Album version
I was trying to find my way home
But all I heard was a drone
Bouncing off a satellite
Crushing the last lone American night
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
I was spinning 'round a dead dial
Just another lost number in a file
Dancing down a dark hole
Just searching for a world with some soul
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I just want to hear some rhythm
I want a thousand guitars
I want pounding drums
I want a million different voices speaking in tongues
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?
[instrumental]
I was driving through the misty rain
Yeah searching for a mystery train
Bopping through the wild blue
Trying to make a connection with you
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?
I just want to feel some rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel some rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
I just want to feel your rhythm (I just want to)
RADIO NOWHERE is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2007 album Magic. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of RADIO NOWHERE as released in 2007.
The album version of RADIO NOWHERE was included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2015 edition) compilation album, the Greatest Hits (2009 editions) compilation album, and the Collection: 1973-2012 compilation album.
It's unknown when exactly RADIO NOWHERE was written, but it's probably late 2006. In an interview published in the 01 Nov 2007 issue of Rolling Stone, Bruce Springsteen told Joe Levy: "It's an end-of-the-world scenario — he's seeing the apocalypse. All communications are down: 'Trying to find my way home/All I heard was a drone bouncing' — trying to connect to you. It comes down to trying to make people happy, feel less lonely, but also being a conduit for a dialogue about the events of the day, the issues that impact people's lives, personal and social and political and religious. That's how I always saw the job of our band. That was my service. At this point, I'm in the middle of a very long conversation with my audience."
In late 2006, Bruce Springsteen invited producer Brendan O'Brien up to his New Jersey house to play him a batch of new songs he had been working on. "We literally sat in his living room, he hands me a book of lyrics and he played me the songs on the guitar," O'Brien told Rolling Stone. He said that the version of RADIO NOWHERE recorded for Magic changed very little from the version Springsteen played him at his house the previous year. "It's a pretty straight-ahead rocker," O'Brien described it. "The most straightforward song I've heard him do in years." Manager Jon Landau told Rolling Stone that the track "has a real anthemic quality to it. If it doesn't get you out of your seat, I don't know what will."
The song was recorded during the Magic recording sessions which took place between March and May 2007 at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta, GA. Springsteen plays guitar and sings vocals on the album version of the song, and is backed by Max Weinberg on drums, Garry Tallent on bass guitar, Clarence Clemons on saxophone and background vocals, Steven Van Zandt on background vocals, Patti Scialfa on background vocals, and Nils Lofgren on guitar.
On 22 Aug 2007, six days prior to its official release, RADIO NOWHERE leaked on the internet and to satellite radio the following day and to regular radio the day after that. New York's 95.5 WPLJ, with co-hosts Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill, gave commuters a surprise double-shot of RADIO NOWHERE on the morning of 24 Aug 2007. WPLJ's Programming VP Tom Cuddy told Backstreets that "the response by listeners was overwhelming. Our request lines lit up like a Christmas tree! Fans loved it... it's three minutes and 16 seconds of straight-ahead rock 'n' roll with a terrific Clarence solo!" He continues: "We received a call from Sony Music this morning after we played it the first time, requesting that we stop. However, we told him we promised fans we'd play it one more time — which we did."
Later in the day, classic rocker Q104.3 in New York City reportedly played the song several times in a row. The song was also played twice in the afternoon of that day by 93.3 WNCD in Youngstown, OH, but they stopped after being contacted by a Columbia Records representative. On 26 Aug 2007, Steven Van Zandt also played RADIO NOWHERE on his Underground Garage radio show.
The official release for radio was set for Tuesday 28 Aug 2007 and RADIO NOWHERE received some of its biggest promotion and early airplay from sports talk host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo on WFAN in New York. Being a big huge Springsteen fan, he could not stop raving about the song. In fact, callers frequently opened their conversations with Russo by chanting Springsteen's "Is there anyone alive out there?" line from the song.
RADIO NOWHERE was released as a free limited-timespan digital single on 28 Aug 2007, available for download at the iTunes store. Sony BMG created the website "www.radionowheredownload.com" (now offline) at this time, which also offered the single free for Springsteen's fan base in Europe (for whom iTunes is not always an option), making it available for free well in advance of the commercial release of the album.
The single was issued on CD-R for promotional purposes worldwide.
Despite all this initial drama, RADIO NOWHERE was not a chart success in the United States, failing to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The song charted significantly higher in European countries.
| Country | Chart | Peak position | Weeks in chart | Charting period |
| Canada | Canadian Hot 100 | 55 | 8 | |
| Germany | Media Control Charts | 90 | 1 | |
| Ireland | IRMA | 24 | ||
| Italy | Top Digital Download | 25 | ||
| Norway | VG-lista | 2 | 23 | Sep 2007 to Jul 2008 |
| Poland | 45 | |||
| Portugal | 25 | |||
| Sweden | Sverigetopplistan | 60 | 1 | Oct 2007 |
| Switzerland | Singles Chart | 87 | 2 | Nov 2007 |
| UK | UK Singles Chart | 96 |
RADIO NOWHERE was awarded Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards of 2008. The primary ceremony took place on 10 Feb 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, and was televised in the United States on CBS; however, most of the awards (included the ones Springsteen won) were handed out during a pre-telecast portion of the show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. Springsteen did not attend either ceremonies.
Thom Zimny direcyed the music video for RADIO NOWHERE. It premiered on 04 Sep 2007 on Amazon.com. It consists mostly of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band playing the song in a darkened studio, interspersed with filmed Manhattan street scenes and a few shots of a recent promotional photograph of Springsteen being torn. Of the E Streeters, Patti Scialfa, Steve Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, and Nils Lofgren get the most face time in the video; quasi-member Soozie Tyrell is absent altogether.
The music video for RADIO NOWHERE was included on the Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- compilation album. It was posted on Bruce Springsteen's VEVO YouTube channel in October 2009.
The opening guitar riff and chord progression are so reminiscent of Tommy Tutone's 1982 hit 867-5309/JENNY that Tommy Tutone lead singer Tommy Heath told the Chicago Tribune that "everybody's calling me about it," and that, "I think it's close enough that if I wanted to [take legal action], I could work with it." "I don't really get into that sort of thing," he added, "but the kids do need braces so maybe I will." Most musical plagiarism cases hinge on borrowed melodies, while these two songs' similarities lie more in the chord changes and beat.
Heath never took action, and there's really no ground for any case. The chord progression used in RADIO NOWHERE may be the same as the Tommy Tutone's song, but it is in a completely different key and the lick played at the beginning of 867-5309/JENNY is different than the one played at the beginning of RADIO NOWHERE. The Em-C-G-D has been used in countless other pop rock songs.
Magic is Bruce Springsteen's fifteenth studio album. It was released on 02 Oct 2007 on Columbia Records. The album was officially announced, along with its track listing, on 16 Aug 2007. It was produced by Brendan O'Brien and was recorded between March and May 2007 at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta, GA.
Magic was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album but failed to win. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming Springsteen's eighth number one album in the U.S. and selling about 335,000 copies in its first week. Magic also peaked at number one in several European countries including the UK.
The album features 12 tracks and clocks at 50:48. The twelfth track is bonus hidden track that was added to the album two weeks after the album was announced.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released as part of Sony BMG'S (previously Sony Music Entertainment) series of "Essential" sets. According to Springsteen's liner notes comments, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour.
The collection is fundamentally a 2-disc set (clocking at 153:37) compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Live In New York City release. A 3-disc limited edition (clocking at 201:04) was also released. It includes a bonus third disc comprising of a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen was released on 11 Nov 2003 on Columbia Records. It debuted and peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart where it spent 13 weeks. It also reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records by the RIAA on 16 Dec 2003.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Disc 3:
The Essential Bruce Springsteen was reissued on 16 Oct 2015, this time as a 2-disc set (clocking at 156:25) with an updated track list, compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Greatest Hits (1995 edition) collection. This 2015 reissue features remastered tracks not found in that form on other Springsteen releases.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Greatest Hits (2009 edition) is a compilation album released by Columbia Records on 13 Jan 2009 in the United State where it was sold exclusively through Wal-Mart retailers. The album was also released (but non-exclusively) in Canada. Unlike the 1995 Greatest Hits release and The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003, this compilation was billed to "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band" instead of just "Bruce Springsteen". The album contains 12 previously released studio tracks and clocks at 53:08.
On 01 Jun 2009, Columbia Records released a European edition of the compilation album with an alternative track listing to promote Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's European leg of the Working On A Dream Tour. The European edition was also released in Israel and Mexico, and in Australia in August 2009. The album comes in a standard jewel case, but a limited digipack edition was also released in Europe. Greatest Hits (2009 European edition) contains 16 previously released studio tracks and 2 live bonus tracks taken from the Live/1975-85 box set. It clocks at 79:03.
The album charted in several countries, but only made it to # 1 in Sweden. In general, the album did much better in Europe than in North America.
Collection: 1973-2012 is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released on Columbia Records in 2013. It was released on 08 Mar 2013 in Australia and 15 Apr 2013 in Europe. The compilation was not released commercially in the United States. Instead, a promotional version was given out exclusively to $1,500 ticket holders at the "MusiCares Person Of The Year" tribute event held in Los Angeles, CA, on 08 Feb 2013. The event honoured Springsteen for both his artistic achievements and philanthropic efforts. The compilation consists of 18 previously released studio tracks.
Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released by Sony Music Japan in 2023. The compilation, which was exclusively released in Japan, consists of previously released 35 audio tracks and 62 video tracks. The collection is part of a 26-title reissue campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's debut album. The series, issued in three waves (25 Oct 2023, 22 Nov 2023, and 20 Dec 2023), includes 25 albums originally released between 1973 and 2014 plus a new compilation album that includes all of Springsteen's singles released in Japan from 1975 to 1999. All audio CD's were manufactured using Sony Japan's Blu-spec CD2 format.
Disc 1: (audio CD)
Disc 2: (audio CD)
Disc 3: (DVD)
Disc 4: (DVD)
The album version of RADIO NOWHERE also appears on some various artists albums and EPs.
Other versions of RADIO NOWHERE were also officially released.
In preparation for the Magic Tour, RADIO NOWHERE was performed during all of the tour's three public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in September 2007 in Asbury Park and East Rutherford. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least 5 of the private rehearsals that took place in September 2007 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg, and during at least 2 of the private rehearsals that took place in February 2008 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's second U.S. leg.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed 99 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008), dropped from the set only on 05 Jul 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The song was played in its full-band album arrangement. It was the show opener on most of these dates, and the second or the third on the set list on the remaining ones. The 30 Aug 2008 performance was during Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary Celebration. See the live 30 Oct 2007 version. The live 19 Nov 2007 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston 11/19/07 official live download in 2018. The live 22 Apr 2008 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, April 22, 2008 official live download in 2019. The live 28 Apr 2008 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the Greensboro, North Carolina April 28, 2008 official live download in 2020. The live 23 Aug 2008 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008 official live download in 2017.
In preparation for the Working On A Dream Tour, RADIO NOWHERE was performed during both of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park. The song featured Jay Weinberg on drums. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed 42 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009). The song was played in its full-band album arrangement. Jay Weinberg substituted for his father on drums on 21 of these performances. The live 04 May 2009 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the Nassau Coliseum 05.04.09 official live download in 2020. The live 28 Jun 2009 version of RADIO NOWHERE was released on the London Calling: Live In Hyde Park home video in 2010.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed 21 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013). The song was played in its full-band album arrangement.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed 5 times during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase. See the live 08 Feb 2014 version for more details.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed twice during The River Tour 2016 (75 dates, January to September 2016). On this tour, the song was played in a full-band arrangement. Audio recordings for all The River Tour 2016 shows are officially available for purchase. See the live 26 Jul 2016 version and the live 14 Sep 2016 version for more details.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed off-tour on 28 Sep 2007 (morning) at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, NY, during Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's live broadcast on The Today Show. The song was played in its full-band album arrangement.
RADIO NOWHERE was performed off-tour on 25 Sep 2009 at Apollo Theater in New York City, NY, during the taping of "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With Bruce Springsteen". The song was played in a full-band arrangement, with Bruce Springsteen, Roy Bittan, Nils Lofgren, and Elvis Costello & The Imposters. The 25 Sep 2009 show was released on the Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... (Season 2) home video in 2011. See the live 25 Sep 2009 version for more details.
Between 2002 and 2011, Bruce Springsteen played private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended ─ Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. RADIO NOWHERE was performed at one of these fundraisers, on 23 Jan 2010 in Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band.
Bruce Springsteen appeared at a total of six Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers concerts at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2010, 2011, and 2014. RADIO NOWHERE was performed on 04 Nov 2011.
At least 12 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's RADIO NOWHERE.
Info about the RADIO NOWHERE music video is copied from Wikipedia. Info for some of the above RADIO NOWHERE cover releases is taken from the Nebraska website.
If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of RADIO NOWHERE on this website:
RADIO NOWHERE [Album version]
