Radar Detector

Album: Darwin Deez (2010)
Charted: 62
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Darwin Deez are a New York based Indie folk band, who are named after the stage moniker of their main man Darwin Smith. This is their second single, and their first UK top 75 hit.
  • Darwin Smith told Gigwise about this song: "A radar detector is a device, illegal in some provinces, that alerts drivers to the presence of police radar in the vicinity. Drivers, in turn, use this information to modulate the speed of their spacecraft, you nawmsayin? I once fell in love with a girl who reminded me of a radar detector in the way that she constantly kept her eye out for my well-being, like a loving machine, and I wrote this song about her."
  • This track is included on Darwin Deez's self-titled album. Smith told CMU how he wrote for the record: "For most of the tracks on this album, I started with a topic or concept for the song, and then I established the rhythm guitar part and the lyrics and melody. More than once, I started with the first line of the first verse, and in those cases, the first line then determined the shape of the verse melody, and then I wrote a chorus to contrast it. I added all the other instrumentation during the recording process."
  • During an interview with The Sun, the comment was made that Darwin Deez's dancing in the video is a bit dorky. He responded: "I went a little crazy during the shoot so I had to ask the director to use the tamer stuff for fear of an excessively high dork factor."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

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.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.