Early in his career Setzer was a member of the NYC band Bloodless Pharaohs, and later fronted the popular rockabilly revival band, Stray Cats. The Stray Cats particularly caught America's attention with the 1982 album Built for Speed, which included the two Top Ten hits, "Rock This Town" (#9) and "Stray Cat Strut" (#3), as well as with the follow-up 1983 album Rant 'N Rave, which included the two successful singles "(She's) Sexy + 17" (#5), and "I Won't Stand In Your Way" (#35).
In the mid 1990s, Setzer led a comeback of sorts for swing music and big band music, when he formed Brian Setzer Orchestra. The band has released at least 5 albums to date and one live DVD. This group had one hit, "Jump, Jive, and Wail" around the same time swing revival acts like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies' "Zoot Suit Riot" had been received favorably in mainstream America.
Brian Setzer also recorded some solo albums during Stray Cats' break in the 1980s along with some in the 1990s. In 2001 he released an album titled Ignition with his band '68 Comeback Special. A new solo album titled Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute To Sun Records was released on July 26, 2005, in the United States.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Setzer
Ghost Radio
The Brian Setzer Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This thunderstorm was running and it ran me out of time
So I was racing through the rain with this rig from Tennessee
When a voice cut through the static, bringing comfort home to me
They were singing
I ain't sittin' in no shack
Got me a Ford right out the back
If I ain't there in nothing flat
With a honky-tonk attitude
I'll be doing the straight line swing
Come on and grab your horseshoe
And throw it in the ring
Now the levee wall was breaking, rocks were rolling from the ridge
The announcer broke in, saying there was a bus trapped on the bridge
So I turned my rig around, I was axle-deep in mud
And I found those people stranded, the bridge was groaning in the flood
Still my radio was singing
I ain't sittin' in no shack
Got me a Ford right out the back
So come on and roll me over
If I ain't there in nothing flat
With a honky-tonk attitude
I'll be doing the straight line swing
Come on and grab your horseshoe
And throw it in the ring
With the grinding of my engine, I hauled those people free
With the raging river rising, the driver came thanking me
So I told him about the message; he said, That can't be right
The storm knocked out the radio tower late last Saturday night
But through the static we heard singing
I ain't sittin' in no shack
Got me a Ford right out the back
So come on and roll me over
If I ain't there in nothing flat
With a honky-tonk attitude
I'll be doing the straight line swing
Come on and grab your horseshoe
And throw it in the ring
Them old truckers gonna tell you down the lonely interstate
Out the dead air on the waveband, the Texas Playboys break
You'll hear a keening voice, Bob Wills is with you as you drive
And you'll know you got a broadcast straight from 1935
Can you hear him singing
I ain't sittin' in no shack
Got me a Ford right out the back
So come on and roll me over
If I ain't there in nothing flat
With a honky-tonk attitude
I'll be doing the straight line swing
Come on and grab your horseshoe
And throw it in the ring.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra's song Ghost Radio is a tale of a truck driver caught in a thunderstorm, racing through it with his rig from Tennessee. He hears a voice coming through the static on his radio, singing about not sitting in a shack but having a Ford right out the back. The lyrics describe a honky-tonk attitude where the voice promises to do the straight line swing, urging the listener to grab their horseshoe and throw it in the ring. The driver turns his rig around to save a bus that's trapped on a bridge in the flood. He later learns from the driver that the radio tower was knocked out by the storm late last Saturday night, making it impossible for anyone to broadcast anything. However, the driver and the people he saved had overheard the same singing voice coming through the static of their radios, giving them comfort and guidance through the storm.
This song is an ode to the golden era of radio broadcasting, particularly the era of AM radio stations that were prevalent during the 1930s and 1940s. The song references the Texas Playboys, a band led by Bob Wills, a pioneer of Western Swing music. Wills was an important figure in the development of honky-tonk music, which is often associated with the American West and the South. The song's lyrics mention a 'honky-tonk attitude' and 'straight line swing,' which are key elements of the music genre.
The song's narrative also reflects the values of American trucking culture, particularly the notion of helping others in need. Truck drivers often have a reputation for being tough and independent, but they also look out for each other and are known to help fellow drivers who are stranded or in trouble. The song presents a version of this trucking culture, where the singer risks his own safety and gets his rig stuck in the mud to save the people trapped on the bridge.
Line by Line Meaning
As I came across the Pecos and broke west of the line
As I traveled across the Pecos and moved past the border
This thunderstorm was running and it ran me out of time
The storm was fast approaching and I had to hurry
So I was racing through the rain with this rig from Tennessee
I drove quickly through the rain in my Tennessee truck
When a voice cut through the static, bringing comfort home to me
In the midst of the static, a voice came through and gave me comfort
They were singing
The voice was singing
I ain't sittin' in no shack
I'm not sitting idly by
Got me a Ford right out the back
I have a Ford truck ready to go
So come on and roll me over
Let's hit the road and go fast
If I ain't there in nothing flat
If I'm not there really quickly
With a honky-tonk attitude
With a lively, upbeat spirit
I'll be doing the straight line swing
I'll be dancing and moving forward in a straight line
Come on and grab your horseshoe
Come and join in the fun
And throw it in the ring
Let's all participate in the dance
Now the levee wall was breaking, rocks were rolling from the ridge
The flood was causing destruction, with rocks rolling down the hill
The announcer broke in, saying there was a bus trapped on the bridge
The announcer interrupted with news of a stranded bus
So I turned my rig around, I was axle-deep in mud
I turned my truck around, despite being stuck in the mud
And I found those people stranded, the bridge was groaning in the flood
I found the stranded people and the bridge was making noise due to the flood
Still my radio was singing
Despite the chaos, the radio continued playing music
With the grinding of my engine, I hauled those people free
I used the strength of my engine to rescue the stranded people
With the raging river rising, the driver came thanking me
As the floodwater rose, the driver thanked me for saving them
So I told him about the message; he said, That can't be right
I shared the message from the radio with him, but he was skeptical
The storm knocked out the radio tower late last Saturday night
The storm had knocked down the radio tower the previous Saturday night
But through the static we heard singing
Despite the interference, we could hear the music playing
Them old truckers gonna tell you down the lonely interstate
Truckers will often share stories on the long, lonely roads
Out the dead air on the waveband, the Texas Playboys break
They'll listen to old country music on the radio
You'll hear a keening voice, Bob Wills is with you as you drive
They'll hear the voice of Bob Wills singing along with them as they drive
And you'll know you got a broadcast straight from 1935
They'll feel as though they're listening to an old radio broadcast from 1935
Can you hear him singing
Can you hear Bob Wills singing?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN SETZER, JOE STRUMMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind