This is what you see when you look in my direction:
Incandescent corsets draw eyes tight like wires.
This is how it feels,
Calling out but no one even hears

The signals that we send over the air
Over the air
Over the air
Over the air.

[Chorus]
When you say my name,
I want to split it from your lips
And hide like whispers in the rain.
When you say my name,
I want to stop it in your lungs
And collect all of your blood to put in the radio.

Is this how it feels
When you don't even fit into your own skin?
And its getting tighter,
Every day I'm getting smaller
If I keep holding my breath I'm going to disappear.

[Chorus]

There's no where to hide.
They stole the love from our lives to put the sex on the radio.
There's no where to hide.
They stole the love from our lives to put the sex on.

If I keep holding my breath, all of this will fade away.
If you keep driving we'll be lying in the wreck.
Changing the shape,
Folding like an envelope to keep each other in.
Shattered glass, broken looks, and mascara gets
Washed away by windshield wiper blades.

[Chorus]

There's no where to hide.
They stole the love from our lives to put the sex on the radio.
There's no where to hide.
They stole the love from our lives to put the sex on the radio.
That's where we hide
The love and lies and sex, on the radio.


Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84

Signals Over the Air Lyrics as written by Geoffrey Rickly Iii

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Signals Over The Air song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    one of my favourite thursday songs - yes its quite catchy, but there aint nuthin wrong with catchy. the drumming in the chorus is awesome.and i can play it. and im being a dickhead so ill shut up. this song is possibly about mainstream media, as all you lovely people have already mentioned. the one important lyric no-one has talked about though is "theres nowhere to hide". geoff sings this a number of times - he could be suggesting that the media is evrywhere (even us writing comments on here is a form of media). then at the end he says "yeah that's where we hide, the love and lies and sex, on the radio". hes saying that eventually, we all give in, and become part of something we hated. or i could be wrong.

    "yes, im a big dork, and i listen to emo." -Seth from the O.C.

    atthedrive-inon November 05, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    First I would like to say, that as someone who studies literature, I absolutely love their lyrics. With all the trash in the radio, it is a relief to know that some bands still have songs with a deeper meaning.

    As for the interpretations, I think all the one's I read can be applied to this song. I also listened to the interview (which I discovered thanks to the youtube link). Geoff is suggesting, that the song can be applied to homosexuals not feeling OK with their sexuality. He mentions that it is not being talked about enough and that they are even being disdained by many people. In this case, the lines that explain this aspect are like already mentioned "is this how it feels when you don't even fit into your own skin and it's getting tighter". The fact that he hates the media saying his name, could mean that he hates how media makes a stereotype out of every homosexual. They are all respresented in the same way:feminine, twirly etc, this is non-sense of course.

    But this song can also be seen, like many of you said, for women's rights. The beginning goes "incandescent corset straws tied like wires. " which means, men only see women in their well-wrapped body; it is the first thing they look at. Why? Because the media objectifies women. The calling out, is the woman trying to make others see that she is a person who wants to be respected for her personality, but no one cares. Under all this pressure the media puts on women (beauty, perfectly shaped body and so on) they eventually give up and pretend to fit in, but they are suffering: "when you don't even fit into your own skin and it's getting tighter everyday and i'm getting smaller. if i keep holding my breath i'm going to disappear. " so that one day, they will be an empty shell without personality, because the media tells us this is how it is supposed to be. The chorus is pretty clear I think: sex is nowadays a pure outlet of human lust and feelings are not being considered anymore. Women are treated like objects that you use and then throw away and love is neglected by everyone. The influence is of course the media. The problem is that even the people who understand this concern, are not able to escape anymore: it is everywhere "there is nowhere to hide". The driving is here a symbol of the fact to keep this facade (being pretty without having feelings) going on until you finally are nothing more than what the media shows you: if you keep driving we'll be lying in the rain. changing the shape" or it will all fall apart and you will be desperate: "shattered glass, broken lights, and mascara gets washed away". The mascare is a clear sign for women being concerned.

    This is of course just my opinion and I believe that there are other interpretations, I just pointed out the ones I could illustrated with examples. ^^

    carryleinon June 16, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    When I saw Thursday live not long ago, Geoff said 'This is about f*ucking womans rights' or something obscene like that XD My point being, this about womans rights.

    sweettalkeron December 16, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I've heard many meanings by so-called "fans" but Geoff (the lead singer of Thursday) has repeatedly told audiences during concerts that "Signals over the Air" is about women's rights..

    ashleyr2305on January 16, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "This songs about womans right and how we say we respect them, when they get treated like shit."

    • Geoff Wickley (Melbourne Soundwave 2008)
    caitvon March 03, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    when i saw thursday at warped tour, geoff actually said that this song was message to women. That it was pretty much about abusive realationships and men treating women like shit. which. to me. makes sense.

    punkycurseon May 27, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    Okay. I totally get this song. Whatever message he's trying to get across is not being understood, or being misunderstood and misinterpreted. People are listening, but not really listening. It's not about sex. It about taking the least desirable part from him, from his art, from his feelings, etc and glorifying it(at least that's all that is broadcast), but never scratching the surface and really knowing him. He sounds very frustrated.

    Being a performer, an artist, etc and being on stage or in the public eye is constricting. Hence the incandescent corset drawing tight.

    We you say his name, he wants to take that away from you. He wants to take your essence, your being, your soul, your blood and have you experience the same as him.

    This song is very forthright and open.

    Geoff; People are listening. Say what you have to say. You can't expect everyone to understand, but there are people who do.

    Great Song! It really makes you think about how much we actually listen to people.

    Dixie_Normason April 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    clearly about how gender roles destroy the true person in us all. Like how men are supposed to be emotionless, sex loving maniacs, who could never truly love someone (They stole the love from our lives and put the sex on the radio) and how constricting these genders roles are (is this how it feels when you don't even fit into your own skin and it's getting tighter everyday and i'm getting smaller. ) So, basically the idea is that gender roles break down the real person

    tommanon April 18, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    and that the media is obsessed with sex i would say. and they're making it less than what it was created to be.
    "they stole the love from our lives and put the sex on the radio yeah, that's where we hide the love and lies and sex on the radio"

    that's part of it anyway

    great song, good video...the underwater part is nifty...Geoff was kinda anxious about filming that bit and honestly who can blame him

    punkrockchick217on April 18, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yea i agree with that, its about how the media exploits sex. what a powerfull song!

    charzibaron April 21, 2004   Link

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