations Playing songs bringing tears to my eyes
Every station I tuned into played such emotional songs that they made me feel very sentimental.

I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver When the switch broke 'cause it's old
I was so annoyed by what was being played on the radio that I considered hiding the radio, but the switch broke due to the radio's old age.

They're saying things that I can hardly believe They really think we're getting out of control
The things being said on the radio are so outrageous that I can hardly believe what I'm hearing, and the broadcasters seem to think we're losing control as a society.

Radio is a sound salvation
The radio is a source of comfort and salvation for those who enjoy listening to it.

Radio is cleaning up the nation
The radio is making society better by playing music and programming that uplifts people's moods.

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
The broadcasters tell you to listen to reason, but they do not give you a choice, and if you do not listen, they see it as treason.

So you had better do as you are told You better listen to the radio
You should do what the broadcasters say and 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
I am upset with the radio broadcasters and want to retaliate against them for playing music and programming that I don't enjoy.

Some of my friends sit around every evening And they worry about the times ahead
Some of my friends spend their evenings stressing about the future.

But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference And the promise of an early bed
Most people don't care about what's going on in the world and prefer to go to bed early instead of staying up and engaging with the world around them.

You either shut up or get cut up, they don't wanna hear about it It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
People are expected to either be quiet or conform to what the media says, and the only change that happens is very small and doesn't make a big impact.

And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel
The radio is controlled by people who do not care about the listeners and use music and programming to numb people's feelings.

Wonderful radio Marvelous radio Wonderful radio Radio, radio Radio, radio Radio, radio Radio, radio Radio, radio Radio, radio Radio, radio
The radio is presented as wonderful and marvelous, even though the singer is criticizing it throughout the song.