FAWM: "The System is Working as Intended"

The System is Working as Intended

Liner Notes

Technology's a wonderful thing. It's sad that so many of the people shaping it are reckless grifters who see humanity as a problem to be managed or solved, rather than something to celebrate.

On the plus side, the more my life is inhabited by (the resource-hungry LLMs we're encouraged to call) AI, the more deeply I appreciate the little connections we humans manage to make with each other in our brief time on this planet.

Slopped out the electric guitar in a late-night ad-lib. Was tempted to record a better take, but here's to imperfection.

#protest #gospel #folkpop

Lyrics

we built a system to sort it all out it keeps everything clean it puts everything where it needs to be it's a system for setting us free

the system is watching us all it's keeping us safe helping us do the best we can trust the system, we're part of its plan

but the system can't hold you at night like a human might and the system won't care when you're gone one less human, the system moves on

one day we'll all live in a cloud you don't need to know how you don't need to know where the people go it's a system for helping us grow

but the system can't fill you with light like a human might and the system can't cheer up your mum or sit beside you in the afternoon sun

you just want me to kiss you goodnight like a human might and i just want you to hold me sometimes thank you, human, for sticking around let's stay human till the system goes down

Comments

@richardmasters 44m

Lovely song, Mike. You have such a good way of tackling emotionally difficult subjects with your gently seering insight. The system will never cheer up mum and what a great rhyme to frame it with.

@itneverhappened 1d

A very human breath of fresh air in the increasingly claustrophobic world you describe. Apart from the impeccable vocal, I'm always impressed by your precision in adding small details and ornaments at just the right places. Very economic and subtle, can't imagine you've ever overdone something!

@mostlymediocremusic 3d

My wife introduced to me to the movie Electric Dreams when we were young. I cannot get that out of my head as I listen to this. And yes, raise a glass to imperfection. I love this.

@philnorman 3d

A system's purpose is what it does. Big hugs of solidarity from from your friend across the world, like a human might. I hate how much I think this song is already true.

Your head voice is just the right human touch to float above The Cloud.

@ayeahmur 3d

Well i love the message here so much. The 'One day we'll all live in a cloud, you don't need to know how' verse is chilling. The choruses are the perfect antidote. Really love the bleep-bloop synth that ticks along throughout the song.

@ayais 3d

Whole thing fun, love the system crash at the end.

@deena 3d

You're filling me with smiles here! I love this!

@jonmeta 4d

Gentle, weird, heartwarming, with a helping of angst. This could be the theme song to the movie of the book I'm reading (for the second time in three months): Paul Kingsnorth's 'Against the Machine, subtitled 'On the unmaking of Humanity'. You've created a lovely melody for wrapping around probably the most significant protest theme of this generation.

@lcad 4d

Gosh this is pretty. I still think about your track Idiot Birds from years ago, same sentiment here but purely human. I love the contrast of the classical organ with the synth, perfect prosody. Your voice is so warm and comforting and the lyrics are tender and bitingly critical. Especially love the second verse. Great stuff Mike, put another point on the scoreboard for humanity (let's not check the total score though)

@hanley 4d

You've really summed up the juncture of this point in time beautifully! In awe of how you manage to take a depressing topic and offer a tongue in cheek outlook on it. Loving the arrangement and choice of sounds. The droney organ mixed with bouncy arps is a nice juxtaposition.

@freshspotlessyouth 4d

I think the system might have gone down, because the song won't play for me. I even tried a different web browser. :)

@feb21sundari 4d

Your lyrics are so true... many of these systems promise justice, but for whom? I like your conclusion—remain human until the system ends. I hope that happens soon.

@mikegtz 4d

I think this is a very compassionate song and the arrangement is sort of like a blanket for the song. Nice Work, Mike.

@coolparadisoMod 4d

Very smart lyric! I agree we often have the cart before the horse! who leads who! and there it is "but the system can't fill you with light like a human might and the system can't cheer up your mum or sit beside you in the afternoon sun" bravo Mike that's priceless - and the system couldn't say this!

@beacon 4d

Tremendous. This reminds me of the song Obsolute the @aflinner did a number of FAWMs ago, warning about the technology taking over our lives. This is so well written and I particularly love the last verse about keeping us connected to humans. Another Mike triumph.