Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)

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Joey Levine in concert. Taken on May 17th, 2008.

"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 CFL Rolled Me" was the last rock 'n roll song played on the Larry Lujack show on WCFL in Chicago on 15 March 1976 before the station switched from top 40 to a beautiful music format.