Last week, I was reminiscing with some high school pals over the terrible songs my short-lived high school band produced, most notably “Subreality,” where my pathetic attempt at singing has turned the song into the stuff of legends. The guys regularly throw old lyrics back at me, and we’ll laugh at the absurdity.
There, in that moment, I briefly wondered what the song might have sounded like had it been handled by actual musicians and a real singer, not just some Rush-inspired wannabe lyrist. Well, thanks to the golden age of AI that we live in, the following specimen emerged from the digital abyss after feeding it a transcription from my original typed/scribbled lyrics with only minor modifications and a simple “post-punk prog rock, big guitar, Neil Peart-style drum fills” prompt.
I’ve got to be honest; I’ve spun this no fewer than a dozen times and find myself singing it on the regular. I realize this is likely mostly due to the surreal nature of hearing your own words given a proper rock treatment, but at worst, this song sounds like something any post-punk band might churn out.
I share it here for anecdotal purposes only and apologize in advance to all serious musicians out there who will no doubt be aghast at this heresy. I honestly have avoided playing with these tools, not because I thought they might suck (though I’ve heard plenty that has) but because I didn’t want to be a poser. I have too much love and respect for the blood, sweat, and tears that go into crafting a great song to peddle anything generated by a soulless algorithm as anything other than novelty. This is not the start of a career in churning out mediocre AI music but simply a reflection on the power of the tools and the opportunity for a would-be Neil Peart to retcon a little high school glory.
Give it a spin and feel free to unleash the mockery, but remember the lyrics were written by a 17-year-old in 1989, so go easy on the kid.
Mannino Acid 