Screens
VOKES Lyrics
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I can't tell what is fake or reality
For the world I spy's gone far beyond crazy
Maybe too much time spent staring at these screens
I can't
Spare a moment without my phone, daily
Nothing to say but there'll be dumb shit guaranteed
A million problems every day
Two and I can't look away
Life in the blackmail age
Information without restraint
Swipe me
Show you what you want but shouldn't see
Satisfy desire and curiosity
Thank your brain with so much controversy
Swipe me
Give you what you want but never need
Make you question your society
Thank your brain with so much controversy
Lately
I can tell I'm not the only one addicted to a screen
Seems to me our real life will soon be fantasy
And online our truest identity
Can we
Throw it all away before we lose our humanity
Could it be
It's far too late we're too non-and-self-involved irreversibly
A million problems every day
Two and I can't look away
Life in the blackmail age
Information without restraint
Swipe me
Show you what you want but shouldn't see
Satisfy desire and curiosity
Thank your brain with so much controversy
Swipe me
Give you what you want but never need
Make you question your society
Thank your brain with so much controversy
The lyrics of VOKES's song "Screens" highlight the negative effects of technology on our lives. The opening lines depict the confusion of the singer, who can no longer distinguish between what is real and what is fake due to the sheer amount of time spent staring at screens. The world around him appears to have gone "far beyond crazy," possibly implying that our dependence on screens has caused a rupture in our social fabric. In the following lines, the singer acknowledges their inability to disconnect from their phone, which they claim to use for meaningless conversations and compulsive scrolling. The use of the word "crises" might suggest that our screens also serve to heighten our anxieties and exacerbate existing problems.
The chorus, where the singer says "Swipe me" several times, seems to be an invitation to the listener to indulge in the convenience and luxury of technology. The repetitiousness of the statement serves to reinforce the addictive nature of our devices. The singer seems to be cautioning against the intrusive powers of technology by suggesting that it can show us things we want but shouldn't see, and by thanking our brain for being exposed to controversy that we don't necessarily need. One interpretation of the line "Satisfy desire and curiosity" could be that our screens are as much about indulging our baser instincts as they are about staying connected with the world.
The final stanza of the song underscores the gravity of the situation, with the singer contending that our obsession with screens risks turning our real lives into mere fantasy. The singer wonders if it's possible to regain our lost humanity or if we have already crossed the point of no return. Overall, the lyrics of "Screens" offer a poignant critique of our incessant need to look at screens while also hinting at the seemingly insurmountable grip that technology has on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Help me
The singer needs help about something specific
I can't tell what is fake or reality
The singer cannot distinguish between what's real and what's not
For the world I spy's gone far beyond crazy
The world seems crazier than ever before
Maybe too much time spent staring at these screens
Excessive screen time could be the cause of the problem
I can't Spare a moment without my phone, daily
The singer is addicted to their phone
Nothing to say but there'll be dumb shit guaranteed
Social media is filled with trivial and foolish content
So many crises, how can I put it all to sleep
It's overwhelming to keep up with all the troubles in the world
A million problems every day
The world is full of countless problems
Two and I can't look away
Even when seeing just a few problems, the singer cannot look away
Life in the blackmail age
Our lives are dominated by threats and blackmailing
Information without restraint
There is an abundance of information available to us without any control
Swipe me
A reference to using dating or social media apps
Show you what you want but shouldn't see
Social media shows you things that might not be good for you
Satisfy desire and curiosity
Social media satisfies human desires for entertainment and curiosity
Thank your brain with so much controversy
Social media consumes and exhausts the brain with controversial content
Give you what you want but never need
Social media provides what we want but not what we need
Make you question your society
Social media makes us question the values and norms of our society
Lately
Recently or recently discovered
I can tell I'm not the only one addicted to a screen
Others are also addicted to screens
Seems to me our real life will soon be fantasy
The line between reality and fantasy will blur due to excess screen time
And online our truest identity
Our online persona is our truest identity
Can we
A question, asking if we can do something
Throw it all away before we lose our humanity
We should disconnect from screens before we lose our humanity
Could it be
A question, asking if something is possible
It's far too late we're too non-and-self-involved irreversibly
It's too late, we're too self-absorbed to change
Contributed by Annabelle Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.