Radio

Album: Radio Radio Radio (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This early Rancid song is a celebration of the music they loved listening to on the radio growing up. Two Clash songs get a mention: "The Magnificent Seven" and "This Is Radio Clash."
  • Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day wrote this song with Rancid members Tim Armstrong (no relation) and Matt Freeman. Rancid had three members at the time and were looking for a second guitarist, so Billie Joe joined them for a few shows in 1993 and wrote this song with them. The second guitarist slot was later filled by Lars Frederiksen, who recorded "Radio" with the band.
  • This song first appeared on Rancid's EP Radio Radio Radio in 1993, and the following year was included on their second album, Let's Go.
  • The Radio Radio Radio EP was released on Fat Wreck Chords, owned by Fat Mike of NOFX. Mike is a huge fan of this song. "Tim Armstrong has written so many lyrics," he told Songfacts. "One line he wrote in the song 'Radio' – 'When I got the music I got a place to go' - yes, everyone can relate to that because we're all people where music saved our lives. Music gives us a place to go when we're sad or depressed or we're about to go out to some event. Music makes us happy or sad. It brings us to a different place that a book doesn't, a painting doesn't. It hits us deep in the soul."
  • In 2017, Tim Armstrong and Billie Joe Armstrong teamed up again to form a group called the Armstrongs, rounded out by Tim's nephew Rey (bass) and Billie Joe's son Joey (drums). (of SWMRS) and Tim's nephew Rey. They released a single called "If There Was Ever a Time."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."