My Top 20 John Hiatt Songs: Pirate Radio (#19)

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It's me! I'm back with yet another list of favorite songs, this time highlighting the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame great John Hiatt. Hiatt's songs have been recorded by Three Dog Night ("Sure As I'm Sittin' Here"), Bonnie Raitt ("Thing Called Love"), and even country acts like Sweethearts of the Rodeo ("Drive South"). He's never had a hit on his own (I would say his voice is too "quirky" for pop radio), but I love him to death. I have for 30 years. Here's the next song. #19: Pirate Radio Even John Hiatt can make clunker albums, and Little Head was one...to me, anyway. However, there were a couple of good songs on it. First was the title track, which speaks of men being a little too sex obsessed (the classic line being, "I'm just so easily led when the little head does the thinkin'"...and, if you have any doubt about what he meant, the album cover had a small picture of his face surrounded by a zipper ). Then there was this superb song, about the bygone days of calling a DJ and requesting that obscure song that "one song that could steal our hearts," be it "Otis Redding, or maybe Marvin Gaye looking for his Tammi Terrell." "Pirate Radio," with its title paying tribute to the large-wattage stations in Mexico or off the US coast that play music other stations don't, is a joyous celebration of the time when the radio stations could open your ears, mind, and heart to a wide world of great music. Now radio is just the same 100 songs by the same 30 acts, all programmed by the same company. I've been mentioning those old days a lot today in discussing how popular acts like Blue Öyster Cult were selling out arenas while only having a couple of "top 40" hits, and that was thanks to the once-open playlists of FM radio stations. Remembering those days makes you wonder: when are we gonna hear our song on that pirate radio? Pirate Radio Written by John Hiatt From Little Head, 1997 Where the DJ's out of sight: