Over their career, the group has been very influential on American electropop and freestyle artists from both their music and their strident, colorful visuals, being best known for their 1988 self-titled album. The band was formed in Minneapolis in the early 80s, and they performed avant-garde electronic music with flourishes of hip-hop. In 1983, they independently released two albums, 'The InSoc EP' and 'Creatures Of Influence'. Two years later, they released "Running", their first single, which became a hit popular in New York City's Latino nightclubs and "put them on the map". That song, a 7-minute effort that touched on contemporary techno, was written and sung by Murat Konar, who left the band soon after. Their growing success led them from their native Minneapolis to NYC, and the ensuing revenues and contacts, as well as the addition of Amanda Kramer to the lineup, led them to record their proper debut album.
Their first major release album. 1988's 'Information Society', received critical acclaim, giving the group breakout commercial success as the album hiked up to #25 on the Billboard 200. In addition to "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" (which hit #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart), the album also had other hits in "Walking Away" (#9 on that chart) and a cover of ABBA's "Lay All Your Love On Me" (#12 on the Hot Dance Music chart). The disc was one of the few to use CD+G, which included digital graphics on the compact disc version in addition to the music. The audio samples from Star Trek were authorized for use on the album partially thanks to the efforts of Adam Nimoy, a fan of the band and son of Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy.
The second release, Hack (1990), wasn't as successful, but had small hits with Think and How Long but still managed to sell quite well in the fall of 1990.
Kurt was also the owner of the heavily-modified The Road Warrior-inspired art car named "Vector" featured on the cover of Hack. The car sported a functioning ranging laser, among other unusual features. Vector was eventually given to a friend at Burning Man in the mid-1990s.
The third release, Peace & Love, Inc. (1992), proved to be more powerful and critically acclaimed, although their label failed to do much to promote them. Their first single Peace & Love, Inc. reached #1 on the 'Billboard Dance Chart'. A music video was produced for the track, but MTV declined to play it. The album is also notable for being perhaps the first album ever produced to contain a track of modem tones, which when played into a telephone connected to a computer resulted in a bonus text message from the band.
The fourth album, Don't Be Afraid (1997), written and performed by Kurt Harland alone and produced by Steven Seibold, was more industrial-driven. Cleopatra Records released the album, but - like Tommy Boy Records - did little to promote it. Harland's love of computer-related materials continued to be evident, as the album included a CD-ROM filled with bonus material, not yet a common occurrence in 1997.
There was also a carefully-orchestrated digital scavenger hunt culminating in the discovery of a bonus track called White Roses. The scavenger hunt began with decoding a modem's signal recorded at the end of the audio CD, resulting in a text message from Kurt which pointed the way to a website where the search began. There is also a cover included of Gary Numan's Are 'Friends' Electric?. Also included is Ozar Midrashim, a track which was later used as the main theme for the videogame Legacy of Kain - Soul Reaver.
During the course of those four albums and about a dozen remix singles from them, Information Society's sound went from more electronic pop music to a darker industrial type, though they will always be remembered for their first hit song and the cardboard guitars they wielded in its music video.
However, in 2006 Paul Robb and James Cassidy announced their intention to re-form Information Society, and began working on a new album. They also performed live at several venues across the US with Christopher Anton as lead vocalist. The Ep "Oscillator" was released in early 2007 followed by the album Synthesizer in late 2007. Christopher Anton provided the vocals on Oscillator, and Synthesizer and was the co-writer on several of the tracks as well.
http://informationsociety.us/
Hard Currency
Information Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
A half, a million dollars
A million dollars
Fourteen million
Why?
Ten million
Fourteen million
Don't you ever think of money?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Take it, take it
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars
Five thousand dollars in cash
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
One hundred thousand
Two hundred thousand
Three hundred thousand
Why?!?
A half, a million dollars
A million dollars
Fourteen million
Why?
Ten million
Fourteen million
Don't you ever think of money?
As much cash as possible
As much cash as possible
As much cash as possible!!!
The lyrics to Information Society's song "Hard Currency" appear to be about the obsession with money and the lengths people will go to obtain it. The repetition of "five thousand dollars" seems to emphasize its value, and the addition of larger sums ("one hundred thousand," "two hundred thousand," "three hundred thousand") only amplifies this theme. The line "Why?!" could be interpreted as a questioning of the value or importance placed on money in society. This is further reinforced by the refrain of "Don't you ever think of money?" which seems to criticize those who are solely focused on material wealth.
The final lines of the song, "As much cash as possible," repeated three times, highlight the endless pursuit of wealth and the never-ending desire for more. The fast-paced and almost frenzied delivery of the lyrics adds to this sense of urgency and fixation.
Overall, "Hard Currency" appears to be a critique of capitalism and the culture of greed that it fosters. The song suggests that the accumulation of money can be all-consuming and ultimately pointless, urging listeners to consider a more balanced and holistic approach to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Five thousand dollars
The singer is offering five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is reiterating their offer of five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is repeating their offer of five thousand dollars.
Take it, take it
The artist is urging the listener to accept the offer of five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The artist is yet again offering five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is still offering five thousand dollars to the listener.
Five thousand dollars in cash
The singer is specifying that their offer is for five thousand dollars in cash.
One hundred thousand
The artist is offering one hundred thousand dollars.
Two hundred thousand
The artist is offering two hundred thousand dollars.
Three hundred thousand
The artist is offering three hundred thousand dollars.
Why?!?
The singer is questioning why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
One hundred thousand
The artist is again offering one hundred thousand dollars.
Two hundred thousand
The singer is still offering two hundred thousand dollars.
Three hundred thousand
The singer is yet again offering three hundred thousand dollars.
Why?!?
The singer is repeating their question as to why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
A half, a million dollars
The artist is offering five hundred thousand dollars.
A million dollars
The artist is offering one million dollars.
Fourteen million
The singer is offering fourteen million dollars.
Why?
The singer is once again questioning why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
Ten million
The artist is offering ten million dollars.
Fourteen million
The artist is offering another fourteen million dollars.
Don't you ever think of money?
The artist is expressing disbelief that the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is yet again offering five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The artist is repeating their offer of five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is still offering five thousand dollars.
Take it, take it
The singer is urging the listener to accept their previous offers of five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars
The singer is offering five thousand dollars again.
Five thousand dollars
The artist is still offering five thousand dollars.
Five thousand dollars in cash
The artist is again specifying that their offer is for five thousand dollars in cash.
One hundred thousand
The singer is repeating their offer of one hundred thousand dollars.
Two hundred thousand
The singer is again offering two hundred thousand dollars.
Three hundred thousand
The artist is repeating their offer of three hundred thousand dollars.
Why?!?
The artist is once more questioning why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
One hundred thousand
The artist is still offering one hundred thousand dollars.
Two hundred thousand
The singer is repeating their offer of two hundred thousand dollars.
Three hundred thousand
The artist is still offering three hundred thousand dollars.
Why?!?
The singer is again questioning why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
A half, a million dollars
The singer is yet again offering five hundred thousand dollars.
A million dollars
The singer is repeating their offer of one million dollars.
Fourteen million
The artist is still offering fourteen million dollars.
Why?
The artist is asking once again why the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
Ten million
The singer is repeating their offer of ten million dollars.
Fourteen million
The singer is yet again offering fourteen million dollars.
Don't you ever think of money?
The artist is stating once more their disbelief that the listener is not accepting their offers of money.
As much cash as possible
The artist is offering an indefinite amount of cash to the listener.
As much cash as possible
The artist is repeating their offer of an indefinite amount of cash.
As much cash as possible!!!
The singer is emphasizing their offer of an indefinite amount of cash, possibly out of frustration
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT LARSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sean Anomie
Love this track.
WaveForm
I have a cassette with this song on it it's the exact cover art to.
James O'Quinn
I remember it.
WaveForm
@Tr1n1TS66 you had a tape player? what kind was it?
Tr1n1TS66
Yes, as do I and I cherish the tape to this day, now if my tape player still was running
jess bein me
If you insist... I will receive it.
Jonathan Szuhai
This song sounds like it should be in Quake III Arena.
Kenan Camal
INFORMATION SOCIETY CRY BABY OFFICIAL) PLEASE !!!
M Scuba
Where did they get these samples from?
M Scuba
@MidwesternHooligans awesome, I've always wondered where it was from. You solved a 20+ year long mystery for me. Thanks