If Cal Teller’s catalog is a series of transmissions sent into the void, “Frequency of My Heart” is the final, definitive broadcast. It is a song that bridges the gap between the mechanical and the emotional, asserting that as long as someone is “just a turn of the dial behind,” the quiet can never truly win.
The Permanent Wave
This track serves as Cal’s manifesto. He acknowledges the physical reality—clocks that have forgotten time, silent steeples, and “mountains of rubble”—but he refuses to let them dictate the signal. His commitment to “find a new battery” and “fix every wire” isn’t just about maintenance; it’s a vow of presence.
The phrase “You’re the loveliest vision I’ve ever not seen” is perhaps the most romantic line in the entire KNF7 archive. It perfectly captures the essence of the wasteland radio experience: loving someone through a speaker, knowing them only by the timbre of their voice and the “memory in your lap.”
Tune In For Good
There is a sense of finality and endurance in the “permanent wave.” Cal isn’t just broadcasting for tonight; he’s broadcasting “for good.” The mid-song address to “whoever’s still awake” turns the listener into a participant in his survival. He’s promising to stay by the embers for the sake of anyone else out there in the “dust and the dark.”
It’s a song that turns distance into a mere “space on a map,” proving that in the world of Sector 8, heart and frequency are one and the same.
FREQUENCY OF MY HEART
by: Cal Teller
The clock on the wall has forgotten the time
And the bells in the steeple no longer can chime
But don’t let the quiet bring shadows to mind
For I’m just a turn of the dial behind
Though mountains of rubble may stand in between
You’re the loveliest vision I’ve ever not seen.
I’ll find a new battery, I’ll fix every wire
I’ll keep the old transmitter burning like fire
So keep your head high and your heart on the line
Through the dust and the dark, you’re still destined to shine
Distance is nothing but space on a map
When I’ve got your memory here in my lap.
Oh, I’m broadcasting love on a permanent wave
From a heart that’s still steady, a heart that is brave
No matter the distance, no matter the part
You’ll always be found on the frequency of my heart
So tune in tomorrow, and tune in for good
I’d sing it much louder if only I could.
One more for the long road, whoever’s still awake…
Before the embers fade, I’ll be here for your sake.
Yes, I’m broadcasting love on a permanent wave
From a heart that’s still steady, a heart that is brave
No matter the distance, no matter the part
You’ll always be found on the frequency of my heart
So tune in tomorrow, and tune in for good
I’d sing it much louder if only I could.