Guest
Spotify (with higher quality, but non-Vessel/Noah/Oli vocals): Created primarily with Suno AI, in addition to voice models that I trained on Jammable. Lyrics are mine. The lyrical content seeks to express a sort of ironic triumphalism at the ostensible moral progress of the post-enlightenment West, particularly in the online age. The lyrical content does not, neither at face value nor when taking into consideration its indirect style, correspond perfectly with my own worldview (to the extent that I, or anyone, may possess a cohesive worldview). For this reason, I refer in my annotations below to a hypothetical “narrator“—the fictional personality whose views are lyrically expressed in this song. Annotated lyrics: [verse 1] Hail the Enlightenment Let's jeer at the Almighty Cerebrally think morality through [Annotation: an indirect expression of contempt at what the narrator regards as the rationalist delusion that ethics can be logically deduced without any divine grounding. The narrator is adopting a rather superficial “God is dead!“-style conception of the Enlightenment.] And when dread becomes apparent Just ground yourself transparently In the exhortations of a podcast guru [Annotation: the narrator adopts the quintessentially existentialist notion that freedom (from divine law) and dread are inextricably tied; the absence of a divine moral authority leaves the individual with nothing but his own subjective judgment. The individual then seeks relief from the anxiety of freedom by turning pathetically to some podcast guru who offers “science-backed“ life advice.] [pre-chorus] They say that without God, all is permitted That sin is universally acquitted [Annotation: a reference to Dostoevsky's _The Brothers Karamazov._ Again, the narrator is invoking the notion that atheism is synonymous with the collapse of a stable ethical structure.] The loftiest of utterances, I'm sure But haven't they got e-cult followers to procure? [Annotation: the narrator then mockingly dismisses his own anti-Enlightenment stance by suggesting that growing a social media following would be a better use of one's time than “lofty“ reflection about God and ethics.] [chorus] So cultivate an image Project a fantastical self Then hasten to take up your post On the existential commerce shelf Haven't you heard? You're the commodity now Yeah, we're the commodities now [Annotation: continuing with the social media theme introduced at the end of the first verse, the chorus expresses dismay at the commodification of personal identity/selfhood (the notion of “self-branding“, basically).] [verse 2] Doomscrollin' reels Swallow force-fed brand deals Soul fully severed from voice Despair at the thought Of products yet-bought Thought freedom consisted in choice [Annotation: an indirect critique of the shallow, neo-liberal conception of freedom as mere “choice“ (within a capitalist context, the ability to choose “freely“ between equally trivial products).] [bridge] Machine-learning behaviourist Amplify the negative [Annotation: an allusion to the manner in which social media algorithms reward controversy (“amplify the negative“).] Silicon anaesthesiologist Administer thy sedative [Annotation: the narrator invokes the image of a digital anaesthesiologist in order to convey the notion that the immediate gratification of mindless scrolling serves to numb the existential dread discussed in verse 1.] [extended bridge/breakdown kinda thing] Psychological no man's land Know this numbness like the back of my hand Emptier than a statesman's final vow Don't you know you're the commodity now? [Annotation: re-invoking familiar themes of digital sedation (the technologically induced numbness just discussed) and self-commodification.] Hopefully that clarifies things.
