Radio Birdman are a punk band that formed in Sydney, Australia in 1974. The… Read Full Bio ↴Radio Birdman are a punk band that formed in Sydney, Australia in 1974. The band's best known lineup consisted of Deniz Tek (vocals, guitar), Rob Younger (vocals, guitar), Chris Masuak (guitar), Philip "Pip" Hoyle (keyboards), Warwick Gilbert (bass) and Ron Keeley (drums)

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.

Iskender Time
Radio Birdman Lyrics

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I got to go out yeah out for one
After that we can hit the bar
Ain't had nothing all day long
We can take the car

Go for the one on George
See the Main Man and the Kid
Meet up with Johnny Epiphone

He's been working on the midnight shift

Now we've got a bunch of Veebs
It's time to have our fun
Now's the time to feel all right
'Cause the night has just begun

Iskender Time
Got to stay alive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song "Iskender Time" by Radio Birdman is about going out and having a good time with friends after a long day of doing nothing. The song starts with the singer saying that he needs to go out for a bit, but after that, they can hit the bar. He then says that he hasn't had anything to eat all day and suggests they take the car.

They go to George Street to see the "Main Man" and "the Kid" and meet up with "Johnny Epiphone," who has been working the midnight shift. The group has a bunch of "Veebs," which could be a reference to a type of beer or alcohol, and decides to have fun and feel alive since the night has just begun. The chorus, "Iskender Time, got to stay alive," is repeated throughout the song and adds to the idea of having a good time and enjoying life.

Overall, the song is about having a fun night out with friends and enjoying life despite any struggles or challenges they may face. The lyrics convey a sense of excitement and urgency as they urge each other to stay alive and make the most of the night.

Line by Line Meaning

I got to go out yeah out for one
I need to step out alone for a bit

After that we can hit the bar
We can then visit the bar

Ain't had nothing all day long
I haven't eaten anything all day

We can take the car
We can use the car for transportation

Go for the one on George
Let's go for a destination on George Street

See the Main Man and the Kid
Meet certain individuals, referred to as the Main Man and the Kid

Meet up with Johnny Epiphone
Let's also meet up with Johnny Epiphone

He's been working on the midnight shift
Johnny has been working overnight up until now

Now we've got a bunch of Veebs
We now have a group of friends together

It's time to have our fun
It's time for us to enjoy ourselves

Now's the time to feel all right
This is the perfect time to feel happy