We Don't Want the Airwaves
Useless ID Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I′m not a fan of the king or the kinks, man, the dolls were just alright
The boss of me is from Queens, not Jersey, Forest Hills, it's okay
Art and Paul are from there, you can add it to the U.S open tournament
But hey, we don′t care, we're from everywhere

I could live without the Doors and The Stones no, I'm not masquerading
I′ll admit that′s a part of the art, rock and roll has no ending
Am I the last one, could it be to defend the one true royalty?
Why lie or hide it? the Ramones are the ones for me

So when I leave home on a road to ruin, to the end of the century
Here's to all the pleasant dreamers, acid eaters, late ′70s creatures
Rocket to the U.S.S.R, I'm halfway to sanity
Brian drain on mondo bizarro time, go!

You know that I had my days, growing out of a phase, it was alright
I was so much the worse ′til I met all the freaks and the dropouts
We never bought any cash, we were born with the clash
Now we spend our lives, loving the living
Heaven and hell, all through the Ramones

So when I leave home on a road to ruin, to the end of the century
Here's to all the pleasant dreamers, acid eaters, late ′70s creatures
Rocket to the U.S.S.R, I'm halfway to sanity
Just an animal boy too tough to die, go!

We don't want the airwaves no more, we got 14 records to choose from
Leave the radio nerds with their radioheads, they can have the T-shirts, the free shit
I can name all the hits from the rejects to blitz, radio I′m still not done




And I wish it was the same with the Ramones
Hey Brandon, are you hanging with the Ramones?

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of Useless ID's song We Don't Want the Airwaves, the lyrics make references to various influential musicians who the singer is not a fan of, including Elvis Presley ("the king"), The Kinks, and The New York Dolls ("the dolls"). However, the singer does mention that he is a fan of The Ramones, and gives praise for their hometown of Forest Hills, Queens. The second verse continues with this theme of admiration for The Ramones, and the singer discusses his journey of discovering and maturing through music. The chorus repeats the phrase "we don't want the airwaves" as a rejection of mainstream radio culture and an assertion of the band's independence.


The lyrics of this song can be interpreted as a celebration of punk rock culture and the rejection of the mainstream. The singer rejects the hegemony of popular music, expressing a desire to distance themselves from mainstream culture, represented by the "radio nerds" listening to Radiohead. The reference to The Ramones is significant, highlighting their importance and influence in the punk rock scene. The lyrics also suggest that music can serve as a guiding force in a person's life, helping them to grow and mature.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm not a fan of the king or the kinks, man, the dolls were just alright
I don't particularly enjoy artists like Elvis Presley, The Kinks, and The New York Dolls, but I don't dislike them either


The boss of me is from Queens, not Jersey, Forest Hills, it's okay
The person who holds authority over me is from Forest Hills, Queens, which is fine by me


Art and Paul are from there, you can add it to the U.S open tournament
Arturo Vega and Paul McCartney are also from Forest Hills, Queens, which is worth noting


But hey, we don't care, we're from everywhere
Ultimately, our geographical origin is not important because we come from all over


I could live without the Doors and The Stones no, I'm not masquerading
I don't need to listen to The Doors or The Rolling Stones to fit in with the crowd


I'll admit that's a part of the art, rock and roll has no ending
However, I do recognize that these bands have contributed to the art of rock and roll, which is constantly evolving


Am I the last one, could it be to defend the one true royalty?
I wonder if I am the only one left who is willing to speak up for the true royalty of rock and roll


Why lie or hide it? the Ramones are the ones for me
I see no reason to lie or hide the fact that The Ramones are my favorite band


So when I leave home on a road to ruin, to the end of the century
As I embark on a journey into the unknown, I'm reminded that this is the end of a century


Here's to all the pleasant dreamers, acid eaters, late '70s creatures
A toast to all of the people who seek to experience life in unconventional ways, especially those who did so in the late 1970s


Rocket to the U.S.S.R, I'm halfway to sanity
Even though it may seem crazy, I feel like I'm getting closer to sanity every day


Brian drain on mondo bizarro time, go!
With this sense of clarity, I'm ready to take on the unpredictable and bizarre nature of life like Brian Jones did


You know that I had my days, growing out of a phase, it was alright
I've had my fair share of rebellious phases and have since grown out of them, but that's okay


I was so much the worse 'til I met all the freaks and the dropouts
Meeting unconventional and nonconformist people has made me a better and more accepting person than I was before


We never bought any cash, we were born with the clash
We didn't grow up with much money, but we were born with the music and message of The Clash


Now we spend our lives, loving the living
Nowadays, we focus on living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment


Heaven and hell, all through the Ramones
The music of The Ramones has accompanied us through both good and bad times


Just an animal boy too tough to die, go!
I'm a resilient and strong-willed individual who won't give up easily


We don't want the airwaves no more, we got 14 records to choose from
We don't need the radio airwaves anymore since we have 14 albums of our favorite band to listen to


Leave the radio nerds with their radioheads, they can have the T-shirts, the free shit
Let the avid radio listeners have their Radiohead memorabilia and perks, we don't need them


I can name all the hits from the rejects to blitz, radio I'm still not done
I'm so familiar with the hits of punk bands like The Rejects and Blitz that I can recite them easily, and I still have more punk bands to discover


And I wish it was the same with the Ramones
I just wish I had as much knowledge about other punk bands as I do about The Ramones


Hey Brandon, are you hanging with the Ramones?
I wonder if my friend Brandon is also a fan of The Ramones and hangs out with them




Writer(s): בן חורין יותם, ברגר ישי, כרמל גיא

Contributed by Jordyn F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Misfitcore

"Hey Brandon are you hanging with The Ramones" the first time that I listened that line it gave me the chills, beautiful

@heyholetsgo

Thanks for throwing my bands cover album in there dudes!

@eduardomartinho979

Thx for the Brandon reference dudes. Two of my favorite bands, Ramones and TBR.  Nice work.

@Adamc753

So awesome! Came across you guys on "Punk Tacos" radio! Love the song!

@hernzy

its got that classic fat wreck comp sound, i dig it

@heyholetsgo

Agree!

@brankonikolic783

The best song this year!

@deambulantespunkrock2740

cool! greetings from Colombia

@ferko6534

Love this song!!!!

@DenzilVoorhees

Brilliant song!

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