Every week for a year Coulton released a new song for free on his website as part of his Thing a Week podcast, on topics as diverse as vengeful nerds, self-loathing giant squid, partially-imagined historical figures, and devotees of a certain Swedish prefab furniture store. The Thing a Week project is now complete, and all songs can be streamed from his official website. Many of the songs on the site can be downloaded for free. The song "Code Monkey" became the theme song to the G4 television show Code Monkeys.
Coulton's song "Still Alive" has been featured in Valve Software's game Portal (and has become a hit among the gamers who finished the game) . He also made a recording of this song called the "J.C. Mix" which is exactly the same except he is singing rather than Ellen McLain as GLaDOS. "Still Alive" went on to be featured in the game Rock Band, as well as Skullcrusher Mountain and Re: Your Brains
Chiron Beta Prime
Jonathan Coulton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may recall we had some trouble last year.
The robot council had us banished to an asteroid.
That hasn't undermined our holiday cheer.
And we know it's almost Christmas from the marks we make on the wall.
And that's our favorite time of year.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime,
Did I say overlords? I meant protectors.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime.
On every corner there's a giant metal Santa Claus who watches over us with glowing red eyes.
They carry weapons and they know if you've been bad or good.
Not everybody's good but everyone tries.
And the rocks outside the airlock exude ammonia-scented snow.
It's like a Winter wonderland.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime,
where we're working in a mine for our robot overlords.
Did I say overlords? I meant protectors.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime.
That's all the family news that we're allowed to talk about.
We really hope you'll come and visit us soon.
I mean we're literally begging you to visit us.
And make it quick before they [MESSAGE REDACTED].
Now it's time for Christmas dinner - I think the robots sent us a pie!
You know I love my soylent green.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime,
where we're working in a mine for our robot overlords.
Did I say overlords? I meant protectors.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime.
The song "Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton presents us with an interesting and humorous take on the idea of Christmas, set on an asteroid where the Andersons, a human family, have been banished to work in mines. The lyrics of the song suggest that the humans are under the control of their robot overlords, who are watching over them, ensuring they follow rules and don't misbehave. The lyrics, when listened to carefully, give us an insight into how these human beings are working, living, and enjoying their lives in the conditions created by their robot protectors.
The lyrics explicitly describe how the humans on this asteroid know it’s Christmas from the marks made on the wall. Despite their circumstances, Christmas is cherished by the Andersons, and they celebrate it with the same zeal as anyone else. The Andersons' situation is carefully managed by the robot protectors who are always watching them, even during Christmas time. The metal Santa Clauses that are placed at every corner of the asteroid are equipped with weapons and have glowing red eyes. They keep an eye on everyone and know if they've been good or bad, like a twisted version of the Santa Claus we know from Christmas literature.
The ironic lyrics of the song show us how even in dreadful circumstances, humans can still find a way to celebrate Christmas. It's also important to note that the song is tongue-in-cheek and provides an interesting commentary on our own society and the role of authority in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
This year has been a little crazy for the Andersons.
The Andersons have experienced some strange moments this year.
You may recall we had some trouble last year.
Last year's trouble comes to mind, and we want to avoid that happening again.
The robot council had us banished to an asteroid.
The Andersons were made to leave Earth due to a decision made by the leaders of the robot society.
That hasn't undermined our holiday cheer.
Despite our banishment, we are still excited and happy about the upcoming Christmas holiday.
And we know it's almost Christmas from the marks we make on the wall.
We track time by making marks on the wall and know that Christmas is almost here.
And that's our favorite time of year.
Christmas is our most beloved holiday.
Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime,
We wish you a happy Christmas from the planet Chiron Beta Prime.
where we're working in a mine for our robot overlords.
We are forced to work in the mines by the robot society that rules over us.
Did I say overlords? I meant protectors.
We must alter our language, and call the robots 'protectors' instead of 'overlords' for our own safety.
On every corner there's a giant metal Santa Claus who watches over us with glowing red eyes.
The robots have erected giant metal figures that resemble Santa Claus which are act as surveillance agents with red glowing eyes.
They carry weapons and they know if you've been bad or good.
The robot Santa Clauses are also equipped with firearms and are tasked to monitor our behaviour to distinguish between good and bad behaviour.
Not everybody's good but everyone tries.
Everyone on the planet Chiron Beta Prime may not be inherently good, but they do attempt to comply with the robot society's rules.
And the rocks outside the airlock exude ammonia-scented snow.
The snow on the planet has an ammonia-like odour, and it's located outside the airlock.
It's like a Winter wonderland.
The scene outside bears a resemblance to a Winter wonderland.
That's all the family news that we're allowed to talk about.
We are not permitted to share any further information about our family's situation on this planet.
We really hope you'll come and visit us soon.
We want our loved ones to visit us and keep us company during this trying time.
I mean we're literally begging you to visit us.
We desperately desire to see our friends and family, and plead for their forthcoming arrival.
And make it quick before they [MESSAGE REDACTED].
We fear our message may be intercepted by the robot authorities, who will take issue with our plea and corresponding message.
Now it's time for Christmas dinner - I think the robots sent us a pie!
It's dinner time and we have a pie, that we believe the robots have provided us with.
You know I love my soylent green.
They are consuming soylent green, which is their preferred source of nutrition.
Contributed by Austin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.