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.
Do the Movin' Change
Radio Birdman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're gonna rearrange we never stay the same
You just shift around you move your eyes
Like Egyptian bird god you gotta slip and slide
Do the Moving Change Don't you want to dance with me
Do the Moving Change You can come along with me
Skull in flames on afield of ice
In another dimension land of living eyes
Looking at the lyrics to Radio Birdman's "Do the Moving Change," it's clear that the song is an invitation to participate in a wild dance party that involves constantly changing movements. The first two lines of the chorus are straightforward: "Do you want to dance, do the Moving Change / We're gonna rearrange we never stay the same." This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which encourages listeners to forget their inhibitions and join in the fun.
The next lines, "You just shift around you move your eyes / Like Egyptian bird god you gotta slip and slide," are more ambiguous. However, they seem to suggest that the dance involves movements that are somehow bird-like or animalistic. The lyrics urge listeners to get into the spirit of the dance by letting themselves get lost in the music and the moment: "Don't you want to dance with me / You can come along with me."
As a whole, "Do the Moving Change" is a high-energy, somewhat chaotic song that captures the excitement and freedom of a wild party. Its lyrics encourage listeners to let go of their worries and embrace the moment, while the music itself is a frenetic explosion of guitars, drums, and vocals that seem to capture the sheer physicality of dancing.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you want to dance, do the Moving Change
Are you up for dancing? Let's do the Moving Change!
We're gonna rearrange we never stay the same
We're always evolving, never settling into one thing.
You just shift around you move your eyes
To dance the Moving Change, you subtly move your entire body, including your eyes.
Like Egyptian bird god you gotta slip and slide
The Moving Change is influenced by the style of Egyptian bird gods, with fluid, sliding movements.
Do the Moving Change Don't you want to dance with me
Let's dance the Moving Change together!
Do the Moving Change You can come along with me
Join me in the dance of the Moving Change.
Skull in flames on afield of ice
A powerful and dangerous image, evoking both heat and cold in contrast.
In another dimension land of living eyes
A surreal and mysterious image of an alternate reality with sentient eyes.
Contributed by Elizabeth F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.