song
M.I.R.A. Lyrics
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Ah, yo turn to that station
The world is collapsing
Around our ears
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it
And I called you out
I could tell that you had been crying, crying
It's that same sing-song on the radio
Makes me sad
I meant to turn it off
To say goodbye
To leave in quiet, that radio song (see ya)
Hey, hey, hey (ha-ha)
(Hup, hup) I've everything to show (everything to show)
I've everything to hide (everything to hide)
Look into my eyes
Listen
When I got to the show
Yo, ho, ho
I could tell that you had been crying, crying
It's that same sing-song and the DJ sucks
It makes me sad
I tried to turn it off (turn it off)
To say goodbye, my love
That radio song
Hey, hey, hey
The world is collapsing
Around our ears
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it
Yeah
(Yeah)
(Baby, baby, baby, baby)
(Hup, hup)
I tried to sing along
But damn that radio song (man) hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
I've everything to show (everything to show)
I've everything to hide (everything to hide)
Look into my eyes, listen to the radio
I turned up the radio
But I can't hear it
No, I can't hear it
Hey, hey, hey
(Say what?) hey, hey, hey
(Lemme hear that bass first)
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey (yeah, hup)
Hey, hey, hey (say what, say what, say what?)
Hey, hey, hey
Check it out
What are you saying, what are you playing?
Who are you obeying, day-out, day-in, huh?
Baby, baby, baby, baby
That stuff is driving me crazy
DJs communicate to the masses
Sex and violent classes
Now our children grow up prisoners
All their life, radio listeners
The lyrics of M.I.A.'s "Radio Song" reflect the frustration and sadness caused by the state of the world, as well as the misleading messages spread by the media. The song starts with M.I.A. unable to find anything worth listening to on the radio. She then turns to a specific station, but despite turning up the volume, she can't hear the music over the noise of the world collapsing around her.
The chorus implies that the sing-songy nature of the music is exacerbating M.I.A.'s sadness. When she arrives at her destination, she finds out her lover has been crying, and the radio is playing the same song she was just complaining about. M.I.A. tries to turn the radio off to leave in quiet, but instead, she begins to sing along in frustration. The bridge emphasizes that M.I.A. has "everything to show" and "everything to hide," making her feel like the media (the radio) is a double-edged sword.
The final verse is M.I.A.'s take on what the radio (and the media, in general) has become. She compares DJs' messaging to those of prison wardens, forcing listeners to be prisoners of what they say. The song points out the damaging effect of radio and media's constant messaging of sex and violence and the impact it has on the younger generation. Overall, the lyrics portray M.I.A.'s views on the media's impact on society, music's role in our lives, and how we consume messages.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, I can't find nothing on the radio
I cannot find anything interesting to listen to on the radio
Ah, yo turn to that station
Please change the station to something worth listening to
The world is collapsing
The world around us is in chaos
Around our ears
It is affecting us personally
I turned up the radio
I increased the volume of the radio
But I can't hear it
I am unable to enjoy it or distract myself with it
When I got to the house
When I arrived at home
And I called you out
When I called out to you
I could tell that you had been crying, crying
I could sense that you had been crying
It's that same sing-song on the radio
The repetitive music being played on radio
Makes me sad
It invokes feelings of sadness within me
I meant to turn it off
I had intended to switch it off
To say goodbye
As a way of saying farewell
To leave in quiet, that radio song (see ya)
To stop listening to that song and leave quietly
Hup, hup
A sound expressing excitement or encouragement
I've everything to show
I have many things to demonstrate or showcase
I've everything to hide
I have many things that I wish to conceal
Look into my eyes
Please pay attention and focus on me and what I have to say
When I got to the show
When I arrived at the performance venue
Yo, ho, ho
A sound indicating excitement, joy or triumph
It's that same sing-song and the DJ sucks
The DJ is not doing a good job, and the same music is being played over and over again
I tried to turn it off (turn it off)
I attempted to switch it off
To say goodbye, my love
As a way of saying farewell to someone important
The world is collapsing
Things are falling apart around us
But I can't hear it
I cannot distract myself from it
Baby, baby, baby, baby
A sound indicating affection, comfort or endearment
Say what?
What did you say?
Lemme hear that bass first
Please play the music with more bass so that I can enjoy it better
What are you saying, what are you playing?
What is the message you are trying to convey through the music you are playing?
Who are you obeying, day-out, day-in, huh?
Who are you blindly following every day?
That stuff is driving me crazy
The music being played on the radio is making me unhappy or agitated
DJs communicate to the masses
Disk Jockeys are communicating to large audiences
Sex and violent classes
Subjects that are sexual or violent in nature
Now our children grow up prisoners
The current generation of children are growing up as prisoners, trapped by the negative messages conveyed through music on the radio
All their life, radio listeners
The radio is a prevalent force in their lives, influencing them in different ways throughout their lives
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind