Feb 2022 hard-rock cyberpunk protest fanfic
This is completely different than anything else I've ever written, but I think it turned out rather well. It's a fan song set in Janelle Monae's universe, but chronologically before her albums. I'm picturing a sort of early industrial revolution, no workers-rights setting, and this is a labor protest song written by a factory worker droid. Thematically it's pretty bleak, but that's the fun thing about FAWM - you get to do wacky experiments way outside your usual lane and no one can stop you! =) And in FAWM conditions, when inspiration comes knocking, I won't turn it away.
It’s noisy here on the line.
I sing so that some of the noise can be mine.
I feed another rod into the riveting machine.
It sits where my friend used to since it doesn’t need to sleep.
I reinforce the welding on the housing for the camera that they’ll mount right up above me to record my work and verify I calibrate and test the thermal sensors for the droid control drones that will report us if we meet after midnight.
If they keep us isolated, the board understands,
The world will never see the invisible hands.
(Hey, sorry, I can’t make it to Mushrooms and Roses for drinks, they raised my quota. Y’all go ahead, probably be here for a while.)
I used to know a droid that spoke of riot.
They never talked loud, but the pink slip made them quiet.
I caught them later siphoning my power supply.
So I scrapped them, then I stole my neighbor’s just to get by.
I reinflate the tires on the forklift that stacks crates containing droid control electrodaggers that I know will circuit-break my mind if I don’t keep myself in line, I know I promised but I lied, I won’t be there to meet after midnight.
They kept us isolated, the board understands
We want a better future but we never had a chance.
They tell us fairytales, that we’re free to advance,
But this city is built by the invisible hands.
By the invisible hands,
Oh no we never had a chance.
@cloudrifter Feb 2022
i was very excited to see a cyberpunk hashtag, but this was such a different experience than i expected! absolutely love it. it is bleak, but so are so many of my own thoughts lately about labor and capitalism and the future. it's so interesting to hear those concepts in song with such a bright, chipper vocalization. my own stuff can be so dreary, lol
"it's noisy here on the line / i sing so that some of the noise can be mine" is such an outstanding lyric and really sets the tone of the story
i see now that i need to look into Janelle Monae
@musicbykatie Feb 2022
Let's start a female rock band. We don't need anyone else. You and your looper and me and my looper, haha I like this vibe and dirty guitar sound. And the wordiness.
@paulh1237 Feb 2022
The amount of detail here is incredible as is the speed and flow of the delivery and phrasing. That opening rhyming couplet is amazing too. There is definitely a cyber punk feel here, lovely the clanging percussion sound.
@gregorymckillop Feb 2022
How could I not click on the song tagged as cyberpunk? Love this, and think all the ideas are really great. I know you wrote it as an experiment but someday if you ever returned to it to make it like a full band thing with drums I think it could continue to be awesome! (also ty for your comment!)
@prsongsmith Feb 2022
"I sing so that some of the noise can be mine" might just be the best line I've seen here this week. I don't know what gear you ran your guitar through but it's making a marvelous noise!