Capital Radio One
The Clash Lyrics

Yes, it's time for the Dr. Goebbels show!
The radio station in question is controlled by the government and propaganda is about to be broadcasted.

There's a tower in the heart of London
There is a tall structure located in the center of London.

With a radio station right at the top
Located at the top of the tower is a radio station.

They don't make the city beat
Despite being located at the heart of the city, they do not contribute to the city's energy.

They're making all the action stop
The radio station is controlling the population's behavior and suppressing their excitement or activism.

A long time ago there were pirates
In the past, there were illegal radio broadcasters that transmitted from ships.

Beaming waves from the sea
They transmitted their message through the airwaves, which reached the coastlines from offshore.

But now all the stations are silenced
The government has shut down all illegal radio stations, including the prior pirates.

'Cause they ain't got a government license
The reason they have shut down is that they did not apply or acquire a legal license from the government.

Want to tell your problems?
If you want to communicate your hardships,

Phone in from your bedsit room
You can contact Capital Radio via a telephone call from your small, humble apartment.

Having trouble with your partner?
Are you and your significant other having issues?

Let us all in on the news
Share your story with everyone listening on the radio station.

If you want to hear a record
If you want to listen to a song,

Get the word from Aiden Day
Aiden Day curates the playlist and decides which songs get aired on this station.

He picks all the hits to play
Aiden Day selects which music will be played, which is orchestrated carefully to maintain control over the listeners.

To keep you in your place all day
Capital Radio attempts to limit what people think, do, and say, ultimately suppressing their ambitions.

Capital Radio
This is the name of the station narrated in this song.

In tune with nothing
The radio station plays songs that do not push people to awareness or require them to think for themselves.

Don't touch that dial
Referring to the knobs or buttons that control radio frequency, the artist suggests that the listener should not change the station despite its coercive behavior.

Don't touch that dial
The artist repeats the previous line, hoping to keep the listener's attention and sustain the propaganda.

Don't touch that dial...
The final repetition from the artist that they insist the listener should not switch away from the radio station, despite its attempt to suppress its listeners.