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.
Anglo Girl Desire
Radio Birdman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never know I'm around
But I am there and I'm watching
Everywhere you go
I'm the eye from outer space
And my hand is on your life
Your eyes reflect reflections
Of fires burning in my heart
Hey Dog
At night you hear my screams
From my distant lonely world
You feel my eyes touch yours
So lightly now
You can't be there where I am
Cos I'm there al by myself
Location 999
End of the night
Hey girl I watched you dancing
To the rocking bands
I have seen you do the Pop
And the moving change
You will never be the same
When your eyes meet mine
I'll be ready to show you
What you need to live
You know my love is more
For the ice and snow
And the night times and the fire
Burning in your mind
I will be there in the dawn
When you come to the end
Cos I'm the living eye
And my hand is on your life
The opening lines of Radio Birdman's song Anglo Girl Desire express the idea of a mysterious, unknown presence watching over the subject of the song as she walks down the street. The image of an "eye from outer space" with its hand on the subject's life is eerie and unsettling. The use of the word "reflections" to describe the subject's eyes helps to create the impression that she is not in control of her life, but is a mere reflector of the desires and needs of others. The line "fires burning in my heart" suggests that the presence watching over the subject is driven by strong emotions, and may have a dangerous or malevolent intent.
The chorus of the song brings in a different character, "Hey Dog," who can hear the lonely screams of the unknown presence. This character is wistful and longing, and his desire for the subject is expressed in gentle touches that she can feel but not see. The location is given as "999 End of the night," which implies a sense of finality and inevitability. The subject herself is described as a dancer, moving to the beat of the rock bands she loves. However, her image changes when she meets the gaze of the unknown presence. She becomes someone who is ready to be shown "what [she] needs to live."
Overall, the lyrics of Anglo Girl Desire create a world where the powerful gaze of an unknown presence dominates the lives of those it watches. The presence is driven by strong emotions and desires, but there is no clear context or explanation for its actions. The chorus adds a touch of pathos to the song, with the lonely cry of "Hey Dog" representing a yearning for connection in a world where we are observed but never truly seen.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're walking down the street
I can see you anywhere, anytime
You never know I'm around
You are unaware of my presence
But I am there and I'm watching
I see everything that you do
Everywhere you go
I follow you wherever you go
I'm the eye from outer space
I watch over you from a distance
And my hand is on your life
I have control over your life
Your eyes reflect reflections
Your eyes give away your thoughts
Of fires burning in my heart
I have intense feelings for you
Hey Dog
Hey man
At night you hear my screams
At night I shout out to you
From my distant lonely world
From far away and alone
You feel my eyes touch yours
You sense my gaze
So lightly now
So delicately
You can't be there where I am
You cannot be where I am
Cos I'm there all by myself
Because I am alone
Location 999
Far away location
End of the night
Late at night
Hey girl I watched you dancing
Hey girl, I saw you dancing
To the rocking bands
To the upbeat music
I have seen you do the Pop
I have seen you dance to pop music
And the moving change
And the rhythmic changes in the music
You will never be the same
You will be changed forever
When your eyes meet mine
When we make eye contact
I'll be ready to show you
I will show you
What you need to live
What you need in life
You know my love is more
You know that my love is intense
For the ice and snow
For the cold and snowy weather
And the night times and the fire
For the nighttime and passion
Burning in your mind
Captivating your thoughts
I will be there in the dawn
I will be there early in the morning
When you come to the end
When you reach the end
Cos I'm the living eye
Because I am always watching
And my hand is on your life
I have control over your life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENIZ TEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peteradams982
Saw them in Adelaide in late 70s,great times.
@jeffreynaish3235
Way ahead of their time. This band fucking rules!
@ashleyleask
This is actually the version from the original Australian recording, there are some differences especially in the solo to the version on the US release.
@richie1957aus
Ahead of their time?? They were inspired by Iggy & The Stooges & MC5 (late 60's/early 70's), who were influenced by The Sonics (mid 60's).
Still fantastic though. Do I detect a bit of "For Your Love" at the end of the song?
@fallspeed
"You know my love is more
For the ice and snow"
Inspired by a Blue Oyster Cult song ("Redeemed": By men whose love was more for the ice and cold)
@ButThatsShacksTrain
Deniz's love of the BOC is worn on his sleeve. Cult lyrics permiate throughout RB songs. They also are a big part of Deep Reduction song lyrics. I spent hours and hours talking with him about our mutual love of "the cult" during Deep Reduction's tours.
@jerichothedrifter60
@@ButThatsShacksTrain radios appear
@garageman
I can so hear Debbie Harry sing this tune.
@warrenbarker5176
Beautiful echoes of Rifle Range
@TrueStonerArmy
I prefer this version, other one sounds garbled.