Song/Tech: "Computer Age" - Neil Young (1982)

Songs about computers now are somewhat common. Well, techno-influenced songs about computers definitely are. But back in 1982, they were vastly less common. And even then, computers bought to mind Kraftwerk more than Neil Young. Which is why this song is so interesting.

Precious metal lines
Molded into highways
Running through me
So microscopically
Days and nights
Weeks and months and seasons
Rolling through me
So chronologically.
Computer age computer age
Computer age.

The album this track was on, Trans, is notable for the heavy use of a vocoder - rendering some of the lyrics nearly indecipherable. Vocorders have been around since the 1930s, and have been applied in music starting in the 1970s. Other popular examples of vocoders in music include ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" and of course Kraftwerk and the Alan Parson Project.