Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)

"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" is a 1974 song by a group of studio musicians in a group for this purpose called Reunion, with Joey Levine (bubblegum music pioneer with "Chewy Chewy" and "Yummy Yummy Yummy" to his credit), as the lead singer. The song was written by Paul DiFranco (music) and Norman Dolph (lyrics). The lyrics are a fast patter of '50s, '60s, and '70s disc jockeys, musicians, songwriters, record labels and (incongruously) Jack the Ripper, broken only by the chorus. Alternatively, "Jack the Ripper" could also be "Jack D. Ripper" from "Dr. Strangelove", a popular 1964 film by Stanley Kubrick. It is also possible that "Jack the Ripper" could be a nod to the British Rock Star and Political Leader Screaming Lord Sutch, and his 1972 album "Hands of Jack the Ripper".

The harmony used during the latter part of the record is the similar to the tune of the Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving".

It went as high as #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track was later covered by Tracey Ullman in 1984 and was featured in her album, "You Broke My Heart in Seventeen Places".

The song is mentioned by the character named Spider in the Neil Gaiman novel, "Anansi Boys". In response to another character, who speaks almost entirely in cliches, Spider says, "Life is a rock but the radio rolled me," to which the other character replies, "Whatever."

The song appears in the dance scene in the film "The Specials".

The song was sampled by the "McDonald's Menu Song" in 1988.

Tysons Corner Center has used the names of its stores sung to the tune of this song for television and radio advertisements in the Northern Virginia area.

This song was remade by Randy Crenshaw and released on the 2001 Disney album "Mickey's Dance Party" under the name "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me ... Again!)" The remake includes references not just to current and past music groups, but also to TV shows and internet slang.

A "customized" version of the song, "Life is a Rock, but WLS Rolled Me" was the last rock 'n roll song played on the Larry Lujack show on WLS in Chicago on 15 March 1976 before the station switched from top 40 to a beautiful music format.

Name checks

* B. Bumble and the Stingers
* Mott the Hoople
* Ray Charles Singers (a different act than Ray Charles)
* Lonnie Mack
* Twangin' Eddy
* "Take It Easy"
* "Liar, Liar"
* "The Loco-Motion"
* Poco
* Deep Purple
* "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
* Sam Cooke
* Lesley Gore
* Ritchie Valens
* End of Story (band)
* Mahavishnu Orchestra
* Fuji (guitars)
* Yamaha
* Kama Sutra
* "Rama Lama Ding Dong"
* Richard Perry
* Phil Spector
* Jeff Barry
* Righteous Brothers
* The Archies
* Harry Nilsson
* "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop"
* "Fats Is Back"
* "Finger Poppin' Time"
* Brenda & the Tabulations
* Carly Simon
* The Rolling Stones
* Johnny Cash
* Johnny Rivers
* Mungo Jerry
* Peter, Paul and Mary
* Dr. John
* Doris Day
* Jack the Ripper
* Leon Russell
* "Gimme Shelter"
* Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
* Slide guitar
* Fender bass
* Bonnie Bramlett
* Wilson Pickett
* Arthur Janov
* Screamin' Jay Hawkins
* Dale Hawkins
* Ronnie Hawkins
* Kukla, Fran and Ollie
* Norman, Oklahoma
* John Denver
* Donny Osmond
* J. J. Cale
* ZZ Top
* L.L. Bean
* "Dede Dinah"
* David Bowie
* Steely Dan
* "CC Rider"
* Edgar Winter
* Joanie Sommers
* Ides of March
* Johnny Thunders
* Eric Clapton
* Wah-wah pedal
* Stephen Foster
* "Camptown Races"
* "Good Vibrations"
* "Help Me Rhonda"
* "Surfer Girl"
* "Little Honda"
* "Tighter Tighter"
* "Honey, Honey"
* "Sugar, Sugar"
* "Yummy Yummy Yummy"
* CBS
* Warner Brothers
* RCA
* "Baby I Need Your Loving"
* "Remember (Walking in the Sand)"
* Alan Freed
* Murray the K
* Fish (dance)
* The Swim (dance)
* "The Boston Monkey"
* Freddie King
* Albert King
* B. B. King
* Felix Pappalardi
* Randy Newman
* Anni-Frid Lyngstad
* Aretha
* Tito Puente
* Boffalongo
* Cuba
* War
* California
* Beatlemania
* New York City
* Transylvania
* S&G
* Bobby Vee
* SRO
* Conway Twitty
* "Do Wah Diddy Diddy"

Performed as medley or spoken over the fade-out:
* "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
* "Celebrate"
* "I Want to Take You Higher"