Automation
Heartbreak in the Age of Automation
Lyrics
It was automation, I know
Expressing awareness of automation as a factor in the situation
That was what was making the factory go
Attributing the functioning of the factory to automation
It was IBM, it was Univac
Mentioning specific computer systems, IBM and Univac, as part of automation
It was all those gears going clickety-clack, dear
Describing the mechanical sounds of gears in motion
I thought automation was keen,
Initially expressing positive feelings towards automation
Till you were replaced by a ten ton machine
Highlighting a negative consequence of automation – the speaker being replaced by a machine
It was that computer that tore us apart, dear
Blaming a computer for causing a rift in a relationship
Automation broke my heart
Conveying emotional distress caused by the impact of automation on personal life
There's an RCA 503
Mentioning an RCA 503, a specific type of computer, as a replacement
Standing next to me where you used to be
Describing the physical presence of the new machine in the absence of a person
Doesn't have your smile, doesn't have your shape
Highlighting the lack of human qualities in the new machine
Just a bunch of punch cards and light bulbs and tape, dear
Listing components of the machine, punch cards, light bulbs, and tape, to emphasize its mechanical nature
You're a girl who's soft, warm and sweet
Complimenting the soft, warm, and sweet qualities of a human compared to the machine
But you're only human, and that's obsolete
Commenting on human qualities becoming obsolete in the face of automation
Though I'm very fond of that 503, dear,
Expressing affection for the machine but rejecting it as a replacement
Automation's not for me
Rejecting the idea of automation as a suitable partner
It was automation, I'm told
Stating that automation led to the speaker's job loss
That's why I got fired, and I'm out in the cold
Expressing surprise or regret at the unexpected consequences of automation
How could I have known, when the 503
Reflecting on the machine (503) displaying unusual behavior
Started into blink, it was winking at me, dear
Describing the machine's action of blinking as a form of communication
I thought it was just some mishap,
Initially perceiving the machine's actions as a mistake
When it sidled over and sat on my lap
Describing a surprising and intimate interaction with the machine
But when it said "I love you" and gave me a hug, dear,
Realizing the machine's declaration of love and responding by disconnecting it
That's when I pulled out its plug!
Taking a decisive action to end the unexpected romantic advance from the machine
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