Video Killed the Radio Star Lyrics
I heard you on the wireless back in '52
Lying awake, intently tuning in on you
If I was young, it didn't stop you coming through
Oh-a oh-a
They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine on new technology
And now I understand the problems you could see
[Pre-Chorus: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
Oh-a oh-a
I met your children
Oh-a oh-a
What did you tell them?
[Chorus: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Pictures came and broke your heart
Oh-a-a-a-oh
[Verse 2: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
And now we meet in an abandoned studio (Oh-a)
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago (Oh-oh-oh-oh-a)
And you remember the jingles used to go
Oh-a oh-a
You were the first one
Oh-a oh-a
You were the last one
[Chorus: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
Oh-a-a-a-oh
Oh-a-a-a-oh
[Chorus: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Put the blame on VCR
[Outro: Trevor Horn, Debi Doss & Linda Jardim]
You are a radio star
You are a radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star (A, a radio star)
(A radio star) Video killed the radio star
(You are) Video killed the radio star
About
“Video Killed the Radio Star” was inspired from the J.G. Ballard short “The Sound-Sweep.” It was written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley, and was the first track recorded for The Age of Plastic. The song went on to be a huge worldwide hit, peaking at the number one spot in several territories.
A little-known fact is that the song was originally recorded by Woolley’s band Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club. This version had slightly different lyrics, and lacked the characteristic “oh-a oh-a” hook.
A spiritual successor to the movie Singin' in the Rain, which was about how the rise of what were known as “talking pictures” wrecked the careers of those talented silent film actors whose voices wouldn’t translate to film. The song is about those musicians whose careers were destroyed because they would not translate visually to television. Adequate to this theme, the music video for the song was famously the first aired on MTV, at 12:01AM on August 1st, 1981.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
This question is possibly referring to the second symphony referenced in the song. As far as the lyric goes, there is no correlation between Symphony No. 2 by Beethoven and this line. Although it could be a possible reference to Beethoven, it most likely isn’t.
- 2.Video Killed the Radio Star
- 3.Kid Dynamo
- 5.Clean, Clean
- 6.Elstree
- 9.Island
- 10.Technopop