Both Sides Now, 2023
Joni Mitchell discovered, as she matured, that she really didn't know clouds, love, or life. Well perhaps we really don't know tech...at all.
"Both Sides Now, 2023"
Bros and prose and beanbag chairs
And west coast, dot-com billionaires
And hopeful founders everywhere,
I’ve looked at tech that way.
But soon it’s vaporware and FUD
Your hyped-up IPO’s a dud,
The market crashes with a thud,
As ROIs decay.
I’ve looked at tech from both sides now,
The holy wars and sacred cows
And cloud computing firewalls,
I really don’t know tech…at all.
Tunes, cartoons, and YouTube reels,
The bargain-basement Craiglist deals,
And every profile pic’s ideal,
I’ve passed the time that way,
But now it’s just more ads to show,
A clickbait, cash grab quid pro quo,
Disrupted thoughts and broken flow
To lead your mind astray,
I’ve clicked and scrolled from both sides now,
Through vulgar memes and higher brows
And still the screens and feed enthralls,
And now I have no time…at all.
Cheers, careers, and despots cowed,
And cornfield rows pristinely plowed,
Dreams and teams of brilliant crowds
From New York to LA.
But now the LLMs are trained,
Hallucinations unexplained,
And AGI is unconstrained
And gaining skill each day
I’ve looked at tech from both sides now,
We code and choose and reavow,
The aspiration of it all,
We really don’t know tech…at all.
Written By: "Weird Ev" Coopersmith & AE Studio
"Both Sides Now"
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and they snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way that you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
And you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It's love's illusions that I recall
I really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say, "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
Written By: Joni Mitchell, 1966
