It's hard to describe how much happiness and good vibes this song gives me every time.

this is my dads favourite song and he passed away this sunday 23rd june - this song is the song he'd be if he was a song

This video is amazing for anyone who grew up in or near Boston and actually drove these roads.

I have driven down every street in this Vidio in 1972, sometimes with this song on wmex am radio in Boston, now I listen on a phone.

Lou Reed was with friends, shortly before he died. His friend Hal Willner was on DJ duty. This song was on the playlist.............

The people in Boston are still trying to get home 45 years later.

The amount of not-giving-a-shit energy on this song is truly amazing.

I know every curb and every swerve of all those salty roads. I love you, Bean Town!

One of the greatest songs ever written 👍

The movie "School of Rock" brought me here. I'm glad it did, this song seems timeless. 👍🎸

I will NEVER forget the first time I heard this song - in my mates bedroom in a council house in Burton on Trent (England) It FILLED THE ROOM - AWESOME!!

Here thanks to Anthony bourdain ! RIP to somes great theacher of Thrill seeking and the joy,pleasure,adventure and openess towards of life . something that he left but didn't lack on teaching us on how to pursue with our own sensibility

I heard this song this evening, for the first time. It won't be the last.

I now live in New Mexico, and this song pops in my head when I see an actual ROADRUNNER!

Huge hit in the UK during the Punk explosion in the UK it peaked at No11 in July 77 on UK singles chart, the follow up single Egyptian Reggae was a bigger hit in the UK reaching No5, my brother had both 7” singles at the time, I preferred Roadrunner at the age of 6 and still do now! 👍🏻

this music video is like something out of a museum -- can't believe how much boston has changed since, but to see that someone captured the city in all of its former glory is a beautiful thing.

Awesome!, We used to cruise 128 in our 68 and 70 roadrunners jammin to this song , Menino was drooling at the dinner table thats why he never heard it, STATE SONG!! Hell YES!

This song was probably the godfather of slacker rock totally classic

The Citgo sign brought back wonderful memories watching the Sox at Fenway.

I come back to listen to this every so often. It is wonderful. There are very few songs that have an effect on me the way this one does. It's hypnotic, repetitive but constantly changing. I love it. I'm now pondering whether to have it played at my funeral.

Classic Tune! Thank God I was in my in my late teens living in Boston starting in 1979 when it was affordable and there was a thriving music scene then. WBCN played this song frequently as did the college stations!

I'm in love with Rt. 128 when the radio's on!!!!! LOVE THIS! Moved to Texas, 12 years now, still visit family i Massachusett!!!! Radio on! "i s! and Recognize all places, Farrelly Brothers have my friends, tatty. Mone and DR. G, DR. R in parts. love yall from misplaced Texans. 'Roadrunner, Roadrunner, going by the Stop and Shop'. RADIO ON '

People are saying this is the first Punk Rock song. I'll take it a step further and say this is one of the earliest New Wave songs.

I moved to Boston in January 1980 at 19 years old. I lived there for 5 years right by Fenway Pahk on Peterborough St. I had never heard this song before . This was the theme song of Boston , on the radio daily , complete with the "Stawp An' Shawp" . This tune IS Boston. I miss this tune and Boston.

Have a family friend, who used to have a '68 Hemi/4spd Roadrunner, who used to tear up the South Shore (Rte 3 mostly), for top end/racing, who always listened to this while driving it. Thanks for the memories!

More, Wikipedia, - Critic Greil Marcus described it as "the most obvious song in the world, and the strangest".[1] Rolling Stone ranked it No. 269 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and No. 77 in 2021. It charted at no.11 on the UK chart in 1977.[2] Origins of the song edit As a teenager Richman saw the Velvet Underground perform many times, and the format of "Roadrunner" is derived directly from the Velvets' song "Sister Ray". "Roadrunner" mainly uses two chords (D and A, and only two brief uses of E) rather than "Sister Ray"'s three (which are G, F, and C), but they share the same persistent throbbing rhythm, and lyrics which in performance were largely improvised around a central theme. Richman wrote the song by 1970, when he began performing it in public, aged 19. Former bandmate John Felice recalled that as teenagers he and Richman "used to get in the car and just drive up and down Route 128 and the Turnpike. We'd come up over a hill and he’d see the radio towers, the beacons flashing, and he would get almost teary-eyed. He'd see all this beauty in things where other people just wouldn’t see it."[3]

I remember hearing this song for the first time while attending MIT engineering school in the 1970s..Although this song was about listening to a 50 kW AM (medium wave) radio station while driving alone at night, I heard it on WBCN FM.

Why did it take me until 2014, nearly 50 years of my life to finally hear this... Great track and Video,

Always loved this song. It just makes me happy.

You know your from Boston when you recognize almost all of those streets they drove around on. : ) Loved this song growing up along with WRKO then WBCN growing up in Dorchester!

The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson (later of The Cars) and keyboardist Jerry Harrison (later of Talking Heads). The sound of the band owed a great deal to the influence of the Velvet Underground, and is now sometimes classified as "proto-punk".

Play LOUD!!!! I'll be head bobbing to this even into my 80's. Thank you, Ice Cream Man....

I've always said Jonathan Richman songs are very "Regional" songs that become "Universal". Yes, many people experience the thrill of driving down a highway - but it's us Bostonians/New Englanders that will pass a "Stop & Shop" ;)

I saw these guys many times. One memorable show at Uncle Sam's, Nantasket Beach. Kids nowadays have no idea what they missed. Boston was on the cutting edge of rock in those days.Great memories!

This track and band were WAY ahead of their time. This song could have come out yesterday by some garage band in Cambridge. Also, the film is great, lots of great Boston/Cambridge landmarks.

Growing up in Mass I was aware of the Modern Lovers, but I was always under the impression that the Modern Lovers were just Jonathan Richman's back up band. I was in my 50's before I Googled Modern Lovers and discovered they were not a simple garage band but a Supergroup containing future superstars Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and David Robinson of the Cars.

This song has so much of Sister Ray in it. Considering John Cale produced this, is it any wonder then. Stone Age New Wave. Sounds more 80's than 70's.

Roadrunner once...Roadrunner twice..! One of the most excellent rock 'n' roll songs ever!!!

Jammin on two chords for four minutes and it still leaves you wanting more.

Went to school in Boston, used to drive around for hours at night in my rusted Chevy Cavalier blasting this. Perfect.

Beginning of the film was taken in 1965 - at 0:23 you can see 6 Bowdoin Square (New England Telephone Building) with the JFK Building under construction behind it. It was completed and occupied in 1966.

I work a postal route, and this song has been in my head ALL DAY!!!

That was awesome seeing old Boston brought back a lot of memories

Alan Cross of CFNY introduced me to this. I love this song.

Don't feel so alone with the radio on.

I had to get this mail order in '75 from Beserkeley Home of the Hits. It blew my mind. I knew Ernie Brooks. I drove everyone listening to this. It made absolute perfect sense.

Greatest track, The Talking Heads, and The Cars ever laid down. 😎

A gem! I remember when I got the record long time ago!

fucking awesome tuneeeeee Roadrunner one Roadrunner twice I'm in love with rock & roll and i'll be out all night!!

Live in NY, but grew up off Route 128 (where there was a Stop and Shop at one time) and I am definitely in love with Massachusetts.

Drove em All!.

Love this! One of those songs you can't get out of your head for a while. Which is ok.

I'd time travel back to Boston c. 1972 in a heartbeat. I was 16. The Spirit of '56.

A hugely influential band. This is easily the best version.

got reminded of M.I.A Bamboo Banga which reminded me of this awesome track

Oh my sweet lord almighty

One of the greatest rock songs of all time. I've seen all four members live, including Jonathan Richman solo at a TINY club. He did not play any ML songs, of course. When someone in the crowd shouted "Roadrunner" he just looked down and mumbled. "no, I don't think so". Not long after, Jerry Harrison rolled into town with a band that included Alex Weir and Bernie Worrel from the expanded Talking Heads live line-up ...and Ernie fucking Brooks. They DID play "Roadrunner" , and it was glorious!

47 yrs. around the Sun, just a wink in the eye of Human kind..." RADIO ON !".

Just brilliant!

A great song from the 70's and an accurate depiction of Massachusetts drivers too. :)

Really makes me miss Boston. I don't know why I ever let life drag me away. My body lives in Oregon but my heart will always be in Boston.

The 2008 song "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. pays homage to this song by including lyrics from Roadrunner. Then again, Paper Planes also uses a sample from "Straight to Hell" from the Clash. So the Modern Lovers are in good company.

modern lovers, stooges and velvet underground...three of the best bands ever. this kind of proto-punk sound of them is one of the things i most love in music. the simple structures, minimalistic drums and guitars, the different style of singing, the repetitiveness you feel through the songs. sure stooges is a little bit heavier, but i think we can put these bands together

Wow, never knew this song was early as 72!!

This is like the most amazing film I've ever seen. I remember the lyrics because I have it on vinyl Thanks

Remember hearing this as a kid brilliant song

Emilie's friend, Beth Harrington was a back=up singer with Ellie as the backup to the Modern Lovers. Beth has been trying for ages to convince the powers that be that they should make this MA's state song! Beth is a film maker now.

Thanks to the film documentary. about a very great man. I became a fan him. I could still hear his voice when his narration!

I don't know where this song has been all my life. How did i miss this band? Why didn't they go mainstream?

Ahhhh...........Drivin' thru the Back Bay without bumper to bumper traffic.......Where have all the good days gone ???

Provides a smooth transition into the next world

im 17 and love this song my dad showed me it

I grew up near Boston, and I can't get enough of this!

I'm in love with Massachusetts

Ahhh, the Boston I remember from my youth. Notice there is not one image of a driver using their blinkers. Yes, New Eglanders call directional signals blinkers and habitually choose never to use them.

Saw these guys on a ball field in Hingham when I was 13 . After having consumed a diet of folk and rock and roll this turned me upside down. Lols coulda been the peyote too.

Spirit of '56 in '72. listening in 2015. I'm in love with rock'n roll

is this the most perfect song ever - i feel the same about it now as did hearing it as a 10 year old

I wish I had heard/seen this at the time. Maybe I wouldn't have got married. Maybe my life would have been totally different. Maybe I wouldn't have taken another five years to break the spell of blues-rock I was under.

I used to listen to this on WMMS back when it was THE premier rock station to listen to. Excellent! Kid Leo, Denny Sanders, Betty Corbin...ah, the good memories!

Perhaps, THE best rock 'n' roll song of all time?

Velvet underground feels!! I love you Jonathan!!

What a great song.

I love this video

I was 11 when I first heard this, and kept playing it over and over lol

Boston native, god I miss home😢

I moved away from Boston years ago and watching this vid brings me back there briefly. I’ve driven all of those great streets.

I must have listened to Jonathan Sings and Rock'n'roll with the Modern Lovers a thousand times!

School of rock!!

I miss driving for the sake of driving..."with the radio on."

Remember listening to this on WBCN driving home on 128 from working at my family's restaurant on a hot summer night blasting it into the dark. Thanks for saving this!

Jerry lived next to me in a Cambridge duplex, him in 41 Walker St, us in 39, his keyboard playing sounded very good through the wall.

I remember I kid i knew his parents were scottish wen't to visit his relatives and when hecame back he told me that road runner was popular all over Europe. So I thought about french girls listening to a song about a stop and shop i used to walk past. Then I had an older guy get me a six pack cause the drinking age was 18.

Thank you for sharing! That's the Boston I remember. The song is timeless too.

Having grown up around Boston, this video brings back lots of great memories. Thanks for posting!

I left Massachusetts but when I see this I get home sick.... wicked home sick!

Such a great song!

Thank you School of Rock!

Thank GOD for school of rock for introducing me to this song

When I hear this songs it takes me to driving on 128 in 1960 and feeling the energy and the modern world. and all those tech start ups that changed the world.