Tits On The Radio

Lady M. -- pretty sure it's Ana Matronic. They refer to themselves a lot in their songs. I just got into the Scissor Sisters recently and I just crank it up whenever I can, my car, my dorm, wherever..."there ain't no tits on the radio." There are, we just can't see them...

I thought Lady M. was Madonna. That she plundered gay culture ("jacked their fame").

Its about how instead of getting more open-minded because of the media, the media's making people MORE CONSERVATIVE.

this song is about mayor giuliani closing down all the porn shops and strip bars in nyc, and his crusade to rid the city of sin and smut (allegorically represented in this song by "tits").

To add to funksalad's interpretation, they're taking away tits on the radio, even though you can't even see tits.

"Tits on the Radio" is a historical account of Gay New York City nightlife. There isn't anything that is too deep about the lyrics. It is more of an observation. The sun sets over New Jersey and cast an orange glow. Watch "Paris is Burning" and you will understand the characters, the lingo and have a feel for Greenwich Village, The Meat Packing District, and the Piers. At the time this was written, Ru Paul and Michelle Visage were DJs/Hosts on the popular club music radio station. These characters exist and are know by their street names. -Jimmytheparamedic

It seems to me to be almost a homage to The Bugles, "Video killed the radio star" and part social commentary.

Creamsicles were/are an orange and icecream popsicle, so there’s a cloudy orange sunset. Maybe the ending of one musical era?

The queers on the piers could possibly refer to the band themselves since they have several gay members, working gigs on public piers and boardwalks. Although I think I remember them saying that they didn’t think of themselves as a gay group because orientation didn’t matter to them.

They tried their hardest but something happened to the scene and now they all work in some dead end job.

Flipping tricks for the burger, could mean that they are either turning/flipping customers for the burger (chain) or what I think is more likely it could mean that things are so bad they are turning/flipping tricks/sexual customers for money (to get food/ the burger)

Lady M, probably Madonna, When she started mainstreaming gay culture with Vogue, her celebrity took the interest and support of the gay scene away from real gay bands leaving them to break up and go work menial jobs.

This is the part that reminds me of Video killed the radio star. You can’t see tits on the radio. The sexualisation of music videos drew more people away from listening to the radio to small or new bands without the wither all to make a flashy raunchy video and get it exposed on MTV.

I’ll give you five fingers for a one man show. If they have started sex working for money then this could have several meanings... They will use their hand on your "one man show" or You will give them five single dollars/five lines of coke which all would look like fingers for a one on one show or if they are really decrepit and desperate You will give them five fingers of whiskey or spirits for the show. It could also be them berating the listeners for being fooled by the video over the music, (you left us) cause you can’t see tits on the radio. (so here’s) five fingers for a one man show. IE. you left us for eye candy over the music so if that’s what you want fine, here are five fingers go masturbate to it.

Fasten those pants for the lap dance. Self explanatory if they are working in sex shows.

Take a shot now this may be your last chance. Could be the fallen band members talking/warning young/new bands to take a shot at the big-time whenever they can. If the song starts to talk about the city being cleaned up it might be telling the recipient of the lap dance to take a shot, a drink or an ejaculation, before where they are is closed down. If you are romantic you can think it’s telling the customers to take a shot at getting to know the performers before they are split apart by the closing ;)

Dark room Danny can’t see with the lights turned out. Sounds like one of the pay per view voyeurs in the dark rooms of a brothel. He can’t see the performers anymore because the lights have been turned out, it’s been closed. Dark haired tranny counts sheep with the bed turned down. The performers/sex working band members are sleeping with the bed turned down for a customer but it’s empty because of the crackdown.

But the beds in Jersey and the sheep’s on a farm. The crackdown has let "Our friend from Jersey*" start doing things underground. The beds have gone to Jersey either because it’s out of jurisdiction or it’s just a euphemism for going underground everywhere. The sheep are back on the farm because everyone’s awake and working again.

Dark room Danny hears police alarm. Maybe the cops coming to bust the underground brothels?

Interestingly that entire verse could also be about the rise of the internet as a means for trading songs illegally, though I think this is less likely. Dark room Danny is the teenager in his dark room trading songs. The dark haired tranny could be the music labels, sleeping and waiting for the customers that aren’t coming. This could be the bands anger at both the labels for the way they have handled the situation, calling them transvestites and the dark room nerds who are stealing their work. In this case the bed and the sheep are separated may be the separation of where dark room Danny’s bed is and were the songs are coming from on some other computer.

*Tony Soprano for those who didn’t get it

this song is the only one on the album where ana sings a song and the lyrics are fabulous very hard to understand but fukin GREAT!

I've heard that this has to do with Nipplegate (Janet @ teh Superbowl last year) but I can't tell.

Correct me if im wrong but the album was released before the janet jackson incident even happened, right?