Science is truth for life
Watch religion fall obsolete
Science Will be truth for life
Technology as nature
Science Truth for life
In fortran tongue the Answer
With wealth and prominence
Man so near perfection
Possession
It's an absence of interim
Secure no demurer
Defense against divine
Defense against his true Image
Human conflict number five
Discovery
Dissolved all illusion
Mystery
Destroyed with conclusion
And illusion never restored
Any modern man can see
That religion is
Obsolete
Piety Obsolete
Ritual Obsolete
Martyrdom Obsolete
Prophetic vision Obsolete
Mysticism Obsolete
Commitment Obsolete
Sacrament Obsolete
Revelation Obsolete


Lyrics submitted by kornchick

Planned Obsolescence song meanings
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  • 0
    My Interpretation

    This is one of my favorite 10K Maniacs songs. There are not too many songs with a "Science p0wns religion" theme; even better, not many ironic songs with that theme. The line “Science is Truth for Life” is great. About as funny as Dow’s “A Better Life through Chemicals”. It’s like something out of 1984, like the “Ministry of Truth”. I guess you could take the song at face value, but lines like “Technology as nature”, “Man so near perfection”, and the list of obsoletes seem a bit over the top. I don’t understand why Merchant doesn’t write songs like this anymore.

    The line “In fortran tongue the Answer” refers the early computer language FORTRAN. I would think the answer could be found in Lisp myself.

    The music adds to the theme too. It kinda’ reminds me of “Still Alive” from Valve’s game “Portal”. I could totally imagin Glados singing this.

    clovuson December 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's rather ironic. It is not really saying religion has fallen obsolete, or that man is so near perfection.

    thorhammeron March 16, 2009   Link

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