Radio Song

Album: Warpaint (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The melody for "Radio Song" originally came to Buckcherry singer Josh Todd in the shower. He recorded it onto his phone then went downstairs and penned all the lyrics.

    Todd sang what he'd come up with to guitarist Stevie D. the next day. The vocalist told him that he wanted it be to the band's "Purple Rain" so the axeman wrote the music with that in mind.
  • Speaking to Spence from Minnesota radio station Rock 95, Josh Todd said that he originally came up with the song in the shower.

    "I remember I came into writing one day and said 'Hey, let's put up a tempo. I got this song.' I sang it down just with no music on a click track. I told Stevie [D, guitar], 'I want this to be our 'Purple Rain,' so make the music, not exactly, but similar. Make it really epic.' I came back and the music for 'Radio Song' was born. He added a bridge to it, and it came together really nicely."
  • Lyrically, the song is about how our childhoods are marked by the songs played on the radio when we were young.

    "It told the story of where we were at, at what time, the parties that were going on, the people that we were dating and the hits that were on the radio at that time," Todd recalled. "It was such a really important piece to the puzzle when we were growing up. I wanted to capture that in a song. The fact you can be in one mood and get in your car, you can be having a bad day, all of the sudden a hit comes on the radio and pulls you out of your nightmare or whatever you're going through. I love the power of song and the power of radio in that regard. That's how that concept came about."
  • The live video was filmed during Buckcherry's August 17, 2019 show at Las Vegas' Fremont Street Experience outdoor venue.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of WayneSongwriter Interviews

The guy who brought us "Stacy's Mom" also wrote the Jane Lynch Emmy song and Stephen Colbert's Christmas songs.

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.