The singularity already has the public image problem that people think it sounds like a cult. This song really makes the singularity sound like a cult.
The singularity already has the public image problem that people think it sounds like a cult.
Fortunately we are not yet at the point where cult meetings take place and people are told to hug each other...
(jk)
Here's a link to listen to the Bright Eyes' Singularity song. I still prefer The Lisp's Singularity.
The Lisp's Singularity is pretty good, although I can't compare - no listen link that I could see.
Overall I prefer The Lisp's song, but I think they do very different things and I'm happy to listen to them for different reasons.
I'm curious how many people were aware of the Lisp's song before I posted it recently.
Not that this is important at all, but the lyrics to the song are a bit different (and better). The difference stems from the blog post being posted more than a year before the song was released. I'm not going to go through it but two examples can be seen in the following quotations:
Original
...My senses and my faculties are super-computing factories. Auditory, mesmerizers, Touch and taste, olfactory Digitized into data streams that register but will not delete. They’ll store it up on carbon atoms lined up into nano-diamonds, Priced just right for maximizing special year end price surprises... You could be Giant Squirrel, a statue or a talking cat. The Goodyear blimp, an etch a sketch, An octopus or a yoga mat...
vs.
The Actual Song
...My senses and my faculties I'll augment with machinery. Auditory, optical, touch, and taste, olfactory Converted into data streams and floating bits of binary ... You could be Giant Squirrel, a statue or a talking cat The Goodyear blimp, an etch a sketch, An octopus or a brain in a vat.
Anyway I quite like the song.
Hey All, I wrote The Lisps version. The lyrics did indeed change from the original blog post, which i put up the day I wrote the song. Below. are the final lyrics, thanks for all the interest in the song!
I’ll live to see a million things That men were never meant to see
My senses and my faculties I’ll augment with machinery
Auditory, optical, touch and taste olfactory
Converted into data streams and floating bits of binary
Every piece of food you taste and every thought you cogitate
Every sound that you can hear and sight you see for years and years
All stored up so conveniently on peta-bytes of memory
So you can always reference them in case you forget anything
(REFRAIN) Singularity, Singularity. Singularity, Singularity…Oh I don’t know. 2X
Now once all that experience can fit into an easy grid
Existence is no longer something mentally projected
The wires that you have inside are very easily realized
Through artificial imaging you duplicate 10 at a time
Your consciousness can be enjoyed by anyone forever more
And you live in whatever state that you or anyone creates
You could be Giant Squirrel, a statue or a talking cat
The Goodyear blimp, an etch a sketch, An octopus or a brain in a vat
You keep all of the memories and feelings that you ever want
And now you can commence your life as an uploaded extropian
(REFRAIN)
My mother is so horrified by this post-human fantasy She says you’d lose that special thing that makes us human beings be But I don’t know I’m not so sure if humans are so good and pure Perhaps we’d be much better off if we took these violent bodies off
Once everyone is in the cloud we’ll move beyond this earthly ground Expanding into outer space as an informational signal race Matter in the solar system converts into computing mass And the sun becomes a central orb of a brain that grows into the vast Expanse of space and emptiness for light years and light centuries It replicates exponentially like a Russian doll in a cosmic dream When every spot of the universe is filled up it will promptly burst Eradicating finally the experiment that we grew from earth As it explodes the brain will breathe into the dark impossibly and anti-matter all around will collapse the universe back down right away what you would see if you were a fly in the vacancy All the light and color in the universe is collapsing TIME WOULD STOP!!!!
And from the tiny pinhole point a massive bang erupts into space [BANG] And trillions of new particles fly away at a photonic pace
And once again the clock would start to tick and tock and tick and tock Years would pass, billions or more before the tiny proteins locked And yet again in the boiling seas of a miniscule blue anomaly A planet floating helplessly around a tiny ball so fiery an unextraordinary corner of the universe would cradle it The flicker of intelligence that led us here and brought us this
(REFRAIN) 2X
Hey All, I wrote The Lisps version. The lyrics did indeed change from the blog post, which i put up the day I wrote the song. Below. are the final lyrics. I'm thrilled by this thread, thanks!
I’ll live to see a million things That men were never meant to see My senses and my faculties I’ll augment with machinery Auditory, optical, touch and taste olfactory Converted into data streams and floating bits of binary Every piece of food you taste and every thought you cogitate Every sound that you can hear and sight you see for years and years All stored up so conveniently on peta-bytes of memory So you can always reference them in case you forget anything
(REFRAIN) Singularity, Singularity. Singularity, Singularity…Oh I don’t know. 2X
Now once all that experience can fit into an easy grid Existence is no longer something mentally projected The wires that you have inside are very easily realized Through artificial imaging you duplicate 10 at a time Your consciousness can be enjoyed by anyone forever more And you live in whatever state that you or anyone creates You could be Giant Squirrel, a statue or a talking cat The Goodyear blimp, an etch a sketch, An octopus or a brain in a vat You keep all of the memories and feelings that you ever want And now you can commence your life as an uploaded extropian
(REFRAIN)
My mother is so horrified by this post-human fantasy She says you’d lose that special thing that makes us human beings be
But I don’t know I’m not so sure if humans are so good and pure Perhaps we’d be much better off if we took these violent bodies off
Once everyone is in the cloud we’ll move beyond this earthly ground Expanding into outer space as an informational signal race Matter in the solar system converts into computing mass And the sun becomes a central orb of a brain that grows into the vast Expanse of space and emptiness for light years and light centuries It replicates exponentially like a Russian doll in a cosmic dream When every spot of the universe is filled up it will promptly burst Eradicating finally the experiment that we grew from earth As it explodes the brain will breathe into the dark impossibly and anti-matter all around will collapse the universe back down right away what you would see if you were a fly in the vacancy All the light and color in the universe is collapsing TIME WOULD STOP!!!!
And from the tiny pinhead point a massive bang erupts into space [BANG] And trillions of new particles fly away at a photonic pace [NOISE]
And once again the clock would start to tick and tock and tick and tock Years would pass, billions or more before the tiny proteins locked And yet again in the boiling seas of a miniscule blue anomaly A planet floating helplessly around a tiny ball so fiery an unextraordinary corner of the universe would cradle it The flicker of intelligence that led us here and brought us this
(REFRAIN) 2X
Dr. Steel did a take on it a while ago called The Singularity, though it's a bit different style, kind of steampunk rap.
Zeroes and ones
The curve’s begun
Nanotechnology transcending biology
This is how the race is won
By my hands the sons of man
Understand, execute the planReverse engineering the human mind
Only a matter of time
That this fractal design
Emerges electronic life with
Prophetic symbology and
Modern technologyBring on the Singularity
Transcend
Transcend biology
Bring on the Singularity
Transcend
Transcend biologyImmerse me in
Virtual reality and
The order of the galaxy
The possibilities expand
Demand more than the
Factory software
I don’t care
I want to be smarter
And stronger and live longerSpeed up the accelerating returns
Cause carbon doesn’t work
I want to evolve and operate at terahertz
So bring on the knee of the curve
And let’s transcend biology
Our archaic humanityBring on the Singularity [...]
And will I evolve to rise or fall
Becoming non-biological
And will I evolve to rise or fall
Becoming non-biologicalTranscend biology
Bring on the SingularityTranscend
Transcend biologyBecoming non-biological
Becoming non-biological
Will I evolve to rise or fall
Becoming non-biological
Bring on the SingularityZeroes and ones
Zeroes and ones
And here is a Kurzweilian singularity song by orchestral rock band Miracles of Modern Science. (MP3)
Bright Eyes' new (2011) single, 'Singularity', is maybe the best song ever about the Singularity. It's a catchy electro-pop refrain.
Lyrics:
Oberst's comments on the song:
Hat tip to Kevin.