"Radio Waves"
Single by Roger Waters
from the album Radio K.A.O.S.
B-side	"Going to Live in L.A."
Released	11 May 1987 (1987-05-11)
Recorded	1986
Studio	Billiard Room (London)
Length	4:59 (album version) 3:47 (single version) 6:58 (extended version)
Label	Columbia/CBS (US) EMI (UK)
Songwriter(s)	Roger Waters
Producer(s)	Roger Waters Ian Ritchie Nick Griffiths
Roger Waters singles chronology
"Every Stranger's Eyes" (1984) "Radio Waves" (1987) "Sunset Strip" (1987)
Music video
"Radio Waves" on YouTube

"Radio Waves" is the opening track from Roger Waters' second solo studio album, Radio K.A.O.S. It was chosen as the lead single for the album, released worldwide in May 1987

Background

"Radio Waves" introduces the main character, Billy, a disabled man who finds a way to talk and become friends with a radio disc jockey (DJ). Billy is gifted and has the miracle of hearing and interpreting radio waves in his head. He explores a cordless phone which was hidden in his wheelchair by his brother Benny, after destroying and robbing a store. Recognising its similarity to a radio, he experiments with the phone and is able to access computers and speech synthesizers, he learns to speak through them. He calls a radio station in L.A. named Radio KAOS, a completely fictitious radio station based in Los Angeles and tells them of his abilities and his life story throughout the album.

Track listings

Charts