Re:Your Brains
Jonathan Coulton
Corporate Zombies: A Satirical Take on Office Culture
Jonathan Coulton's song "Re: Your Brains" is a humorous and satirical take on the zombie apocalypse trope, cleverly blending it with the mundanity of corporate office culture. The song is presented as a letter from Bob, a zombie, to his former colleague Tom, who is barricaded inside a mall. The lyrics are filled with corporate jargon and polite language, which contrasts sharply with the gruesome reality of the zombies' intentions—to eat Tom's brains.
The song uses the zombie apocalypse as a metaphor for the dehumanizing aspects of corporate life. Bob's polite and reasonable tone, despite his horrifying request, mirrors the often absurd and detached nature of corporate communications. The repeated line, "All we want to do is eat your brains," highlights the relentless and single-minded pursuit of goals in the corporate world, regardless of the human cost. The zombies' insistence on compromise and negotiation, despite their gruesome objective, further underscores the absurdity of corporate diplomacy.
Coulton's use of humor and satire in "Re: Your Brains" serves to critique the impersonal and sometimes predatory nature of office culture. The song's catchy melody and witty lyrics make it an entertaining yet thought-provoking piece. By juxtaposing the horror of a zombie apocalypse with the banality of office life, Coulton invites listeners to reflect on the ways in which corporate environments can strip away individuality and humanity, turning people into metaphorical zombies.