Ballad of a Zombie
from Bright Future by Baba Brinkman
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about
A zombie anthem exploring the evolutionary science of parasitism, from insects to social media.
Further Reading:
• www.popsci.com/zombies-mind-control-and-body-snatchers-natures-horrifying-parasites/
• www.businessinsider.com/zombies-in-nature-science-2019-5
• www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mattsimonauthor/zombies-are-real-and-nature-is-terrifying
Further Reading:
• www.popsci.com/zombies-mind-control-and-body-snatchers-natures-horrifying-parasites/
• www.businessinsider.com/zombies-in-nature-science-2019-5
• www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mattsimonauthor/zombies-are-real-and-nature-is-terrifying
lyrics
It’s the ballad of a zombie…
Like a slave to a parasite…
I got a hatchet and I’m buryin’ it
It’s the lament of a zombified marionette
I feel my limbs moving, but I’m unaware of intent
Like there’s somethin’ parasitic in them
I can’t escape!
Inexplicable forces got me sprinklin’ spores
Just like a bullet ant infected with Ophiocordyceps
Grippin’ a branch, fungus rippin’ my cortex
Every leaf in the forest littered with corpses
I can relate!
Parasitic organisms promote their fitness
At the expense of a host, and evolve to control them better
And hosts evolve defenses, to protect their own interests
And fall victim to novel stimuli, like scrollin’ Twitter
Hijacked!
Hi, Jack, you got me screenified
Hits of dopamine arrive, extended phenotype
Retweets and likes, keepin’ eyes locked
Like a green-banded broodsac worm in a snail’s eyestalk
So this goes out
To all the profiles I stalk…
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
But it’s not me
Ballad of a Zombie
I feel an urgent pull
And it’s got me
Feelin’ like a zombie
Like a slave to a parasite
(Gotta get it off me)
Brains
Got me actin’ wonky
Ballad of a Zombie
Zombified for the thrill of it, jacked on euphoria
Cicadas high on psilocybin drippin’ Massospora
Abdomen a mass of spores, junk completely gone
And all they wanna do is get their freak on
To the zombie theme song, a parasitic meme song
Apparently we evolved to pass genes and these on
Over eons, ideas, beliefs, thoughts, true or not
You’re nothin’ to them but a cockroach to a jewel wasp
And yeah, some of those memes do keep you alive
Just long enough for their progeny to eat your insides
Defend your beliefs ’til you die, despite the blunt trauma
Like a caterpillar defending a pupating wasp larva
Horrible, but part of our lives, unignorable
Posting articles online ‘cause someone called you “deplorable”
Curating your feed when you’re the feed, the product being sold
Like a crab grooming a sack of Sacculina barnacles
Shout out to everyone
Who’s ever been part of a cult
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
It’s not me, but it’s got me
In it’s urgent pull
Feelin’ like a slave, a parasite
I’m feelin’ wonky tonight
No I don’t feel quite right
Zombie
Okay, parasitic relationships aren’t all bad
I have kids to answer to, I’m the one they call “dad”
So I provide – takin’ out the garbage at night
Fully aware that my relations are makin’ me zombified
I love my wife, that’s exactly how I get manipulated
Reciprocal altruism doesn’t begin to explain it
Full cooperation even unenvenomated
Domesticated, cheater-detection system disabled
Like, “I get it, she’s got all types of cares to avoid”
Like a Russian Doll, baby, hyperparasitoids
With fleas biting fleas with smaller fleas to bite ‘em
And even me biting scientists, ad infinitum
So what are we? Nothin’ but lambs to the slaughter?
Nothin’ but crickets led by Mermithid worms to the water?
Nah, ‘cause we can skeptically see when we’re zombified
And sometimes wake up when things are out of line
So bring on the bite…
Braaiiiins!
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
But it’s not me
Ballad of a Zombie
I feel an urgent pull
And it’s got me
Feelin’ like a zombie
Like a slave to a parasite
(Gotta get it off me)
Brains
Got me actin’ wonky
Ballad of a Zombie
This is the Ballad
Of a Zombie
I don’t know
Who it is in control
But it ain’t me, oh no
Just like a slave
To a parasite, I
Am feeling the urgent pull
The Ballad of a Zombie
Like a slave to a parasite…
I got a hatchet and I’m buryin’ it
It’s the lament of a zombified marionette
I feel my limbs moving, but I’m unaware of intent
Like there’s somethin’ parasitic in them
I can’t escape!
Inexplicable forces got me sprinklin’ spores
Just like a bullet ant infected with Ophiocordyceps
Grippin’ a branch, fungus rippin’ my cortex
Every leaf in the forest littered with corpses
I can relate!
Parasitic organisms promote their fitness
At the expense of a host, and evolve to control them better
And hosts evolve defenses, to protect their own interests
And fall victim to novel stimuli, like scrollin’ Twitter
Hijacked!
Hi, Jack, you got me screenified
Hits of dopamine arrive, extended phenotype
Retweets and likes, keepin’ eyes locked
Like a green-banded broodsac worm in a snail’s eyestalk
So this goes out
To all the profiles I stalk…
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
But it’s not me
Ballad of a Zombie
I feel an urgent pull
And it’s got me
Feelin’ like a zombie
Like a slave to a parasite
(Gotta get it off me)
Brains
Got me actin’ wonky
Ballad of a Zombie
Zombified for the thrill of it, jacked on euphoria
Cicadas high on psilocybin drippin’ Massospora
Abdomen a mass of spores, junk completely gone
And all they wanna do is get their freak on
To the zombie theme song, a parasitic meme song
Apparently we evolved to pass genes and these on
Over eons, ideas, beliefs, thoughts, true or not
You’re nothin’ to them but a cockroach to a jewel wasp
And yeah, some of those memes do keep you alive
Just long enough for their progeny to eat your insides
Defend your beliefs ’til you die, despite the blunt trauma
Like a caterpillar defending a pupating wasp larva
Horrible, but part of our lives, unignorable
Posting articles online ‘cause someone called you “deplorable”
Curating your feed when you’re the feed, the product being sold
Like a crab grooming a sack of Sacculina barnacles
Shout out to everyone
Who’s ever been part of a cult
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
It’s not me, but it’s got me
In it’s urgent pull
Feelin’ like a slave, a parasite
I’m feelin’ wonky tonight
No I don’t feel quite right
Zombie
Okay, parasitic relationships aren’t all bad
I have kids to answer to, I’m the one they call “dad”
So I provide – takin’ out the garbage at night
Fully aware that my relations are makin’ me zombified
I love my wife, that’s exactly how I get manipulated
Reciprocal altruism doesn’t begin to explain it
Full cooperation even unenvenomated
Domesticated, cheater-detection system disabled
Like, “I get it, she’s got all types of cares to avoid”
Like a Russian Doll, baby, hyperparasitoids
With fleas biting fleas with smaller fleas to bite ‘em
And even me biting scientists, ad infinitum
So what are we? Nothin’ but lambs to the slaughter?
Nothin’ but crickets led by Mermithid worms to the water?
Nah, ‘cause we can skeptically see when we’re zombified
And sometimes wake up when things are out of line
So bring on the bite…
Braaiiiins!
It’s the Ballad of a Zombie
I don’t know who’s in control
But it’s not me
Ballad of a Zombie
I feel an urgent pull
And it’s got me
Feelin’ like a zombie
Like a slave to a parasite
(Gotta get it off me)
Brains
Got me actin’ wonky
Ballad of a Zombie
This is the Ballad
Of a Zombie
I don’t know
Who it is in control
But it ain’t me, oh no
Just like a slave
To a parasite, I
Am feeling the urgent pull
The Ballad of a Zombie
credits
from Bright Future,
track released October 12, 2020
Written by: D. Brinkman, A. Ross, J. Simmonds
Produced and Mixed by Mr. Simmonds
Chorus Vocals by Aaron Ross
Scientific Consultation by Athena Aktipis and Dr. Joe Alcock
Made with support from the Zombified Podcast
www.zombified.org
Written by: D. Brinkman, A. Ross, J. Simmonds
Produced and Mixed by Mr. Simmonds
Chorus Vocals by Aaron Ross
Scientific Consultation by Athena Aktipis and Dr. Joe Alcock
Made with support from the Zombified Podcast
www.zombified.org
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Baba Brinkman New York, New York
Science rapper and inventor of several novel hip-hop variants. Canadian transplant to New York. Pathological optimist.
discography
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May 2023 -
May 2021 -
Jul 2019 -
Apr 2018