The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's a half past four and I'm shiftin' gear
When she is lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
Don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a wave in the air, radar love
The radio is playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
The road has got me hypnotized
And I'm speedin' into a new sunrise
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky, radar love
No more speed, I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
And the newsman sang his same song
Oh one more radar lover gone
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a thing that's called radar love
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's a half past four and I'm shiftin' gear
When she is lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
Don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a wave in the air, radar love
The radio is playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
The road has got me hypnotized
And I'm speedin' into a new sunrise
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky, radar love
No more speed, I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow
And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's comin' on strong
And the newsman sang his same song
Oh one more radar lover gone
When I get lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort comin' in from above
We don't need no letter at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a light in the sky
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a thing that's called radar love
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
So basically, the singer is driving to be with his baby; they have an almost psychic connection and he knows she misses him too.
This knowledge is making him reckless - "there's a voice in my head that drives my heel" (on the accelerator) - and he's been driving all night, so anxious that the wheel is covered in sweat.
He passes a long line of cars (presumably on a two-lane highway, from what comes next) and the last line we hear that's in the first-person voice is "Last car to pass, here I go!"
Then we go into an ending that twists earlier lines: "And the line of cars drove down real slow" - a funeral procession "And the newsman sang his same old song One more Radar love has gone" - the singer has died in a car crash that was aired on the news, all before he got to see the lover he was driving towards.
It's a more subtle dead lover song than most, and it does have a great tune.
I like your analysis. In keeping with your thought, "all before he got to see the lover he was driving towards" I suspect that the, "line of cars drove down real slow" were people slowing down to look at the accident scene rather than an actual funeral procession.
@Dubious Merit I think I agree with you mostly and the other reply about the cars going down real slow. <br /> I read an interview with lead singer I think it was a long time ago. He was telling a radio jockey. I forget who now, what this song was about. the usual thought is telepathy and cb radios. he debunked that and I forget what he said it was really about but it may just be as you noted. Damn my bad memory. <br /> Im an old truck driver and this sounds spot on to me.
BloodReign, I don't think the driver is suffering from anything else than love...
i think that if were my boyfriend i would see this song as a letter type thing to my girlfriend saying that.. she's all i need and all i'll ever need... this song is badass..and i luv it to death... :-) -Pö£ô-
It makes me proud to be a Dutchman!!
All of my speeding tickets for going over 100mph have been caused by this song. turtonhot said it best Classic Rock At It's Best.
She sends a cable coming in from above Don't need no phone at all We've got a thing that's called: Radar love We've got a wave in the air Radar love
(like nothing and no one else ...)
We've got a wave in the air, We've got a line in the sky
Maybe they have a unique way of expressing their love.
@Victrola Nope. It was not that. Sure wish I could remember where I found that radio station interview at. He told the real story but sadly I forget it.Found it online through hours of searching texts long ago when text pages were still popular. Back in the late 90's
Radar Love is the opening song of the “Continuing Story of Radar Love”. If you listen closely to all the lyrics across all the songs, you’ll notice Golden Earring is telling a story where each song fills in a piece of that story. Though each individual song has its own deeper meanings and metaphors, the songs are interconnected at a basic level.
Radar Love sets the scene and illustrates a relationship between a man and his lover. All is going well in his life and he feels this connection to this person in his life, though she’s far away and he has to drive all night to get to her.
In the second song, “The Vanilla Queen” the author meets a stripper named Candy and he instantly falls for her. He becomes wrapped up in her beauty. He realizes her past and knows it’s her job to seduce men and make them feel wanted. However, he falls for her anyway and she makes him feel different.
“Candy’s Going Bad” goes back in time and tells us who Candy is and where she came from. To rebel against her strict upbringing, she got involved in the seedy nightlife of strip clubs. Her dad claimed he would beat her if she came home dressed in her “stripper outfit” again and he mother begged her to “quit the show”. She eventually quit the show. However, she didn’t care “when she started her affair with the studs and mares of the night.” She met a pimp named Teddy. She got involved in the world of prostitution and eventually moved out on her own using men to survive.
Throughout the next few songs, the relationship between the author and Candy evolves and eventually in “Clear Night Moonlight” the author asks Candy to run away with him. He tells her not to turn his dream into a nightmare. He says “don’t say no.”
She says no.
“Lost and Found” is a song about how the author feels used by Candy and how she completely tore out his heart. He opens the song defending him emotions, saying he’s not an object; something you throw away. I believe Lost and Found is a metaphor for the loss of one love, and how he found himself and recognized that he had thrown away what he had in the first place; his true love, someone who loved him back.
“The Devil Made me Do It” is probably my favorite song on the album. The author has realized what he has done wrong, and the stage is set in the form of a court trial taking place in the author’s head. He claims the devil made me do it, and he pleads innocent. He pleads with the jury (his guilt) with a very convincing verse:
“See her slide out of her negligee, her skin was hot – touch intoxicating. And if you were me, you would have done the same. So spare me the gutter, save me from the ball and chain.”
This is a great song and reminds me of “The Trial” from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” which is also a metaphorical court trial within the authors head.
The album ends with the author all alone, having lost everything. He can’t sleep, he can’t eat. He’s awake at 4am thinking about Toni, his lost love. He’s tired and he’s cold.
Anyway, that’s what the album means to me. I don’t really understand every song but I see how the album as a whole outlines the story of love, seduction, and falling for desires which eventually lead to the destruction of everything you really cherish in life.
Just dug out the vinal and "Radar Love" was first released in 1973 on the Album Moontan. The next four songs on the album are "Candy's Going Bad", "Vanilla Queen", "Big Tree, Blue Sea" and "Are you Receiving Me". Thats it just five songs. The release "The Continuing Story of Radar Love" came along much later and may have been an attempt to make more of a story like The Whos "Tommy" and "Quadraphinia" or Styxs "Paradise Theater". Not that thats a bad thing.
@imaudi Wow, I am almost 60 and this is one of my favorite songs from the 70's . How ever I do not think I have ever heard another song by golden Earring. At least one that I knew they performed. Odd...
I have always loved Radar Love. I believe that the song is about a fellow who is taking speed to keep driving to get to see his baby. "No more speed, I'm almost there" means that he doesn't need to take any more speed because he is almost there.
@heleneliz Give me weed whites and wine and show me a sign... The good old days of trucking when we had a pocket full of trucker whites and no effing hours rules
The song was made in the 70's. At the time there was this weird surge in interest in the lives of truck drivers as like the modern day cowboys. They were also getting hideously picked on by local laws. (Kind of like today. What can I say history repeats.) But this kind of put them in this Robinhood status. Anyways... that being said... I had family that were truck drivers around this time and they told me that they used the term "radar love" for truck drivers that are trying to hook up with their favorite trucker prostitute. A lot of the girls would actually travel with truckers and randomly adhoc go from truck stop to truck stop. So in order for a trucker to find a particular hooker he would get on the CB and send a message asking other truckers to relay out he is looking for that girl. CB radio distance is very limited but if all the truckers radio relayed a message they could get that message to travel huge distances. But these message relays where you are looking for someone was occasionally referred to as a "radar." I don't know if it's a case of art imitating life or life imitating art... IE who came up with the term first. But I tend to think that's what the song is referring to.
Why would the newsman be talking about another radar lover gone? Makes a lot of sense if they are prostitutes and the dangerous nature of that gig. On top of that... Why wouldn't Golden Earring explain the lyrics of the song? Lovers with ESP in the Netherlands listening to old country singers from the US on the radio... highly doubt it.
@shawn11675 They did in an interview with a radio station. I am searching .. but long lost text pages are hard to find