Girl in a Coma formed when best friends Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz met in Jr-high school art class over a mutual love of the Smiths, Nirvana, and skipping school. All they needed was a singer. Enter Nina Diaz, Phanie’s little sister. Nina blew them away with her mesmerizing vocals, a powerful voice some critics have compared to Bjork, Patsy Cline, and the band’s hero, Morrissey himself. The trio practiced for three years, gigged at local punk rock clubs, played a High School talent show, one kid’s birthday party, and then hit the road, building up a solid and loyal fan base across the country.
In 2006, the Girls played for Joan Jett and long-time songwriting partner and producer, Kenny Laguna, at New York’s Knitting Factory as part of a cable TV show featuring unknown bands. Jett and Laguna were so impressed with the band that they signed GIAC to their label, Blackheart Records, on the spot.
The band’s 2007 debut album, Both Before I’m Gone, was a critical hit with raves from Alternative Press Magazine, the LA Weekly, Bust magazine, among many others, with the album reaching No. 23 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and No. 21 on iTunes. “Clumsy Sky,” the band’s first single, won a 2007 Independent Music Award.
In 2009, the band released their follow up album, Trio B.C. The album is a unique amalgamation of eclectic influences: oldies, rockabilly, 90s alternative, and contemporary bands both indie and mainstream.
Just a year later, the band recorded a companion piece to Trio B.C. Produced by Grammy-award winning producer Greg Collins (U2 and Gwen Stefani), Adventures in Coverland. features reinterpretations of songs and artists who have impacted the band. The songs range from a punked out version of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” to a stripped down version of Joy Division’s “Transmission.”
In early 2011, new material was piling up and the band was ready to head back into the studio to work on their upcoming album, Exits & All the Rest.
From sharing stages with their heroes to experiencing Arizona’s controversial laws firsthand, the album was born in an especially intense period for the band. The Girls headed a few miles north to Austin and recorded with producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead). It was the band’s first time working on analog tape and all the basic tracks were laid down live. The recording process seemed to help the band capture some of the raw energy and power that they are known for in their live shows.
transmission
Girl in a Coma Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Radio, live transmission.
Listen to the silence, let it ring on.
Eyes, dark grey lenses frightened of the sun.
We would have a fine time living in the night,
Left to blind destruction,
Waiting for our sight.
And we would go on as though nothing was wrong.
And hide from these days we remained all alone.
Staying in the same place, just staying out the time.
Touching from a distance,
Further all the time.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Well I could call out when the going gets tough.
The things that we've learnt are no longer enough.
No language, just sound, that's all we need know, to synchronise
Love to the beat of the show.
And we could dance.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
The lyrics to "Transmission" by Girl in a Coma are a reflection on the state of the world and how it can drive people to escape reality through music, specifically through radio broadcasts. The song emphasizes the importance of music as a source of comfort and a means of coping during tough times. The opening lines, "radio, live transmission," set the tone for the rest of the song which focuses on the power of radio as a medium for disseminating information and bringing people together.
The lyrics also touch on themes of isolation and the desire to escape from reality. The lines "we would have a fine time living in the night/left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight" allude to the idea of people seeking refuge in darkness and chaos. The following lines, "and we would go on as though nothing was wrong/and hide from these days we remained all alone," further illustrate this desire to retreat from reality, to ignore the troubles of the world and focus on the comfort of music instead.
The chorus, "dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio," reinforces the idea that music is a powerful source of release and escape. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the importance of dance as a means of expressing oneself and connecting with others. The lines, "the things that we've learnt are no longer enough/no language, just sound, that's all we need know, to synchronize/love to the beat of the show," further illustrate the idea that music transcends language and is a universal means of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
Radio, live transmission.
The song is about listening to the radio and feeling a connection to the live broadcast.
Listen to the silence, let it ring on.
Be quiet and listen to the world around you.
Eyes, dark grey lenses frightened of the sun.
The singer's eyes are sensitive to the sun and they wear sunglasses to protect them.
We would have a fine time living in the night, Left to blind destruction, Waiting for our sight.
The singer imagines living at night, but fears it would lead to their demise as they wouldn't be able to see clearly.
And we would go on as though nothing was wrong.
The singer continues to live their life despite any problems or turmoil they may face.
And hide from these days we remained all alone.
The singer isolates themselves to avoid loneliness, despite missing out on life.
Staying in the same place, just staying out the time.
The singer is bored and stuck in the same place, waiting for time to pass.
Touching from a distance, Further all the time.
The singer feels distant from others, despite being able to interact with them in some way.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
The singer finds comfort and joy in dancing to the radio.
Well I could call out when the going gets tough.
The singer is capable of asking for help when facing difficult situations.
The things that we've learnt are no longer enough.
The singer recognizes that they need to learn and grow more to progress in life.
No language, just sound, that's all we need know, to synchronise Love to the beat of the show.
The singer believes that love can be communicated through music and doesn't require words to connect and understand one another.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bernard Sumner, Ian Kevin Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Paul David Morris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heather Kirkland
I never thought id ever wanna hear somebody attempt to cover joy division. they are unique and amazing, and need no covers. but this song, this cover, is wonderful. well done
blastallird
i love jenn's voice.. i would love to hear her sing a verse on their next album.
clemenza1234
this is my favorite joy division song...or at least one of them.... but the way nina sings it.....so beautiful. <3
coffeedrinker13
This is beyond good!....and, a great video production!....Way cool.
blastallird
OMGeeee! This is awesome!!! Can't wait to see the rest!
Wallace White
I wish that I would have heard of them earlier. I am loving this music
gerardo almaraz
This is an AMAZING version of "Transmission"! I am a Joy Divisions fan and now a GIAC fan. I have seen them live and what an AWESOME band!!
SpaceCornet
Brilliant. Great cover of one of the most unique and influential bands ever by one of the best modern bands going.
Josipa Cvelic
i love this. can't stop replaying it.
EJ Hunyadi
Wow... great job, ladies!!!