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.
Murder City Nights
Radio Birdman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fighting up terminal seventies stasis
Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action
Looking for a lover with a power reaction
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
Hanging on the edge of my self control
Looking in the mirror for the highway patrol
My brain is wired down to my hand
Gotta keep movin' cos I know I'm a man
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
The lyrics to Radio Birdman's song "Murder City Nights" paint a vivid image of the late 1970s Detroit scene. Moving to the sound of the midnight masses, the song describes somebody who is fighting against the mundane existence of a world in terminal stasis. They are cruising down Woodward, looking for some excitement and craving a lover with a power reaction. These lyrics suggest somebody that is looking to break free from the mundanity of everyday life, and to live with passion and intensity.
The lyrics go on to describe somebody who is on the edge of their self-control, looking in the mirror for the highway patrol. They are wired from their brain down to their hand, unable to keep still, as they know they're a man who needs to keep moving. This section of the song suggests somebody who is strung out, perhaps from drugs or a lack of direction, living in constant danger and on the brink of disaster.
In conclusion, the lyrics to "Murder City Nights" are filled with youthful energy and careless, reckless abandon. They paint a picture of a city that is alive with sound and danger, a place where people are searching for something that will make them feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Moving to the sound of the midnite masses
Following the crowds that only come out at night
Fighting up terminal seventies stasis
Trying to break free from the dullness or stagnancy of the 1970s
Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action
Driving around, seeking excitement and adventure
Looking for a lover with a power reaction
Searching for a partner with a strong and passionate response to life
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Expressing enthusiasm for the wild and dangerous nights in the city
Hanging on the edge of my self control
Feeling like the balance between one's rational and impulsive sides is precarious
Looking in the mirror for the highway patrol
Worrying about being caught by the police while driving recklessly
My brain is wired down to my hand
Feeling a strong urge or impulse to act in certain ways
Gotta keep movin' cos I know I'm a man
Feeling the need to constantly take action and assert one's masculinity
Murder city nights, all right
Accepting that the city's nightlife can be chaotic and even dangerous, but still finding it exciting
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DENIZ TEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
STRONG TONY
Moving to the sound of the midnight masses
Fighting off terminal seventies stasis
Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action
Looking for a lover with a power reaction
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
Hanging on the edge of my self control
Looking in the mirror for the highway patrol
My brain is wired down to my hand
Gotta keep movin' 'cos I know I'm a man
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
superunknown
Easily one of my favorite songs of all time
Chrys
I like this song so much!! Great!!
Dazza G
Damn.... Forgot how just how AWESOME These Guys REALLY were !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STRONG TONY
Moving to the sound of the midnight masses
Fighting off terminal seventies stasis
Cruising down Woodward gotta find me some action
Looking for a lover with a power reaction
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
Hanging on the edge of my self control
Looking in the mirror for the highway patrol
My brain is wired down to my hand
Gotta keep movin' 'cos I know I'm a man
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, oh yeah
Murder city nights, all right
francisco perez donaire
aunque el tiempo pase,vaya temazo!!!!
The Panel
The song is set in Detroit. Woodward Avenue is one of the main roads in Detroit, running from Downtown Detroit out through Highland Park and beyond. Woodward Avenue was out of control back in the 70 and 80s - totally wild - but is now nicely gentrified, although the consequences are higher rents. Downtown Detroit and Midtown including the Cass Corridor doesn't look bankrupt anymore, but five years ago, Detroit's municipal bankruptcy was all that ever got discussed around here. (I live in the Cass Corridor near Woodward and Cass Avenues.)
John Delmos
that was really good! maybe heard it before in 1980 or something but they dont play stuff like this anymore havent for a long time
Scott Briggs
nope, they just play the worst imaginable pop shit over and over and over. Or classic schlock radio here in NYC it's
like Steve Miller Band over and over and over. The same three songs.
adda89
fucking love this song!!
Ricgard Smith
great tune