Tag: Jonathan Richman

Modern Lovers – Roadrunner

I posted this song, covered by Greg Kihn a while back. 

The simplicity is what gets me about this song. It reminds me a little of the Velvet Underground in that way. Jonathan Richman, who wrote the song, had seen the VU many times, and this was influenced by the Underground song Sister Ray. John Cale produced the 1972 version. 

Jonathan Richman grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. As a teenager in the mid-60s, he became obsessed with The Velvet Underground. He wasn’t just a fan; he followed them around New York City, crashing on couches, walking down the same streets Lou Reed walked. He took their sound and feel and made something a little brighter. 

It was first recorded in 1972 with John Cale producing, but it would be recorded with different producers through the years. Roadrunner exists in multiple versions, some faster, some longer, some even sloppier, and it works in each version.

Richman takes the Velvet Underground’s art style and replaces it with suburbia. He created a song that manages to be a blend of punk, power pop, and garage rock all at once. It’s a great song to blast out of your windows while driving down the road. Richman took the Chuck Berry/Springsteen dream of a car equaling freedom and ran with it. 

Here are two versions of the song. I like the original 1972 the best. 

Roadrunner

Roadrunner, roadrunnerGoing faster miles an hourGonna drive past the Stop ‘n’ ShopWith the radio onI’m in love with MassachusettsAnd the neon when it’s cold outsideAnd the highway when it’s late at nightGot the radio onI’m like the roadrunner

AlrightI’m in love with modern moonlight128 when it’s dark outsideI’m in love with MassachusettsI’m in love with the radio onIt helps me from being alone late at nightHelps me from being lonely late at nightI don’t feel so bad now in the carDon’t feel so alone, got the radio onLike the roadrunnerThat’s right

Said welcome to the spirit of 1956Patient in the bushes next to ’57The highway is your girlfriend as you go by quickSuburban trees, suburban speedAnd it smells like heaven, I sayRoadrunner onceRoadrunner twiceI’m in love with rock and roll and I’ll be out all nightRoadrunnerThat’s right

Well nowRoadrunner, roadrunnerGoing faster miles an hourGonna drive to the Stop ‘n’ ShopWith the radio on at nightAnd me in love with modern moonlightMe in love with modern rock & rollModern girls and modern rock & rollDon’t feel so alone, got the radio onLike the roadrunnerO.K. now you sing Modern Lovers

I got the AM(Radio on!)Got the car, got the AM(Radio on!)Got the AM sound, got the(Radio on!)Got the rockin’ modern neon sound(Radio on!)I got the car from Massachusetts, got the(Radio on!)I got the power of Massachusetts when it’s late at night(Radio on!)I got the modern sounds of modern MassachusettsI’ve got the world, got the turnpike, got theI’ve got the, got the power of the AMGot the, late at night, hit ’em wide, rock & roll late at nightThe factories and the auto signs got the power of modern soundsAlright

Right, bye bye!

…

Greg Kihn – Roadrunner

This song has a little of everything. Great crunchy guitar sound and an incredible bass that starts carrying the song in the middle. I love the harmonies on “Radio On” and he goes into what sounds like a slight ad-lib that I love. When you listen to it…listen to the complete song…it changes in the middle and it rocks. It’s very loose but that bass keeps it glued together. 

I first heard of Greg Kihn in 1981 when The Breakup Song (The Don’t Write ‘Em) was released. This was a power pop dream song. It was catchy, had some good guitar, and was immediately catchy. I just assumed the guy just came out with this on his debut album. I was totally wrong about that. He looked like a guy that would live next door to you but he had some great songs that weren’t heard. CB sent me this song and I had to looked twice at Greg Kihn…I never realized he had so many good songs. 

Kihn wasn’t just a musician either. He was also a novelist and disc jockey. He was born in Baltimore Maryland and stayed there until he was 23 and he moved to San Francisco to check out their music scene. He had regular jobs starting out but also formed a band and played in clubs. The guy released an album a year from 1976 to 1986. He would go on to release 12 more after that…he was very prolific.

He was first on the 1976 compilation album of many bands called Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1 with the songs All The Right Reasons and Mood Mood Number. The last track mentioned is very Nick Lowe sounding and I really like it. After that, he released his self-titled debut album in 1976. He kept releasing albums…in 1977 with Greg Kihn Again, Next of Kihn came in 1978 and was his first album that charted. It charted at #145 on the Billboard Album Charts. In 1979 it was With A Naked Eye that peaked at #114, and in 1980 Glass House Rock that charted at #167.

The next album, RocKihnRoll would do much better thanks to The Breakup Song. That album peaked at #32 and the song peaked at #15. He had his most successful release in 1983 with the album Kihnspiracy which peaked at #15 and the smash single Jeopardy which peaked at #2. His albums were a mix of original and cover songs. He covered Springsteen (Rendezvous and For You), Buddy Holly, Curtis Mayfield, and many more. Kihn was a good songwriter as well.

This song was written by Jonathan Richman of the band Modern Lovers. Their version was released in 1976. I like the Modern Lovers version but it doesn’t have the kick Greg puts into this song. This song was on Greg Kihn’s 1979 album With The Naked Eye. 

I’m going to post a bonus song…Kihn covering For Your Love live…

Roadrunner

one, two, three, four, five, six
Roadrunner, roadrunner
Going faster miles an hour
Gonna drive past the Stop ‘n’ Shop
With the radio on
I’m in love with the modern world
I’m in love with the modern girls
Massachusetts when it’s late at night
I got the radio on
Just like the roadrunner

Said welcome to the spirit of 1956
Patient in the bushes next to ’57
Well the highway was my girlfriend cause I went by so quick
Suburban trees were out there it felt like heaven
So I said
And I say roadrunner once
Roadrunner twice
We’re in love with rock & roll so lets be out all night

(Radio On!)
I got the AM
(Radio On!)
I got the modern sound rock and roll
(Radio On!)
I got the power I got the magic now
(Radio On!)
Fifty thousand watts of power now
(Radio On!)
Going faster miles an hour, Lets Go

(Bass carries the song here)

Alright
Can’t you hear out in Cleveland now?
USA when it’s late at night
Out on Route 128 down by the power lines
It’s so exciting at midnight
It’s cold here in the dark
I might explode nowhere near
I feel in touch with the modern world
I feel in touch because

(Radio On!)
I’m in love with the AM
(Radio On!)
Cause I’m feeling so alone at night
(Radio On!)
I got the power I got the magic now
(Radio On!)
Fifty thousand watts of power now
(Radio On!)
I’m alone in the cold of night
(Radio On!)
I feel in touch I feel alive I feel alone I fell so alive, alive in love
(Radio On!)
I’m in love with rock n roll
(Radio On!)
I got the, I got the, I got the
(Radio On!)

…