The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were… Read Full Bio ↴The Vindictives are a Chicago-based punk pop group formed in 1990, and were active through 1996. They are peers with Screeching Weasel, The Queers and other bands from the era, they are also heavily-influenced by the Ramones. Joey Vindicitive's characteristic nasal melodies often told the story of alienation, psychosis, social-ills, and contiunally rejected rules of politeness. The lyrics are often intelligent outrages communicated through intentionally immature self defeating soliloquies.

They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.

The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.

Radio
The Vindictives Lyrics

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I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial
Doing anything my radio advised
With every one of those late night stations
Playing songs bringing tears to my eyes
I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
When the fuckin' thing broke 'cause it's old
They're saying things that I can hardly believe
They really think we're getting out of control

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
So you had better do as you are told
You better listen to the radio

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
I wanna bite that hand so badly
I want to make them wish they'd never seen me

Some of my friends sit around every evening
And they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
And the promise of an early bed
You either shut up or get cut up, they don't wanna hear about it
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
So you had better do as you are told

You better listen to the radio
Radio, radio [x8]

Overall Meaning

The Vindictives's song Radio is a powerful commentary on the role of radio in shaping our beliefs and attitudes. The lyrics begin by describing how the singer is glued to their radio, listening to every station and being moved to tears by the songs they play. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer is aware of the insidious influence that radio can have. They contemplate hiding the receiver or even destroying it out of frustration with the messages being broadcast. The song argues that while radio may be a "sound salvation" and clean up the nation, it can also be in the hands of "such a lot of fools" who seek to anesthetize and control the population.

The final verse of the song is particularly passionate. The singer expresses a desire to rebel against the messages being broadcast by the radio, to "bite the hand that feeds me." They are frustrated by the fact that people either don't want to hear about what's happening, or are too overwhelmed to take action. The song ultimately urges the listener to be aware of the power that radio has, to resist being controlled by it, and to make their own choices and form their own beliefs.

Line by Line Meaning

I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial
I was listening to the radio late at night and adjusting the dial to get a clearer signal.

Doing anything my radio advised
I was taking the suggestions of the radio and doing whatever it told me to do.

With every one of those late night stations
There were multiple radio stations playing music and broadcasting late at night.

Playing songs bringing tears to my eyes
The songs being played on the radio were emotional and made me feel sad.

I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
I was considering disconnecting or hiding the radio because of the content being broadcasted.

When the fuckin' thing broke 'cause it's old
The radio broke down because it was old and worn out.

They're saying things that I can hardly believe
The radio broadcasters were saying things that were hard to believe or did not make sense.

They really think we're getting out of control
The radio broadcasters believe that society is becoming uncontrollable.

Radio is a sound salvation
The song suggests that the radio can provide a sense of relief or escape from the problems of everyday life.

Radio is cleaning up the nation
The song suggests that the radio is improving or purifying society by broadcasting helpful or informative content.

They say you better listen to the voice of reason
The radio broadcasters suggest that you should listen to their programming, which they consider to be based on logical reasoning.

But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think that it's treason
The radio broadcasters do not allow listeners to choose the content that they would like to listen to and consider it treasonous to do so.

So you had better do as you are told
The song suggests that the radio broadcasters demand obedience from listeners.

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
The song expresses a desire to rebel against the people or institutions that provide the radio programming.

I wanna bite that hand so badly
The desire to rebel against the people or institutions that provide the radio programming is intense.

I want to make them wish they'd never seen me
The song expresses a desire to punish the people or institutions that provide the radio programming for their behavior.

Some of my friends sit around every evening
The song describes a group of friends who spend their evenings together.

And they worry about the times ahead
The group of friends is concerned about the future or uncertain times ahead.

But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
The song suggests that most people are apathetic or unconcerned about the future.

And the promise of an early bed
Most people are more interested in going to bed early than in worrying about the future.

You either shut up or get cut up, they don't wanna hear about it
Most people are hostile or unsympathetic to those who express concern about the future and are more interested in maintaining the status quo.

It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
The song suggests that the content of the radio programming is insignificant and unimportant.

And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
The song suggests that the people or institutions that provide the radio programming are unintelligent or foolish.

Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel
The song suggests that the radio programming is designed to make people numb or indifferent to their feelings.

Radio, radio [x8]
The repetition of the phrase 'radio, radio' reinforces the theme of the song about the negative effects of the radio on society.

Contributed by Jordyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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