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.
Hand Of Law
Radio Birdman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun is getting low
After sundown we'll be ready
And who could ask for more
On the third day of the seventh month
Is when we'll ride the highway
Night descends, daylight ends
Hand of law is coming down
Hand of law is coming down
Hand of law is on us now
Hand of law is on us now
Black killers, Earl Flinns,
Demons from the sea
Midnight train, self insane
Man of mystery
Gonna all burn now, do you hear
In a nuclear flame
You're gonna never be the same
Coz you're gonna be rearranged
All the mirrors sucking people through
Down to an unknown world
All the fears that you ever knew
Are alive in that world
It's coming from the nor nor west
The endless eye warns
A hole in the sky mirrors
And the light that never never warms
Hand of law is on us now
The lyrics to "Hand of Law" by Radio Birdman are about fear, terror, and a sense of inevitable doom. The song starts with a warning of what's to come, as the sun sets and night descends. The mood of the song is apocalyptic, with references to black killers, demons, and nuclear flames. The band might be suggesting that some kind of judgment day is upon us, as the Hand of Law comes down on society. This makes sense when they mention the "third day of the seventh month," as this could be interpreted as the day of reckoning mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of helplessness and inevitability. The line "like the light we'll fly" implies that we are powerless to stop what's coming, and must accept our fate. Similarly, the lines "all the fears that you ever knew/are alive in that world" suggest that the worst nightmares of humanity are about to become a reality. The band leaves no room for optimism, ending the song with the ominous line, "hand of law is on us now."
Overall, "Hand of Law" is a dark, haunting song that captures a sense of dread and impending doom. The lyrics seem to be commenting on societal problems and predicting a bleak future, leaving the listener with a feeling of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
Fear and terror, watch out boy
Be cautious and alert because danger is near.
The sun is getting low
The day is ending and darkness is approaching.
After sundown we'll be ready
We will be prepared for whatever happens after the sun sets.
And who could ask for more
There is nothing else that we need.
On the third day of the seventh month
A specific day on the calendar.
Is when we'll ride the highway
We will travel on a road.
Night descends, daylight ends
The transition from day to night is happening.
And like the light we'll fly
We will move quickly like a beam of light.
Hand of law is coming down
The authorities are going to bring justice.
Hand of law is on us now
We are facing the consequences of our actions.
Black killers, Earl Flinns,
Dangerous people who are ruthless.
Demons from the sea
Evil beings who come from the ocean.
Midnight train, self insane
A train that travels at midnight and makes its passengers crazy.
Man of mystery
A person who is enigmatic and secretive.
Gonna all burn now, do you hear
Everything is going to be destroyed in flames.
In a nuclear flame
The destruction will be caused by a nuclear bomb.
You're gonna never be the same
You will be forever changed.
Coz you're gonna be rearranged
Your whole being will be transformed.
All the mirrors sucking people through
People are being lured into another world.
Down to an unknown world
A place that is unfamiliar and mysterious.
All the fears that you ever knew
The things that scare you the most.
Are alive in that world
Those fears actually exist in that other world.
It's coming from the nor nor west
The danger is approaching from the northwest.
The endless eye warns
There is a warning signal that is never-ending.
A hole in the sky mirrors
There is a gap in the sky that reflects something else.
And the light that never never warms
The light is cold and eerie.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENIZ TEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
the sonic race band
The most inspiring band ever.... those riffs and melodies just make you trip out to the golden sandy beaches of Oz. Pure educational music for our kids to be learnt! Oi Oi Birdmen!!!
boggy6060
the sonic race band Yeah hup !
tony0000
Been listening to rock for 40 years now. This song is one of the best and has one of the best guitar solos, IMHO. Classic rock is the best sense of the adjective.
zod rises
Thanks to Handsome Dick Manitoba playing these guys the other day on his Sirius show. Blew my mind & I immediately had to check them out. I burned their Essential compilation last weekend and am totally fucking floored! One of the best bands I've ever heard in my life! Are they even for real? I can't believe how good and cutting edge they were. Every track gets better & better before the end, & the engineering is SO CRISP and TIGHT. Jesus one of the best ever, I've missed out. This song KILLS
Dazza G
An enormously underrated Aussie Band !!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom
The most important band on the planet!
DKashman
Fantastic song fantastic group, never got the credit they should have gotten.
Martin Fiay Sr
absolutely
Alan Strom
There is a good reason why BIRDMAN and NEW CHRISTS are popular in Europe.
The Europeans appreciate top quality Rock bands.
These are two of the best bands I've seen and heard.
i was born in 1961 and have seen thousands of gigs.
Can't wait til June 22nd 2019 to see Birdman at The Factory Marrickville.
Jarrod Lee
Saw a birdman reunion and the new Christ's 10 years ago I think. Stoked