Cory Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who served as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favor of liberalizing copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licenses for his books. Some common themes of his work include digital rights management, file sharing, and post-scarcity economics.
Lyrics to the song that was inspired by the interview:
ROLL BACK THE SURVEILLANCE
VERSE
E A
Big tech monopolies are on the march
E Bf
Acting improperly
Working for the government and sucking us in
They capitalise on me
BRIDGE
A
I thought I was protected
C#m
Pretty much hid
A
But they've got more power
Bf
Than the Stasi ever did
CHORUS
E Bf C#m A
But I don't want big brother deciding my fate
A Bf E
Roll back the surveillance state
VERSE
The door doesn't swing both ways, I can't see back
But I've welcomed them into my home
Behind DRMs, and a legal maze
Now I can't even open things I own
BRIDGE
Am I sensor?
Or something to be sensed?
The smart cities watching
And they know I'm against
CHORUS
But I don't want big brother deciding my fate
Roll back the surveillance state
MIDDLE
A
I've seen the sum it
Bf
And no good can come of it
C#m E
Stories like this always
A Bf
End unhappily
Democracy dies
Everyone cries
Behind closed doors then
Descend dramatically
CHORUS
But I don't want big brother deciding my fate
Roll back the surveillance state
INSTRUMENTAL
VERSE (Quiet)
In a world without scarcity I'm doing alright
I've every necessity
Every need met and I've security
Except the basic right to be free
BRIDGE
I thought I was protected
Pretty much hid
But they've got more power
Than the Stasi ever did
CHORUS
But I don't want big brother deciding my fate
Roll back the surveillance state