This seems to be a "what if" scenario involving a suicide bombing in San Francisco. The verses seem to describe this horrific incident and its aftermath actually occurring, while the chorus is sort of a "la la la, I'm not listening" response from far away. The implication seems to be that tragedies like this are much easier for us to ignore when they don't happen on American soil. We can just turn off the news and act like it's just a plot twist in a favorite TV show.
Also, this is such a minute detail, but it's interesting to me that she starts a verse with the phrase "Outside they're handing out..." in this song as well as the song "City Hall". Both songs take place in San Francisco, but the situations they describe are polar opposites. "City Hall" describes newly married gay couples eating donuts and pizza pie and celebrating their mass nuptials. "Radio" describes fate being handed out to the wounded - the triage nurse has to decide who lives and who is too far gone to save.
Ok, I like your interpretation, but I don't quite see why you think it happens in San Fransisco.
Ok, I like your interpretation, but I don't quite see why you think it happens in San Fransisco.
I think its important to ask what country the "radio" is in to. I assume the USA, though there's no text to really support that theory. But IF it IS the US, then the suicide bombing COULD NOT have happened in San Fransisco because of the following lyrics:
I think its important to ask what country the "radio" is in to. I assume the USA, though there's no text to really support that theory. But IF it IS the US, then the suicide bombing COULD NOT have happened in San Fransisco because of the following lyrics:
come on it'll never happen here, oh no
we are not some third world country
this is not some third world country
come on it'll never happen here, oh no
we are not some third world country
this is not some third world country
It is implied by these lyrics that this type of bombing will never happen in the country the "radio" is in. San Fransisco is part of the US, so if the radio WAS in the US...well, I already said that.
Like I said, I may have missed something. So what makes you say it happened in San Fransisco?
I would actually argue that the radio being in the US makes the song all the more poignant. For a disaster of this magnitude to happen in one part of the country, and for the rest of the country to turn their heads and ignore it because they can't believe that such a thing would happen in a developed country, would be both heartbreaking and enraging. Such a reaction is unsettling to think about, particularly since the song sort of forces listeners to wonder how they would react, themselves.
I would actually argue that the radio being in the US makes the song all the more poignant. For a disaster of this magnitude to happen in one part of the country, and for the rest of the country to turn their heads and ignore it because they can't believe that such a thing would happen in a developed country, would be both heartbreaking and enraging. Such a reaction is unsettling to think about, particularly since the song sort of forces listeners to wonder how they would react, themselves.
Of course, the radio might be in some other country entirely. There's no telling, really. But still.
This seems to be a "what if" scenario involving a suicide bombing in San Francisco. The verses seem to describe this horrific incident and its aftermath actually occurring, while the chorus is sort of a "la la la, I'm not listening" response from far away. The implication seems to be that tragedies like this are much easier for us to ignore when they don't happen on American soil. We can just turn off the news and act like it's just a plot twist in a favorite TV show.
Also, this is such a minute detail, but it's interesting to me that she starts a verse with the phrase "Outside they're handing out..." in this song as well as the song "City Hall". Both songs take place in San Francisco, but the situations they describe are polar opposites. "City Hall" describes newly married gay couples eating donuts and pizza pie and celebrating their mass nuptials. "Radio" describes fate being handed out to the wounded - the triage nurse has to decide who lives and who is too far gone to save.
Ok, I like your interpretation, but I don't quite see why you think it happens in San Fransisco.
Ok, I like your interpretation, but I don't quite see why you think it happens in San Fransisco.
I think its important to ask what country the "radio" is in to. I assume the USA, though there's no text to really support that theory. But IF it IS the US, then the suicide bombing COULD NOT have happened in San Fransisco because of the following lyrics:
I think its important to ask what country the "radio" is in to. I assume the USA, though there's no text to really support that theory. But IF it IS the US, then the suicide bombing COULD NOT have happened in San Fransisco because of the following lyrics:
come on it'll never happen here, oh no we are not some third world country this is not some third world country
come on it'll never happen here, oh no we are not some third world country this is not some third world country
It is implied by these lyrics that this type of bombing will never happen in the country the "radio" is in. San Fransisco is part of the US, so if the radio WAS in the US...well, I already said that.
Like I said, I may have missed something. So what makes you say it happened in San Fransisco?
Ok, I missed the 38 Geary part. You're right, it was San Fransisco.
Ok, I missed the 38 Geary part. You're right, it was San Fransisco.
I would actually argue that the radio being in the US makes the song all the more poignant. For a disaster of this magnitude to happen in one part of the country, and for the rest of the country to turn their heads and ignore it because they can't believe that such a thing would happen in a developed country, would be both heartbreaking and enraging. Such a reaction is unsettling to think about, particularly since the song sort of forces listeners to wonder how they would react, themselves.
I would actually argue that the radio being in the US makes the song all the more poignant. For a disaster of this magnitude to happen in one part of the country, and for the rest of the country to turn their heads and ignore it because they can't believe that such a thing would happen in a developed country, would be both heartbreaking and enraging. Such a reaction is unsettling to think about, particularly since the song sort of forces listeners to wonder how they would react, themselves.
Of course, the radio might be in some other country entirely. There's no telling, really. But still.