Speaking of Grok, I had it take a swing at the cryptic song by Big Thief, _Simulation Swarm_.
I asked "How would you interpret these lyrics?" "I tried to tell you I didn't know how to stay You believe she can see through Cutting at the silent clay A relief, beckon deep blue Fettered in the magnet sun Eat the gun as it feeds you Spitting up the oxygen Once again Once again Once again, empty horses Gallop through the violet door Follow red, crooked courses Shadows on the moonlit floor O my stars, winged creatures Gathering in silken height Like the last human teachers Once again, we must bleed new Even as the hours shake Crystal blood like a dream true A ripple in the wound and wake You believe, I believe too That you are the river of light Who I love, that I cling to In the belly of the empty night From the 31st floor of the simulation swarm With the drone of fluorescence Flicker, fever, fill the form With a warm gush, now I wanna touch Like we never could before I'd fly to you tomorrow, I'm not fighting in this war I wanna drop my arms and take your arms And walk you to the shore I remember building an energy shield In your room, like a temple Swallows in the windless field Very thin, with your mother Tall as a pale green tree Very wild, bright as winter Rising with a prism key And a child to deliver Taken with the blood and vine As the first little angel Little Andy, soft in your newborn skin Only one, little Andy, will you return again? I believe we can renew And you could be my brother Once again, fall asleep with our backs against each other You believe, I believe too That you are the river of light who I love That I sing to in the belly of the empty night From the 31st floor of the simulation swarm With the drone of fluorescence Flicker, fever, fill the form With a warm gush, now I wanna touch Like we never could before I'd fly to you tomorrow, I'm not fighting in this war I wanna drop my arms and take your arms And walk you to the shore I'd fly to you tomorrow, I'm not fighting in this war I wanna drop my arms and take your arms" These lyrics, from “Simulation Swarm” by Big Thief, are dense with vivid imagery, emotional depth, and surreal metaphor, inviting multiple interpretations. Below, I’ll break down some key themes and possible meanings, keeping it concise yet comprehensive, as the lyrics suggest a blend of personal reflection, cosmic yearning, and fragmented storytelling. 1. Themes of Connection and Separation The narrator expresses a longing for closeness amidst distance or disconnection: * Lines like “I tried to tell you / I didn’t know how to stay” suggest difficulty maintaining a relationship or presence, possibly due to internal struggles or external circumstances. * The recurring desire to “drop my arms and take your arms / And walk you to the shore” evokes surrender, peace, and a wish to reconnect without conflict, with the “shore” symbolizing a place of resolution or unity. * References to “you are the river of light / Who I love, that I cling to” portray the other person as a source of hope or salvation, yet the “empty night” hints at isolation or loss surrounding this love. 2. Surreal and Cosmic Imagery The lyrics weave a dreamlike tapestry, blending the mundane with the fantastical: * “Empty horses / Gallop through the violet door” and “shadows on the moonlit floor” conjure a surreal, almost apocalyptic scene, possibly symbolizing lost opportunities or fleeting memories. * “Fettered in the magnet sun” and “crystal blood like a dream true” suggest cosmic or elemental forces, perhaps reflecting the pull of fate or the search for meaning in a chaotic universe. * The “31st floor of the simulation swarm” introduces a sci-fi element, implying a artificial or detached reality, reinforced by “drone of fluorescence” and “flicker, fever, fill the form.” This could critique modern alienation or question the nature of existence itself. 3. Grief, Memory, and Renewal The lyrics hint at personal loss and the hope for rebirth: * The mention of “little Andy, soft in your newborn skin” and questions like “will you return again?” suggest mourning, possibly for a child or a loved one, with “Andy” as a focal point of tenderness and loss. * “Once again, we must bleed new” and “even as the hours shake” imply cycles of pain and healing, where renewal comes through suffering or sacrifice. * The memory of “building an energy shield / In your room, like a temple” evokes a protective, sacred space, perhaps tied to childhood or a shared past, now tinged with nostalgia. 4. Love as Salvation Love is a constant anchor amidst the chaos: * “You believe, I believe too / That you are the river of light” reflects mutual faith in each other’s goodness or transcendence, a shared belief that sustains the narrator. * The desire to “fly to you tomorrow” and reject “fighting in this war” prioritizes love over conflict, suggesting a weariness with struggle and a yearning for peace. * The physicality of “warm gush, now I wanna touch / Like we never could before” conveys an intense, almost primal need for connection, breaking through emotional or physical barriers. 5. Fragmented Narrative and Ambiguity The lyrics don’t follow a linear story, instead offering snapshots of emotion and memory: * References to “your mother / Tall as a pale green tree” and “swallows in the windless field” feel like fragmented family memories, possibly tied to the narrator’s or “Andy’s” past. * The “prism key” and “silken height” add to the mystical tone, suggesting enlightenment or transcendence, but their exact meaning remains open-ended. * The repetition of “once again” creates a cyclical feel, as if the narrator is caught in loops of longing, loss, and hope. Possible Interpretation The song could be read as a meditation on love and loss in a fractured, alienating world. The narrator grapples with personal grief—perhaps the loss of a child or sibling, symbolized by “little Andy”—while yearning to reconnect with someone they love deeply, possibly a partner or family member. The surreal imagery (simulation swarms, violet doors, magnet suns) might reflect a sense of unreality or existential questioning, as if life itself feels like a dream or a simulation. Yet, love remains a grounding force, a “river of light” offering hope for renewal, even as pain and separation persist. The desire to “walk you to the shore” suggests a longing for closure, peace, or a return to a simpler, more connected state. Alternatively, it could explore broader themes of humanity’s search for meaning in a technological, disconnected age, with “simulation swarm” hinting at artificial realities and “empty horses” symbolizing lost vitality. The personal and cosmic blend to create a sense of universality—everyone struggles with love, loss, and the need to belong. Emotional Tone The tone is tender yet raw, oscillating between despair and hope. The vivid, sometimes violent imagery (“eat the gun as it feeds you,” “crystal blood”) contrasts with gentle moments (“fall asleep with our backs against each other”), creating a push-pull between pain and comfort. The repetition of “I believe” and “once again” feels like a mantra, as if the narrator is convincing themselves to keep going. Conclusion The lyrics are intentionally open-ended, inviting listeners to project their own experiences onto the imagery. They might reflect personal grief, a love story, or a philosophical quest for truth in a strange world. The “river of light” and the “shore” stand out as symbols of hope and connection, suggesting that, despite loss and alienation, love and belief can guide us toward renewal. On Apr 11, 2025, at 3:14 AM, glen <geprope...@gmail.com> wrote: @cstross suggested that we use a JavaScript "minifier" that replaces all the variables with banned words <https://groundreport.in/latest/full-list-of-words-banned-by-trump-including-climate-change-8839026>. It wouldn't change the function of the code at all. And I know Marcus was joking, but the object bound to CHIR99021 doesn't change regardless of its use. So is that really polysemy? I actually don't know. Also, with slang like "sick", where it could mean illness or it could mean admiration, is that homonymous or polysemous? And using Grok doesn't make one evil. It just means you don't mind putting more money under Musk's control. I mean, it's hard not to let some of your resources slip to feed Chaos Demons like Bezos or Musk. We all do it. It's just a matter of whether we're intentional about it. On 4/10/25 15:49, Prof David West wrote: Reminds me of a recent conversation with Grok (yes, I know that makes me evil, but it was handy) It started with discussion of garden path sentences, like "the man saw the woman in the park with the telescope." Grok correctly parsed three possible meanings from the sentence. I suggest a fourth: the park had the telescope. The only way that this meaning might be discerned (other than as a very remote, technical, possibility) is if there was context from a near by sentence, e.g., one that mentioned a visit to Mt. Palomar, or at least L.A. On 4/10/25 09:00, Marcus Daniels wrote: Yeah, is CHIR99021 a treatment for bipolar disorder or a bioweapon for controlling reproduction? On 4/10/25 10:53, steve smith wrote: I do believe it is possible to recognize when someone is trying to communicate vs when someone is trying to obfuscate? I think our discussions here of late about LLMs touches on this. Can I tell if an LLM is "trying" to help me research/understand/think-about something" or is it just trying to "tell me what I want to hear"? There are probably terms-of-art (a term of art in itself?) for this distinction/spectrum? While my abstraction of LLMs as a manifold of sub-manifolds with linear narratives tracing various sub-manifolds might be misbegotten, it is where my head goes often. The question (for me) is whether there are families of sub-manifold (said family a manifold in it's own right?) which can be labeled as "righteous" or "good faith" vs "duplicitous" or "bad faith".... but to Glen's point, nothing is context free? A narrative arc on a story-world manifold within a story-multiverse (e.g. DC vs Marvel, vs ???) represents nested context? When I worked with lawyers I felt I could tell the difference in the legalese I occasionally read if they were trying to be clear or obfuscating... but not sure I could write an algorithm to detect which? -- glen .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom https://bit.ly/virtualfriam to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: 5/2017 thru present https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/
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