Don’t Be Evil was Google’s company motto until the late 2010s. This song is about the commodification of data and identity on the internet, and about social media anxieties. Sonically, along with Present Tense, it feels like a little bit of an outlier, with more guitar-driven, angular indie and art-pop influences, like Dirty Projectors, Adult Jazz and St Vincent.
lyrics
I fear they’re on to me
Exposed identity
Shared all of my anxieties
My mind slowly emptied
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
I fear they’ve sold me out
I hold no secrets now
Don’t dream of life beyond the cloud
For fear of missing out
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
Take all that I can give
Beyond alternatives
Do I possess just skin and bone
With no thoughts of my own
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
Don’t be evil
credits
from In the End When We're Dust at Least We Don't Have to Clean the Mess Up,
released August 18, 2023
Greg Hummell – Vocals, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer
Luke Margetts – Vocals
Lewis Murray – Electric Guitar
James Cleary – Electric Guitar
Julian Landauer – Bass
Ravi Martin – Drums
Kirke Gross – Cello
Adam Garrod – Violin
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