Fifty Years to "Take Me Home"

At 16 I started writing songs. It was 1976, and I had just bought my first Panasonic portable tape recorder with money I earned from odd jobs—hanging advertisements for a local realtor and tutoring a dyslexic kid after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I always began with lyrics, then sang the songs into the recorder. After a few months I had a dozen cassette tapes filled with songs and poems. Some of my early titles were "My Dream World," "Our Love Has Slowly Gone Away," "Your Spanish Eyes," and "Cutie in the Back of My Cadillac." I don’t know what happened to them; I’m sure I threw them away. Decades later, I wish I had kept them.

Between 1976 and now—2026—I studied music theory, voice, piano, and creative writing (mostly between 1976 and 1979, except voice in 1991). I formed my first “band” in 1978 at 18, though it was really just me doing everything: music, singing, and songwriting. I called myself Rick Radium.

By 1984 I became more serious and formed the electro‑acoustic psychedelic folk band GreenHouse with my friend Jose. We wrote around a hundred songs, including “Superstar (The Legend Lives On),” which I later covered in 2024 for my first AI‑produced album, Isabel. In 1991 I formed Thunder Lizards with some great musicians, including my friend Gerry, an amazing arranger. That’s where I learned how to put together a solid pop or rock song.

We were the loudest band around and often received complaints from club owners for exceeding decibel limits. But Thunder Lizards couldn’t be tamed, and people loved it. My voice improved thanks to lessons, and since I was taking Tae Kwon Do, my stage show included martial arts moves and simple acrobatics—like an in‑air 360 twist that made crowds go wild.

Soon our songs were being played on several local college radio stations, including Riverside College, where we held the top three most‑requested songs for a few weeks in 1993. Just as we were starting to get noticed, I began to fall apart. I wasn’t doing drugs; I was just going too fast. I had to be the best. I had to bring in bigger crowds than other local bands. I had to have the most popular songs on college radio. I couldn’t settle for anything less than being better than our contemporaries. It wasn’t about collaboration for me—it was about competition.

After a few years of that, I cracked. My ego got too big, I became hard to work with, and the band fell apart. I still regret that because we were a really good band. We had what it took to go further, but it ended just as things were beginning to happen.

After that I sang in a gospel choir, which turned out to be a great experience. I learned more about singing there than from my vocal coach. I stayed with the choir for about five years. In 1999 Jose and I tried to resurrect GreenHouse, but nothing came of it beyond a few rehearsals. After that I tried a few other bands, but nothing clicked.

Now it’s 2026—50 years after I wrote my first songs—and I’m creating music using AI tools. I use Suno and other digital tools, but not in the typical way. I put a lot of work into it and use my knowledge of music theory and songwriting. AI is more like a partner. I manipulate the AI tools to create what I’m envisioning, and the songs I’m creating now are very much me.

I spent six months promoting my EDM album Orbit Radiate Pulse. The song “Sunshine” started to catch on but faded after about two weeks. I eventually accepted that the album wasn’t resonating with my usual listeners. I won’t pretend that I wasn’t disappointed—I put a lot of work, time, and thought into it, and I really liked the songs.

On April 30, 2026 I released a new single “Take Me Home.” This song is a hard rocking song that blends Psychedelic Trance with Industrial. If “Take Me Home” gains any momentum I will release my fourth album, Oblivion. I enjoyed the EDM sounds I developed for Orbit Radiate Pulse so I’ve decided to further explore the genre with a much harder style by infusing hints of Industrial, Electronic, and Psychedelic Trance (Psy-Trance).

Take Me Home

“Take Me Home” is available on all major streaming and video sites. Please see links to Spotify and YouTube. Followed by the song’s lyrics. Please like my song and add it to your playlist. Thank you!

[Verse 1]

Am I love

Am I hate

I don’t know what to feel

Anymore

[Verse 2]

Am I strong

Am I weak

I don’t know what to think

Anymore

[Verse 3]

Am I right

Am I wrong

I don’t know what to believe

Anymore

[Bridge 1]

I’m ready to come undone

My mind keeps pulling me down

Can’t take this anymore

I’m screaming without a sound

[Chorus 1]

Take, take, take, take, take me home

I don’t want to be alone

Take, take, take, take, take me home

I can’t make it on my own

[Verse 4]

Am I hiding

Am I seen

I don’t know who’s underneath

Anymore

[Verse 5]

Am I breaking

Am I whole

I don’t know what’s left of me

Anymore

[Verse 6]

Am I fading

Am I here

I don’t know what’s real in me

Not Anymore

[Bridge 2]

I’m ready to disappear

My thoughts turn sharp and cut me down

Can’t take this anymore

I’m screaming without a sound

[Chorus 2]

Take, take, take, take, take me home

I don’t want to be alone

Take, take, take, take, take me home

I can’t make it on my own

[Bridge 3]

I need a hand to pull me through

I must stand even if I fall

Can’t take this anymore

I’m screaming without a sound

[Chorus 3]

Take, take, take, take, take me home

I don’t want to be alone

Take, take, take, take, take me home

This is the moment I stand shaking

🏠🏠🏠🏠🏠

With Love, RHC ❤️