What more positive way of kicking off the New Year than by gazing back into the last century?
Over the festive lockdown I have been reacquainting myself with some songs I recorded back in the mid 1990s with my friend Steve C, a talented artist and photographer as well as a fine punk guitarist.
We went under various names, including The Dark Room and Fungustruck, but were never a “proper” band.
I have decided to share, with the brave new world of 2021, one of our tracks, entitled “Techno-tyranny”. You can listen to it here.
It was recorded DIY-style, on an old-fashioned eight-track, and I know the sound is less than perfect, not to mention my singing.
But I am still pleased with it and I feel the lyrics are just as relevant as they were 25 years ago.
Techno-tyranny
Well they said it’d be a pleasure
It would give us back our leisure
Just think of all the effort that it saves
And everyone pretends
That they’re our servants and our friends
But machines are king and we’re the fucking slaves
And the ghost of good old General Ludd*
Is alive and kicking in our blood!
And there isn’t going to be a human race
If we’re all just fucking numbers on a list
And there’ll never be a smile on freedom’s face
Till we’ve smashed the last computer into bits
Well these days we are all famous
We’re a race of entertainers
‘Cause you’ll see us every night on the TV
As we walk along the pavements
We’re all under close surveillance
From the cameras that steal our liberty
So be careful what it is you do
‘Cause Big Brother’s got his beady eye on you!
And there isn’t going to be a human race
If we’re all just fucking numbers on a list
And there’ll never be a smile on freedom’s face
Till we’ve smashed the last computer into bits
When they’ve built your data profile
And they’ve scanned your DNA
And they’ve stuck a microchip into your brain
Then they’ll turn you into robots
‘Cause that way they’ll be sure
That you can never disobey again
And if we don’t make a stand today
This techno-tyranny is here to stay!
And there isn’t going to be a human race
If we’re all just fucking numbers on a list
And there’ll never be a smile on freedom’s face
Till we’ve smashed the last computer into bits
Till we’ve smashed the last computer
Till we liberate the future
Till we’ve smashed the last computer into bits
(* I actually sang “Captain Ludd”, inadvertently conflating the legendary machine-breaker with his rural counterpart, Captain Swing)
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