Colony Collapse
The Killing Joke Lyrics


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Rapid inhuman advance of nano-computer technologies
It's changing our emotional development for the lure of immortality
If a virus counts as life in a post-human dream
The future doesn't need us - beloved Mother intervene!

Colony Collapse

A rupture in the fabric of human history
Self-assembling nanobots and human fallibility
Misprogrammed to replicate us - a grey goo of nano sea
The future doesn't need us - beloved Mother intervene!





Colony Collapse

Overall Meaning

The Killing Joke's song Colony Collapse explores the potential consequences of the ever-advancing nano-computer technologies and its impact on human emotion and mortality. The lyrics suggest that the lure of immortality through technological advancements is changing our emotional development, potentially leading to the end of the human race. The song suggests that if a virus could be considered a form of life in a post-human world, then perhaps humanity is no longer needed, and it is time for Mother Nature to intervene.


The title of the song, Colony Collapse, refers to the phenomenon of bees abandoning their hives due to various factors such as pollution, climate change, and pesticides, leading to the collapse of their colonies. The use of this metaphor is a warning that if humanity fails to recognize the potential dangers of unchecked technological advancements, it could lead to our own collapse.


The lyrics also allude to the concept of grey goo, a hypothetical scenario where self-replicating nano-bots would consume all matter on earth until everything turns into a grey goo-like substance. The song suggests that humanity, like the bees, could be consumed by our own creations, and our existence could be erased.


Line by Line Meaning

Rapid inhuman advance of nano-computer technologies
The rapid advancement of nanotechnology is changing our world in ways that seem less and less human as technology becomes more in control.


It's changing our emotional development for the lure of immortality
We are changing as a species as we become more and more seduced by the promise of eternal life through technology, and this is impacting us emotionally as well.


If a virus counts as life in a post-human dream
As technology expands and humans merge with machines, our definition of 'life' becomes blurred and we may question what it means to be alive in a mechanical world.


The future doesn't need us - beloved Mother intervene!
If we continue on this path of unchecked technological progress, the future may not need us, and we are calling upon a higher power to intervene and guide us toward a more sustainable future.


A rupture in the fabric of human history
We are witnessing a significant break from our past as technology rapidly redefines what it means to be human in ways that have never before been seen in history.


Self-assembling nanobots and human fallibility
The development of self-assembling nanobots highlights our own fallibility, as we give up more and more control to technology that could potentially grow beyond our control.


Misprogrammed to replicate us - a grey goo of nano sea
If we are not careful, we may end up creating a self-replicating mass of nanobots that could consume everything in its path, leaving behind a grey goo-like substance that destroys all life as we know it.


The future doesn't need us - beloved Mother intervene!
Once again, we are calling upon a higher power to intervene and steer us toward a more responsible technological path, before it's too late and we become obsolete in the face of our own creations.




Contributed by Evan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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