Radio Birdman formed in 1974 and began recording in 1976 when the single Burn My Eye was released. They took their name from a misheard lyric in The Stooges song, 1970. (The actual line is "Radio burnin'") Their first LP, "Radios Appear" showed diverse influences, including Blue Öyster Cult and Detroit bands of the late 1960s, such as The MC5 and The Stooges. The album was totally ignored by commercial radio but was championed by Sydney station 2JJ (Double Jay) and became sufficiently successful in Australia to lead to a contract with Sire Records (US label, home of The Ramones), who released a different version of Radios Appear internationally. It took three years to record a follow-up, Living Eyes, and by then, the Australian punk scene had diversified and the band broke up before the LP was released in 1978.
The band's lyrics reference US-born guitarist/main songwriter Deniz Tek's home state of Michigan, with lyrics from tracks such as "Murder City Nights" referring to Woodward Avenue in Detroit:
"Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action/Looking for a lover with a power reaction."
Many of their other songs, such as "Hand Of Law" & "Descent Into The Maelstrom" deal in apocalyptic images of war and violence, but these are more than balanced by the lighter pop culture references of tunes such as "Aloha Steve & Danno", an ode to the TV show Hawaii 5-0. "Man With Golden Helmet" (which Tek wrote in high school) is one of their most cryptic efforts: "Man with golden helmet/drinks water from the faucet..plays with tiny children/on his way home from work...he's a top man/in the language department". Deniz Tek wrote most of the lyrics and music for the band
All members went on to other bands. Younger's New Christs would be more oriented towards hard-edged, blues-based rock and roll. Tek and Keeley and keyboardist Pip Hoyle's band, The Visitors, and guitarist Chris Masuak and bass guitarist Warwick Gilbert's The Hitmen continued the Radio Birdman sound. Tek, Younger & Gilbert played in a one-shot touring band called New Race, with Dennis Thompson of the MC5 & Ron Asheton of the Stooges.
In the 1996, the band reformed sporadically to play gigs, but a full-fledged reunion didn't surface until the 00's, with the 2006 album Zeno Beach being enthusiastically received. The band split once again in 2008.
In 2014, the band announced that Younger, Tek, Hoyle and Dickson announced that they would tour Australia as Radio Birdman to coincide with the reissue of their back catalogue.
Aloha Steve & Danno
Radio Birdman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to pick up his gun
Get out an APB
Chinn is going to tell you why
Government says it's high priority
Washington say's so too
Tell him to get here fast
Steve I gotta say thank you
For all you've done for me
The nights are dark and lonely
When you're not on TV
There's an agent in the field
I wanna have him tailed
He's staying at the Hilton
He should be staying in jail
He's working for the KGB
And here's his dossier
The Feds won't be happy
If this guy gets away
Steve I gotta say thank you
For all you've done for me
The nights are dark and lonely
When you're not on TV
Don't talk about espionage
Hands on a bale of White
Steve is one cool guy
Danno's gonna tell you why
Steve and Danno, they made the scene
The agent had done his deed
They saw the stiffThey saw the gun
They said "Book him, Danno, murder one!"
Steve I gotta say thank you
For all you've done for me
The nights are dark and lonely
When you're not on TV
Book him, Danno, murder one
The song Aloha Steve and Danno by Radio Birdman is a tribute to the popular 1970s American police procedural television series, Hawaii Five-O. The lyrics describe a scenario where the singer needs to convey an important message to Detective Danny "Danno" Williams and secure his gun, as they have to apprehend an agent of the KGB, who poses a significant national security threat. The urgency of the situation is stressed as the government and Washington consider it a high priority. The singer expresses gratitude to Detective Steve McGarrett for his services as a formidable officer, and muses over the loneliness and darkness that pervade his life when Steve is not on TV.
The song's reference to the iconic show is more than just a tribute; it also reflects the cultural significance of Hawaii Five-O in pop culture. The show depicted the island's signature landscapes and introduced many Americans to its culture while weaving exciting stories around the crime-busting exploits of the officers, including the notable catchphrase, "Book 'em, Danno, murder one." Furthermore, the lyrics' references to espionage and a suspect working for the KGB reflect the nature of America's political and social climate in the 1970s, where there were widespread fears of Soviet Union spies infiltrating national security organizations.
Line by Line Meaning
Got to get a line to Danno
Need to contact Danno
Got to pick up his gun
Retrieve Danno's weapon
Get out an APB
Issue an All Points Bulletin
Chinn is going to tell you why
Chinn will provide further instructions
Government says it's high priority
The authorities have given this case high importance
Washington say's so too
Even Washington DC thinks it's critical
Tell him to get here fast
Instruct Danno to hurry up
50'S on the move
The suspect is on the run
Steve I gotta say thank you
Thank you, Steve
For all you've done for me
For your help in the past
The nights are dark and lonely
I feel sad and alone at night
When you're not on TV
When you're not around
There's an agent in the field
A spy is in the area
I wanna have him tailed
Want to follow him secretly
He's staying at the Hilton
He's at the Hilton hotel
He should be staying in jail
He deserves to be in prison
He's working for the KGB
He's a spy for the KGB
And here's his dossier
Here's his file
The Feds won't be happy
The authorities won't be pleased
If this guy gets away
If he manages to escape
Don't talk about espionage
Don't discuss spying
Hands on a bale of White
Touching a large amount of narcotics
Steve is one cool guy
Steve is an impressive person
Danno's gonna tell you why
Danno will explain why Steve is cool
Steve and Danno, they made the scene
Steve and Danno arrived at the location
The agent had done his deed
The spy had committed a crime
They saw the stiff
They discovered the dead body
They saw the gun
They found the weapon
They said "Book him, Danno, murder one!"
They ordered to arrest and charge the spy with first-degree murder
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DENIZ TEK, MORTON STEVENS, ROBERT KENT YOUNGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pauljamesharper
The lyrics are brilliant!
Got to get a line to Danno
Got to pick up his gun
Get out an APB
Chinn is going to tell you whyGovernment says it's high priority
Washington say's so too
Tell him to get here fast
Five O's on the move
@neilp192
Easily one of the greatest songs about a Hawaiian-set American television show ever recorded.
@nimjayawardhana8973
I concur
@FatDave2112
Magnum P.I. never got a Radio Birdman song, proving how inferior it was to the original Hawaiian detective show.
@nayf001
Hard to argue with that!
@BriRunk
Lol
@seanfoster6320
Theme to gilligans Island be a close second
@maddoman11
Regrets in my life, never seeing Radio Birdman live.Still have their vinyl on my shelf.
@smackroscoe
When I stand before St. Peter, he'll ask me, "did you know who Aloha Steve & Danno were?" And I will reply, "yeah I know Radio Birdman."
@seang3019
And he will say: enter, my son!
@Leosarebetter
You are the Messiah!