Grandpa's Radio

... wait, no...

Ah, there we go...

Hook

Verse

Grandpa's radio, man, it was a beast!

Took up half the living room, at least

Mom said "Harold, that thing's gotta go"

But he'd just turn it up and let it glow

It had dials like eyeballs, knobs like teeth

And something humming underneath the underneath

I'd sneak down late, put my ear to the grille

And hear... something... weird and shrill

Chorus

And it was TOO BIG (too big)

For the shelf (the shelf)

It had its own gravity, its own little hell

A wooden whale singing songs to itself

My grandfather's radio was too big for the shelf

Verse

One night I'm messing with the shortwave band

And I hear this voice say "Hello, little man"

Sounded like a robot who'd learned to cry

Playing music for a world that had already died

It went womp womp womp and wheeeeee and thunk

Like a spaceship landing in a pile of junk

I'm like "Grandpa, what Izz this station?"

He goes "Kid, that's just... imagination."

...It wasn't though.

Bridge

And I saw...

Cities made of brass and rain

Dancing couples made of flame

Elevators going up... forever

A sky that tasted like burnt toast and lavender

And it was beautiful?

And it was TERRIFYING?

And it was... Tuesday?

Chorus

IT WAS TOO BIG! (too big)

FOR THE SHELF! (the shelf)

It was a time machine that hated itself!

A psychedelic grandpa with a story to tell

MY GRANDFATHER'S RADIO WAS TOO BIG FOR THE SHELF

Instrumental Break

Verse

Grandpa passed, the house got sold

The radio went... I don't know where, I'm told

Some museum? Some landfill? Some guy named Steve?

I just know it wasn't done with me

'Cause sometimes late, when I can't sleep

I hear a brrrr and a click and a beep

And I swear I hear that robot voice say:

"Hey kid... you still listening?"

Outro

Yeah... I'm still listening.

Outro

Grandpa used to say, "Kid, don't touch them dials"

But I did anyway

Every time

And sometimes... when the house is quiet...

...I swear I can still hear it