This old sign kicks butt!
And so does this timeless classic by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers!!!
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 Massachusetts
And the neon when it's cold outside
And the highway when it's late at night
Got the radio on
I'm like the roadrunner
Alright
I'm in love with modern moonlight
128 when it's dark outside
I'm in love with Massachusetts
I'm in love with the radio on
It helps me from being alone late at night
It helps me from being lonely late at night
I don't feel so bad now in the car
Don't feel so alone, got the radio on
Like the roadrunner
That's right
Said welcome to the spirit of 1956
Patient in the bushes next to '57
The highway is your girlfriend as you go by quick
Suburban trees, suburban speed
And it smells like heaven(thunder)
And I say roadrunner once
Roadrunner twice
I'm in love with rock & roll and I'll be out all night
Roadrunner
That's right
Well now
Roadrunner, roadrunner
Going faster miles an hour
Gonna drive to the Stop 'n' Shop
With the radio on at night
And me in love with modern moonlight
Me in love with modern rock & roll
Modern girls and modern rock & roll
Don't feel so alone, got the radio on
Like the roadrunner
O.K., now you sing Modern Lovers
(Radio On!)
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 Massachusetts
(Radio On!)
I've got the world, got the turnpike, got the
(Radio On!)
I've got the, got the power of the AM
(Radio On!)
Got the, late at night, (?), rock & roll late at night
(Radio On!)
The factories and the auto signs got the power of modern sounds
(Radio On!)
Alright
Right, bye bye!
"Roadrunner" is a song written by Jonathan Richman and recorded in various versions by Richman and his band, in most cases credited as The Modern Lovers, which existed from 1970–1974 but their recordings were not released until later.
Their debut album, the eponymous "The Modern Lovers", contained songs about dating awkwardness, growing up in Massachusetts, and love of life and the USA. The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of The Velvet Underground, but also pointed the way towards much of the Punk, New Wave and Indie rock music of the following decades. Members David Robinson and Jerry Harrison went on to form the Cars and Talking Heads, respectively.
Rolling Stone ranked it #269 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Critic Greil Marcus stated: "Roadrunner was the most obvious song in the world, and the strangest". It was described by British journalist Laura Barton as "one of the most magical songs in existence".
Richman’s band The Modern Lovers first recorded “Roadrunner” with producer John Cale (previously of the Velvet Underground) in 1972. This version was first released as a single and in 1976 on The Modern Lovers' long-delayed but highly acclaimed debut album.
Later in 1972, the group recorded two more versions with Kim Fowley, which were released in 1981 on the album “The Original Modern Lovers”. A live version from 1973 was also later officially released on the “Live At Longbranch Saloon” album.
The most commercially successful version of the song, credited to Richman as a solo artist, was recorded for Beserkley Records in late 1974, produced by label boss Matthew King Kaufman, and released at the time on a single with a B-side by the band Earth Quake. Kaufman stated: "To record "Roadrunner" took the 3 minutes-35 seconds for the performance, about another 30 minutes to dump the background vocals on, and another 90 minutes to mix it".
This version was reissued in 1975 on the album “Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1”. In the UK, where Richman had received substantial and very positive publicity in the music press, it was released in 1976 as a single, known as “Roadrunner (Once)”, with the Cale-produced “Roadrunner (Twice)” on the B-side. This single reached number 11 in the UK singles chart in early 1977.
The differences among all these versions are in the lyrics, the duration and the way Jonathan sings them.
A version of "Roadrunner" was recorded by the Sex Pistols in 1978 on The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. It was also recorded by Joan Jett on a 1986 single. Other versions have been recorded by The Feelies, Greg Kihn, Yo La Tengo, The Jazz Butcher and Gary Valentine.
Roadrunner is also featured on the Motion Picture Soundtrack to Mad Magazine's 1980 movie "Up the Academy."
The song was also featured on the "Radio" episode of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour for XM Satellite Radio.
Roadrunner is in the movie School of Rock and an episode in Season Two of the HBO Series The Wire.
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