New Music on the Radio

i watched TV the other night, they were handing out awards
for all the million selling songs that we adore
i can only wonder at the royalties they pay
fifteen cents a spin for airplay

the songs were all recycled, derivative and bland
the verses weren’t subversive, the choruses were canned
nothing got me thinking, and nothing made me cry
but everything made me wonder why

everyone’ s afraid to play new music on the radio
clear channel’s made a wal-mart out of it
except for college stations and some things on NPR
everything’s completely turned to shit

well i’ve been on the radio more times than i could count
you’d think they’d send a couple of beans my way
but the racketeers at ASCAP and those punks at BMI
are closing down the places where i play

i sure am glad they’re sending all that cash down bruce’s way,
but the richer springsteen gets, it seems the less i’ll get to play
‘cause the PRO’s are closing all the places where i go
to hear the songs i’d like to get to know

© David Stoddard 2003