Turn on Your Radio
Nilsson Lyrics


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I don't know where I'm goin'
Now that I am gone
I hope the wind that's blowin'
Helps me carry on
Turn on your radio, baby
Listen to my song
Turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone
I don't know how it happened
Now that I am gone
I hope I never hear it baby
Just in case I'm wrong
Turn on your record player
Listen to my song
Turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone
I don't know where life's goin'
But soon it will be gone
I hope the wind that's blowin'
Helps me carry on
Turn on your radio baby
Baby, listen to my song




And turn on your night light baby
Baby I'm gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nilsson's song "Turn on Your Radio" tell the story of a person who is unsure of their direction in life, but hopes that the wind will guide them. The song is narrated by someone who has already left and is addressing their loved one, asking them to turn on the radio and listen to their song, as well as turning on the night light – this act serves as a symbol of comfort and the promise of protection. The singer feels uncertain about what caused them to leave, but lets on that they are hoping to never have to hear about it again just in case they were wrong. The song concludes with a plea to the listener to also turn on their radio and to listen to "my song" and that "Baby [they're] gone". This final line could be interpreted in two ways; either the person is gone and never coming back or that they're gone physically but still present in spirit through their music.


The song is also interesting as it represents a change in sound for Nilsson who is known for his melodic ballads (such as "Without You"), whereas "Turn on Your Radio" features a more upbeat, rock-inspired sound. Additionally, the line "Turn on your radio, baby" has been speculated to be a reference to the radio DJ Wolfman Jack, who was renowned for his distinctive voice and love of rock and roll. Even more interestingly, the song was released as a single in 1972, and it was the first single ever to have a 45 rpm record with a dynamic range encoded to indicate direction (known as a "uni-pak"); this was done to distinguish the song from radio-promotion-only singles, which were often not pressed on the same quality of vinyl.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't know where I'm goin'
I lack direction in my life, I'm lost and I'm uncertain about my future.


Now that I am gone
I have left somewhere, either physically or emotionally.


I hope the wind that's blowin'
I believe that the natural forces around me will aid me in some way to face my challenges.


Helps me carry on
I need support to move forward with my life and continue to persevere.


Turn on your radio, baby
I'm requesting someone to tune in and listen to my message through the medium of radio.


Listen to my song
Pay attention to the lyrics of the song that I've written and what they mean to me.


Turn on your night light baby
I'm asking someone to light their night light to make them feel safe and secure, while I move on to something new.


I don't know how it happened
I'm not sure of the reasons that contributed to my departure.


I hope I never hear it baby
I pray that I won't experience the unpleasantness that I had to face in the past.


Just in case I'm wrong
Out of caution, I'm trying to prevent the recurrence of a situation that I'm not sure if it will happen again or not.


Turn on your record player
I'm requesting someone to use their record player to listen to the music that I have made.


I don't know where life's goin'
I'm unsure of where my life is heading, and I'm worried about my future.


But soon it will be gone
I'm aware that my life will soon come to an end, and that worries me.


Baby, listen to my song
I'm urging someone to listen with care to the message put forth in my song.


And turn on your night light baby
Once again, I'm making that same request to someone to turn on their night light for their own peace of mind.


Baby I'm gone
I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back anytime soon.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY NILSSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Raok Blee

Nilsson was brilliant. I hope a new generation can dig his music.

in just ice

19 and tuned in 👍

Justin A

24 and Nilsson is one of my favorite artists ever. Own all of his albums 😎

Butt Kid

I'm fortunate to have discovered his music, and have it in my life. As a kid I loved the Popeye movie's soundtrack. It was many years later that I found out it was music by Harry Nilsson. Found out a ton of songs I loved were attributed to Harry. Almost like he was following me. Got bless Harry Nilsson.

bluntnfrank

@Justin A I'm 50 and I wasn't even born until almost after a decade he made it . He was somethin else and such an incredible life from bein so poor he n his mom ate dog food at times and his dad split at age 2 . Then he n his mom moved in with his uncle until when at age 15 he was fired and his uncle said they could no longer feed him so at 15 he hitch hiked from NY to LA and even worked as an executive inside a bank computer center . His documentary is free on YouTube and I've watched it 3 times already its amazing . You'll see his first born Zak interviewed who also died last year from colon cancer.

Justin A

@bluntnfrank That documentary was actually my introduction to Nilsson! And I'm glad that it was because it left a big impact on me. I bought two or three of his albums the next day and haven't looked back. Now he is easily one of my favorite artists of all time! What a crazy life

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Cloudy

it is really sad that Nilsson has not gotten as much hype as other musicians from this era

Jeremy M. Thompson

He was against commercialism and only focused on artistry. He basically refused to perform or go on tv except a few times. But John Lennon knew and this website knows as well. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nilsson-songs/

Laura ok

Nope... We know what a great guy he was.

Bonnie Drouillard

Cloudy I love him and appreciate his talent all these years later!

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