The Sound Of Muzak

Porcupine Tree's song "The Sound Of Muzak" offers a poignant critique of the modern music industry and its impact on the quality and authenticity of music. The lyrics paint a picture of a world where music has become a tool for repression rather than a source of genuine entertainment or emotional expression. The opening lines, "Hear the sound of music drifting in the aisles / Elevator prozac stretching on for miles," suggest that music has been reduced to background noise, akin to the bland, inoffensive tunes played in elevators. This metaphor highlights how music, once a powerful form of art, has been diluted to serve commercial purposes.

The song further explores the idea that contemporary music is engineered to appeal to the masses, stripping away its soul and edge. Lines like "Soul gets squeezed out / Edges get blunt / Demographic / Gives what you want" emphasize how the music industry prioritizes profit over artistic integrity. The reference to music being "engineered to suit you" and "building cheaper thrills" underscores the notion that music is now manufactured to cater to consumer demands rather than to challenge or inspire listeners.

Porcupine Tree also touches on the irony of rebellious music being produced by wealthy, older individuals, as seen in the lines, "The music of rebellion makes you wanna rage / But it's made by millionaires / Who are nearly twice your age." This highlights the disconnect between the image of rebellion and the reality of its commodification. The repeated refrain, "One of the wonders of the world is going down / It's going down I know / It's one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares / No-one cares enough," serves as a lament for the decline of authentic music and a call to action for listeners to recognize and resist this trend.