B.B. Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers
Lonnie Mack and twangin' Eddy, here's my ring we're goin' steady
Take it easy, take me higher, liar liar, house on fire
Locomotion, Poco, Passion, Deeper Purple, Satisfaction
Baby baby gotta gotta gimme gimme gettin' hotter
Sammy's cookin', Lesley Gore and Ritchie Valens, end of story
Mahavishnu, fujiyama, kama-sutra, rama-lama
Richard Perry, Spector, Barry, Archies, Righteous, Nilsson, Harry
Shimmy shimmy ko-ko bop and Fats is back and Finger Poppin'

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

FM, AM, hits are clickin' while the clock is tock-a-tickin'
Friends and Romans, salutations, Brenda and the Tabulations
Carly Simon, I behold her, Rolling Stones and centerfoldin'
Johnny Cash and Johnny Rivers, can't stop now, I got the shivers
Mungo Jerry, Peter Peter Paul and Paul and Mary Mary
Dr. John the nightly tripper, Doris Day and Jack the Ripper
Gotta go Sir, gotta swelter, Leon Russell, Gimme Shelter
Miracles in smokey places, slide guitars and Fender basses
Mushroom omelet, Bonnie Bramlett, Wilson Pickett, stop and kick it

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

Arthur Janov's primal screamin', Hawkins, Jay and
Dale and Ronnie, Kukla, Fran and Norma Okla
Denver, John and Osmond, Donny
JJ Cale and ZZ Top and LL Bean and De De Dinah
David Bowie, Steely Dan and sing me prouder, CC Rider
Edgar Winter, Joanie Sommers, Osmond Brothers, Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton, pedal wah-wah, Stephen Foster, do-dah do-dah
Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Surfer Girl and Little Honda
Tighter, tighter, honey, honey, sugar, sugar, yummy, yummy
CBS and Warner Brothers, RCA and all the others

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

Listen--remember, they're playing our song!
Rock it, sock it, Alan Freed me, Murray Kaufman, try to leave me
Fish, and Swim, and Boston Monkey,
Make it bad and play it funky.
(Wanna take you higher!)


Lyrics submitted by richie

"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" as written by Paul Di Franco Norman Dolph

Lyrics © CRUSHING MUSIC COMPANY, THE SONGWRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA

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Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • 0
    General CommentThe first time I heard this song it blew my mind
    Soldier_of_Funkon May 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentDitto. I'm working on memorizing it. I've got the first verse down, the rest is a little shaky.
    whenlifegetson August 07, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI remember hearing this for the first time (1988), I wanted to know how long that guy practiced this before recording. I could never pull it off. Fantastic song, and it's a shame McDonald's had to go and rip them off for that commercial years ago (where a guy starts going through the menu with this song in the background).
    Coronaboyon March 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIt's brilliant, but if you listen closely you can hear where they've pieced together two recordings. He didn't sing it all the way through, they cheated. Heh.
    whenlifegetson April 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI remember being maybe 10 and writing down all the words I thought they said (I'm 18 now). I did a pretty good job, because when I sang it it sounded like I saw saying the words..even though I had no idea what they were actually saying. I can sing it all with the right words now :)
    ceasetoresist6on November 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentNow, in the last part of this song, they take bits and peices from other classic songs. I know that when the say "I wanna take you higher," that it's from the Sly and the family Stone song, and I know that the "celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music," is from the three dog night song. However, what is the "ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo," melody from? Could one of you tell me?
    Milfred101on January 29, 2009   Link

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