Beyond OK Computer
March 7, 2010 5:50 AM Subscribe
Looking for songs about computers and digital media. Are there any?
There used to be a lot of songs about music, records and books. Is digital media unsentimental about itself?
There used to be a lot of songs about music, records and books. Is digital media unsentimental about itself?
Barcelona... the ORIGINAL Barcelona... made a buttload of geeky, computer-oriented songs. Stuff like "C-64", "I Have the Password to Your Shell Account", "Paging System Operator", and "Watching You Watching Us".
There's some other band called Barcelona. Hipster garbage. You want the real, geek-rock Barcelona.
posted by SansPoint at 6:12 AM on March 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
There's some other band called Barcelona. Hipster garbage. You want the real, geek-rock Barcelona.
posted by SansPoint at 6:12 AM on March 7, 2010 [2 favorites]
Kraftwerk - Computer World
posted by porn in the woods at 6:16 AM on March 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by porn in the woods at 6:16 AM on March 7, 2010 [3 favorites]
Surely there should be something in the oeuvre of Jonathan Coulton (e.g., Code Monkey, Still Alive, etc.):
http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=jonathan+coulton
posted by chengjih at 6:24 AM on March 7, 2010
http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=jonathan+coulton
posted by chengjih at 6:24 AM on March 7, 2010
Here's at least one of the Coulton songs you want: A Laptop Like You.
posted by anaelith at 6:30 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by anaelith at 6:30 AM on March 7, 2010
Most of Neil Young's fantastic Trans - "Computer Cowboy," "We R In Control"
posted by porn in the woods at 6:49 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by porn in the woods at 6:49 AM on March 7, 2010
What qualifies as a song? I'll throw in RMS and an ancient collection of computer songs floating around the Interwebs. I guess this shows that historically, computer geeks were better with the language side of songwriting.
posted by themel at 7:05 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by themel at 7:05 AM on March 7, 2010
Meh, sorry, the second link is to a truncated version. This is better.
posted by themel at 7:08 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by themel at 7:08 AM on March 7, 2010
How about that song that Kip sings at his wedding in 'Napoleon Dynamite'?
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
posted by wwartorff at 7:10 AM on March 7, 2010
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
posted by wwartorff at 7:10 AM on March 7, 2010
Poe's 'Hello' (first track off the album of the same name) contains almost charmingly dated references. A reference to the M.O.D.? In a non-techno album? Sung by a woman? Blew my mind. It was pretty much outdated by the time it came out, which is part of the problem. Computer stuff changes so fast that things sound outdated.
Psykosonik's first album (self-titled), for which I cannot find lyrics online, is a combo of nootropics/rave culture and cyberpunk stuff. Shock on the Wire, for example, could very well be about cybersex, although it might be about simply the pleasures of 'jacking in' per Gibson.
If you're looking for songs about computer games, that might be a slightly larger subset. The Front did a song about text adventures; it does make reference to the act of playing as well as the content of the games.
posted by cobaltnine at 7:54 AM on March 7, 2010
Psykosonik's first album (self-titled), for which I cannot find lyrics online, is a combo of nootropics/rave culture and cyberpunk stuff. Shock on the Wire, for example, could very well be about cybersex, although it might be about simply the pleasures of 'jacking in' per Gibson.
If you're looking for songs about computer games, that might be a slightly larger subset. The Front did a song about text adventures; it does make reference to the act of playing as well as the content of the games.
posted by cobaltnine at 7:54 AM on March 7, 2010
I'd vote for Kate Bush's DEEPER UNDERSTANDING.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wDDxM1F4xY
posted by polexxia at 8:01 AM on March 7, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wDDxM1F4xY
posted by polexxia at 8:01 AM on March 7, 2010
Boten Anna comes to mind, and of course Weird Al's It's all about the Pentiums.
posted by charles kaapjes at 8:11 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by charles kaapjes at 8:11 AM on March 7, 2010
I was going to mention Basshunter, too - his album LOL (^^,) has "Boten Anna" which is about IRC, and ""Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA" is about playing Warcraft.
posted by needled at 8:25 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by needled at 8:25 AM on March 7, 2010
The humans are dead?
Sorry, flip. But Neil Young and Kate Bush have already been mentioned.
I'm startled to find that I can't think of a Talking Heads song about computers. I'm sure there must be one.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 8:34 AM on March 7, 2010
Sorry, flip. But Neil Young and Kate Bush have already been mentioned.
I'm startled to find that I can't think of a Talking Heads song about computers. I'm sure there must be one.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 8:34 AM on March 7, 2010
Ok, so they're parodies, and probably not what you're looking for, but I have to mention Weird Al Yankovic. White and Nerdy, All About the Pentiums, Virus Alert, Don't Download this Song, and ebay, among others.
posted by clerestory at 8:42 AM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by clerestory at 8:42 AM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]
Datarock - Computer Camp (and many others they've done I'm sure).
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:02 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by jeffamaphone at 9:02 AM on March 7, 2010
One of my favorites is MJ Hibbert & The Validators Hey Hey 16K. It's nostalgic as well.
Perhaps not quite fitting the categories is Steven Franks' Ben & Mena, all about the founders of Six Apart and Movable Type.
posted by tommasz at 9:03 AM on March 7, 2010
Perhaps not quite fitting the categories is Steven Franks' Ben & Mena, all about the founders of Six Apart and Movable Type.
posted by tommasz at 9:03 AM on March 7, 2010
Nerdcore is where its at yo! List of artists at the nerdcore wiki page here.
posted by Funmonkey1 at 9:25 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by Funmonkey1 at 9:25 AM on March 7, 2010
Daft Punk, Technologic. Currently running in a Telenor ad here in sweden.
The tagline for the ad asks "Where do you draw the line?"
posted by Iteki at 9:49 AM on March 7, 2010
The tagline for the ad asks "Where do you draw the line?"
posted by Iteki at 9:49 AM on March 7, 2010
Folder by Plastic Operator.
"That's why I copy and paste into your folder..."
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:49 AM on March 7, 2010
"That's why I copy and paste into your folder..."
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:49 AM on March 7, 2010
Fiction (Dreams in Digital) - Orgy
Pink Ego Box - Muse. About instant messaging.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:06 AM on March 7, 2010
Pink Ego Box - Muse. About instant messaging.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:06 AM on March 7, 2010
Just stopping in to say seriously, don't forget to obey SansPoint and listen to Barcelona!
Also, "Emale" by Prince fits your criteria but you really, really, really don't need it.
posted by escabeche at 10:07 AM on March 7, 2010
Also, "Emale" by Prince fits your criteria but you really, really, really don't need it.
posted by escabeche at 10:07 AM on March 7, 2010
21st Century Digital Boy by Bad Religion (for some commentary) and "I love My Computer" also by Bad Religion.
posted by Thistledown at 10:12 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by Thistledown at 10:12 AM on March 7, 2010
Grubblarna (nee Void Main) put together a poetic version of Richard Stallman's Free Software talk.
posted by autopilot at 10:15 AM on March 7, 2010
posted by autopilot at 10:15 AM on March 7, 2010
We Have All We Ever Wanted by Yacht is an oblique celebration of music piracy.
posted by eggplantplacebo at 12:02 PM on March 7, 2010
posted by eggplantplacebo at 12:02 PM on March 7, 2010
No list of songs such as this would be complete without: Console - 14 Zero Zero
posted by ktrey at 12:36 PM on March 7, 2010
posted by ktrey at 12:36 PM on March 7, 2010
I'm surprised that nobody has posted The Internet is for Porn (mildly NSFW, for lyrics) yet. Also, there are a number of Da Vinci's Notebook songs that refer to computers and the internet, specifically Internet Porn and The Gates (about revenge for a bad laptop). These are all more in the Weird Al/Jonathan Coulton vein, but someone should mention them.
posted by immlass at 4:13 PM on March 7, 2010
posted by immlass at 4:13 PM on March 7, 2010
Happy Head "Digital Love Thing"
Digital Love thing I can't believe it
I want to make this mystery mine.
You're part of history stand up and seize it
Digital Love Thing shine,
In real time.
posted by Goofyy at 5:18 AM on March 8, 2010
Digital Love thing I can't believe it
I want to make this mystery mine.
You're part of history stand up and seize it
Digital Love Thing shine,
In real time.
posted by Goofyy at 5:18 AM on March 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fire&wings at 5:58 AM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]