Comments on: The internet in song http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sat, 26 May 2012 21:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Dirty Davey http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165774 Dirty Davey Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:09:10 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165774 Warren Zevon's remarkably prescient "Networking" (circa 1989): There's a long hard road and a full hard drive And a sector there where I feel alive Every bit and every byte Is written down once on the night Networking, I'm user friendly Networking, I install with ease Data processed, truly Basic I will upload you, you can download me There's a prayer each night that I always pray Let the data guide me through every day And every pulse and every code Deliver me from the bypass mode Networking, I'm user friendly Networking, I install with ease Data processed, truly Basic I will upload you, you can download me Warren Zevon’s remarkably prescient “Networking” (circa 1989):

There’s a long hard road and a full hard drive
And a sector there where I feel alive
Every bit and every byte
Is written down once on the night

Networking, I’m user friendly
Networking, I install with ease
Data processed, truly Basic
I will upload you, you can download me

There’s a prayer each night that I always pray
Let the data guide me through every day
And every pulse and every code
Deliver me from the bypass mode

Networking, I’m user friendly
Networking, I install with ease
Data processed, truly Basic
I will upload you, you can download me

]]> By: brooksfoe http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165650 brooksfoe Mon, 24 Jul 2006 04:14:32 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165650 Incidentally: given that pharmaceuticals are tech...the list begins at "Mother's Little Helper" and quickly parabolas out towards infinity... Incidentally: given that pharmaceuticals are tech…the list begins at “Mother’s Little Helper” and quickly parabolas out towards infinity…

]]> By: brooksfoe http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165647 brooksfoe Mon, 24 Jul 2006 03:46:26 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165647 76 posts and no one has mentioned the Replacements' great, elegant "Answering Machine"? By now it qualifies as nostalgia-tech, but at the time it was written (1984) it was a mass appliance at the same level of novelty as, probably, email in about 2000. Of course that technology itself is so obviously a technology of absence and longing that it simply beckons a lyrical response. Though I'm not sure wy there aren't more good songs about the ambiguous closeness and distance of Skypeing with your long-distance sigoth. 76 posts and no one has mentioned the Replacements’ great, elegant “Answering Machine”? By now it qualifies as nostalgia-tech, but at the time it was written (1984) it was a mass appliance at the same level of novelty as, probably, email in about 2000.

Of course that technology itself is so obviously a technology of absence and longing that it simply beckons a lyrical response. Though I’m not sure wy there aren’t more good songs about the ambiguous closeness and distance of Skypeing with your long-distance sigoth.

]]> By: aisling http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165645 aisling Mon, 24 Jul 2006 03:25:06 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165645 And some old technologies are more popular than others. Think of the countless bicycles, bridges, radios, telephones (one of Michael Stipe's recurring themes), cars, steam-trains, out there. But how many fridges have merited a mention? I can only think of a single instance (Radiohead): Karma police Arrest this man He talks in maths He buzzes like a fridge He's like a detuned radio (Does anyone else think that the idea of someone buzzing like a fridge is actually kind of hilarious? ...which sort of undercuts most of the song's angst-ridden tone...Thom Yorke: you need to get out more.) And some old technologies are more popular than others. Think of the countless bicycles, bridges, radios, telephones (one of Michael Stipe’s recurring themes), cars, steam-trains, out there. But how many fridges have merited a mention? I can only think of a single instance (Radiohead):

Karma police
Arrest this man
He talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge
He’s like a detuned radio

(Does anyone else think that the idea of someone buzzing like a fridge is actually kind of hilarious? …which sort of undercuts most of the song’s angst-ridden tone…Thom Yorke: you need to get out more.)

]]> By: rob jefferson http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165562 rob jefferson Sun, 23 Jul 2006 18:24:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165562 In reference to #40, there's a song by Paul Wall called "Internet Goin' Nuts" (itself a line from his verse on Mike Jones' "Still Tippin'"). The song is about online dating and the successes and foibles thereof. There's "Computer Love" by Roger (Troutman, of the band Zapp), which is not to be confused with the Kraftwerk song of the same name. It's a cheesy late-80's R&B jam, but it's not as bad as one would expect. "I Love My Computer" by Bad Religion is an awful song about, well, computers. "Skypager" by A Tribe Called Quest is a classic rap song about pagers and their necessity as a social occasion-planning tool. Husker Du's "Divide and Conquer" has the following lines: "We'll invent some new computers Link up the global village And get AP, UPI, and Reuters To tell everybody the news We'll be one happy neighborhood Spread out across the world But who's going to stop that burglar From breaking in my house If he lives that far away?" In reference to #40, there’s a song by Paul Wall called “Internet Goin’ Nuts” (itself a line from his verse on Mike Jones’ “Still Tippin’”). The song is about online dating and the successes and foibles thereof.

There’s “Computer Love” by Roger (Troutman, of the band Zapp), which is not to be confused with the Kraftwerk song of the same name. It’s a cheesy late-80’s R&B jam, but it’s not as bad as one would expect.

“I Love My Computer” by Bad Religion is an awful song about, well, computers.

“Skypager” by A Tribe Called Quest is a classic rap song about pagers and their necessity as a social occasion-planning tool.

Husker Du’s “Divide and Conquer” has the following lines:

“We’ll invent some new computers
Link up the global village
And get AP, UPI, and Reuters
To tell everybody the news

We’ll be one happy neighborhood
Spread out across the world
But who’s going to stop that burglar
From breaking in my house
If he lives that far away?”

]]> By: Debra Burrell http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165502 Debra Burrell Sun, 23 Jul 2006 06:21:14 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165502 Well, speaking of country music, there is the Lonestar song "No News:" She could telephone, tell a friend, tell a lie about where she's been. Send a pigeon, send a fax; Write it on a post-it pad. Send a signal up in smoke, tap it out in Morse Code. I'd prefer a bad excuse to no news Well, speaking of country music, there is the Lonestar song “No News:”
She could telephone, tell a friend, tell a lie about where she’s been.
Send a pigeon, send a fax; Write it on a post-it pad.
Send a signal up in smoke, tap it out in Morse Code.
I’d prefer a bad excuse to no news

]]> By: 'As you know' Bob http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165399 'As you know' Bob Sat, 22 Jul 2006 16:35:02 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165399 I've actually heard on the radio somebody performing the old blues standard <i>I've got my mo-dem workin'</i>. Didn't catch who it was, thought. I’ve actually heard on the radio somebody performing the old blues standard I’ve got my mo-dem workin’.

Didn’t catch who it was, thought.

]]> By: Frances http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165375 Frances Sat, 22 Jul 2006 14:34:31 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165375 Just a couple more to add: I remember <a href="http://www.the-streets.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">The Streets</a> doing references to texting in his lyrics. Especialy "When You Wasn't Famous" comes to mind: <i>Ahhh see Right see the thing that's got it all fucked up now is camera-phones. How the hell am I supposed to be able to do a line in front of complete strangers When I know they've all got cameras?</i> Placebo's cover of <i>Bigmouth Strikes Again</i> (Smiths original) is also noteworthy: They change the lyric <i>...and her walkman started to melt...</i> into <i>...and her discman started to melt...</i> Just a couple more to add:

I remember The Streets doing references to texting in his lyrics.
Especialy “When You Wasn’t Famous” comes to mind:

Ahhh see
Right see the thing that’s got it all fucked up now is camera-phones.
How the hell am I supposed to be able to do a line in front of complete strangers
When I know they’ve all got cameras?

Placebo’s cover of Bigmouth Strikes Again (Smiths original) is also noteworthy: They change the lyric …and her walkman started to melt… into …and her discman started to melt…

]]> By: Gar Lipow http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165357 Gar Lipow Sat, 22 Jul 2006 04:18:47 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165357 To reinforce the point about how fast tech references can become obsolete: George Jone's High-Tech Redneck: http://lyricwiki.org/George_Jones:High-Tech_Redneck To reinforce the point about how fast tech references can become obsolete:

George Jone’s High-Tech Redneck:

http://lyricwiki.org/George_Jones:High-Tech_Redneck

]]> By: GeoX http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165355 GeoX Sat, 22 Jul 2006 02:40:38 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165355 <a href="http://www.thomastruax.com/lyrics1_audioaddiction.html" rel="nofollow">Inside the Internet</a> by Thomas Truax is kind of effectively spooky. Inside the Internet by Thomas Truax is kind of effectively spooky.

]]> By: Steven Crane http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165313 Steven Crane Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:31:11 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165313 "Beepers" - Sir Mix-A-Lot. “Beepers” – Sir Mix-A-Lot.

]]> By: goatcnowder http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165312 goatcnowder Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:29:03 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165312 I'm partial to "Every Home Is Wired" by Porcupine Tree. Beautiful overdubbed vocal-harmony counterpoint too. It captures for me the prevailing techno-utopian mood of late 90's Silicon Valley, and some of my ambivalence about it as well. An unknown progressive rock band (former band-member of mine was in it) wrote and recorded a very entertaining song in the early 90's about cybersex; it opened with the sound of modem tones. Alas, I've since forgotten the name of both the band and the song. I’m partial to “Every Home Is Wired” by Porcupine Tree. Beautiful overdubbed vocal-harmony counterpoint too. It captures for me the prevailing techno-utopian mood of late 90’s Silicon Valley, and some of my ambivalence about it as well.

An unknown progressive rock band (former band-member of mine was in it) wrote and recorded a very entertaining song in the early 90’s about cybersex; it opened with the sound of modem tones. Alas, I’ve since forgotten the name of both the band and the song.

]]> By: Matt Kuzma http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165306 Matt Kuzma Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:53:14 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165306 First of all, you should check out www.jonathancoulton.com - especially "Code Monkey". Also, I really like the references in "Hello" by Poe. First of all, you should check out http://www.jonathancoulton.com – especially “Code Monkey”.

Also, I really like the references in “Hello” by Poe.

]]> By: Tim McG http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165277 Tim McG Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:16:48 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165277 Explanatory hypothesis #1: the technology is changing so quickly that folks don't want their songs to sound dated so they only talk about what they think will last (and still be called by the same name in 4 or 5 months). Explanatory hypothesis #2: The words themselves are godawful. There is no poetry in the word "blog" or "email" for that matter. (How many song lyrics mention "mail"? It's nearly always "letter"--or, if the plot demands, "mailman.") "Internet" has two n-t combinations plus vowels and a semi-vowel. Another crappy word. "The web" may be the only decent-sounding (because of its analog meanings) tech word out there. Explanatory hypothesis #1: the technology is changing so quickly that folks don’t want their songs to sound dated so they only talk about what they think will last (and still be called by the same name in 4 or 5 months).

Explanatory hypothesis #2: The words themselves are godawful. There is no poetry in the word “blog” or “email” for that matter. (How many song lyrics mention “mail”? It’s nearly always “letter”—or, if the plot demands, “mailman.”) “Internet” has two n-t combinations plus vowels and a semi-vowel. Another crappy word. “The web” may be the only decent-sounding (because of its analog meanings) tech word out there.

]]> By: eg http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/comment-page-2/#comment-165242 eg Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:36:36 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2006/07/20/the-internet-in-song/#comment-165242 Patty Larkin: "the book I'm not reading's on the internet" Patty Larkin: “the book I’m not reading’s on the internet”

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