Born in the bush, Corryong, Victoria, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains high country is where Lee's life began. The son of a truck driver and later multi-platinum recording artist Ray Kernaghan, Lee spent his formative years growing up in the Riverina country of Southern NSW. Lee's Grandfather was a third generation drover of sheep and cattle and his experiences on the road with his Pop ran deep, producing a string of hits that began with the release of his first album the ARIA award winning " Outback Club" in 1992. His first number one hit "Boys from the Bush" became an anthem, a celebration of a way of life that would change the face of Australian country music forever.
Lee Kernaghan has dominated the charts with successive hit albums including "Three Chain Road", "1959", "Hat Town" and "Electric Rodeo" making him Hit Maker of the Decade and creating a new musical landscape along the way. He has done to country music in Australia what Garth Brooks did in the USA..... he blurred the line and took country music out of the box that it had existed in for decades.... He added a spectacular live show and along the way has sold over one million albums, won 24 Golden Guitars, 3 Aria Awards, 21 number 1 hits, 8 hit albums and now with the release of his 9th album 'Spirit of the Bush' he's done it again, his stellar career continues
Listen To The Radio
Lee Kernaghan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm scanning the dial for an old familiar song
To pass the time
Fueled up out of narrow bride
I'll survive the steps
Working through the night
I'm just head lights passing by
A melody we use to know
Remember how it was back then
Every word rang true
Till all the stars fell from the sky
I swore forever you and I
The song could take you back in time
I'd still be leaving you
With every mile the signal fades
I'd turn it up, so it want slip away
Like you and me
Semis on the interstates
Ruby tail lights pass and float away
Like a memory
Listen to the radio
A melody we use to know
Remember how it was back then
And every word rang true
Till all the stars fell from the sky
I swore forever you and I
The song could take you back in time
I'd still be leaving you
Yeah listen to the radio
If a song could take you back in time
I'd still be leaving you
Ah mmmmmm
The lyrics of Lee Kernaghan’s “Listen To The Radio” are about a man who is driving along, counting the miles as he travels, and searching for an old familiar song on the radio to pass the time. As he listens to the music, he reminisces about a former love and how the song brings back memories of their time together. He laments that the song, which once held so much meaning for them both, no longer has the same resonance, as the stars have fallen from the sky and their love has ended. Yet, he acknowledges that the song still holds the power to transport him back in time to the moment when they were together, even as he drives away from her.
The song uses driving along and listening to the radio as a metaphor for life's journey. It emphasizes the power of music and how a particular song can trigger powerful emotions and memories of past experiences. The lyrics also imply that nostalgia has the ability to highlight how things have changed over time, and opens up feelings of longing for simpler times.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm counting the miles as they roll along
I am keeping track of the distance I cover as I move ahead.
I'm scanning the dial for an old familiar song
I am searching through radio channels to find a song that I know very well.
To pass the time
I'm trying to keep myself busy until I reach my destination.
Fueled up out of narrow bride
I'm feeling motivated after overcoming a difficult phase in my journey.
I'll survive the steps
I have the willpower to endure the challenges I face on the way.
Working through the night
I'm continuing to travel through the darkness of the night.
I'm just head lights passing by
As I travel, I am seeing many bright headlights whizzing past me.
Listen to the radio
I am listening to the music playing on the radio.
A melody we use to know
The tune is one that I am familiar with from the past.
Remember how it was back then
I am reminiscing about the time when I used to listen to this song.
Every word rang true
The lyrics of the song were so poignant that they felt true at the time.
Till all the stars fell from the sky
The song held deep meaning until the most unbelievable thing happened.
I swore forever you and I
I'd say nothing could ever separate us.
The song could take you back in time
This melody is so strong that it evokes memories of the past.
I'd still be leaving you
Despite the connection we shared, I am traveling away from you.
With every mile the signal fades
As I move further away from civilization, the radio reception weakens.
I'd turn it up, so it won't slip away
I am increasing the volume so that I can hold onto the music for as long as possible.
Like you and me
Our relationship was like the signal on the radio, gradually fading away.
Semis on the interstates
I'm driving alongside big rigs on the highways.
Ruby tail lights pass and float away
The red lights of a vehicle signify its departure into the distance.
Like a memory
This moment parallels a distant memory, both of which progressively recede from view.
If a song could take you back in time
Music has the potential to evoke powerful memories of the past.
Ah mmmmmm
An interjection expressing emotion or sentiment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: COLIN BUCHANAN, GARTH IVAN RICHARD PORTER, LEE RAYMOND KERNAGHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Iain B
on Hat Town
Intro
I was born in a hat town
Raised on the Warrego
It’s hot out here but you tough it out
Like an old Brigalow
From the back of the Channel country
Across the western plains
The roads are straight and dusty
And the folks are much the same
Chorus:
Roots run strong deep out here in a hat town
And we'll carry on down through the years in a hat town
Well it might be Thargominda; Might be Barky Downs
Theres a pub and a store and not much more, you’re living in an old hat town
Stocking out in the heat haze, half mile 60 zone
Just a rag tag bunch of buildings made of wood and tin and stone
Theres a swag with stories, most of them are true
How the locals pass the hat around and pull each other through
Chorus
Instrumental
Well we're roustabouts and drovers; we're bushies tried and true
And we're out here for the long haul; not just blowin' through
Roots run strong and deep out here in a hat town
And we'll carry on down through the years in a hat town
From the back of the Channel Country, and across the Dusty Downs
There's a pub and a store and not much more, you’re living in an old hat town
Yeah
Todelay heeeee
Livin in a hat town
Livin in an old hat town
Yodelay heeeee
Livin in a hat town
Livin in an old hat town
Please delete earlier comment which misspelt Thargominda
Iain B
on Hat Town
Intro
I was born in a hat town
Raised on the Warrego
It’s hot out here but you tough it out
Like an old Brigalow
From the back of the Channel country
Across the western plains
The roads are straight and dusty
And the folks are much the same
Chorus:
Roots run strong deep out here in a hat town
And we'll carry on down through the years in a hat town
Well it might be Thargomind; Might be Barky Downs
Theres a pub and a store and not much more, you’re living in an old hat town
Stocking out in the heat haze, half mile 60 zone
Just a rag tag bunch of buildings made of wood and tin and stone
Theres a swag with stories, most of them are true
How the locals pass the hat around and pull each other through
Chorus
Instrumental
Well we're roustabouts and drovers; we're bushies tried and true
And we're out here for the long haul; not just blowin' through
Roots run strong and deep out here in a hat town
And we'll carry on down through the years in a hat town
From the back of the Channel Country, and across the Dusty Downs
There's a pub and a store and not much more, you’re living in an old hat town
Yeah
Todelay heeeee
Livin in a hat town
Livin in an old hat town
Yodelay heeeee
Livin in a hat town
Livin in an old hat town