As Jim is kind enough to give us a few weeks heads up of his weekly themes for Song Lyric Sunday, I’ve known that ‘Automated, Mechanical, Robots’ has been looming for some time.

Jim himself rightly pointed out that it could be difficult to find something that matches this rather unusual brief (I was certainly struggling) and that therefore this week could be taken as a free choice – although, if anything, that could make it even more difficult.

However, I noticed that in his comments last week, he also threw the word ‘modern into the mix. This came as quite a relief and immediately made me think of this song by David Bowie:

I know when to go out
And when to stay in
Get things done

I catch a paper boy
But things don’t really change
I’m standing in the wind
But I never wave bye-bye

But I try
I try

There’s no sign of life
It’s just the power to charm
I’m lying in the rain
But I never wave bye-bye

Never gonna fall for
Modern love walks beside me
Modern love walks on by
Modern love gets me to the church on time

Church on time terrifies me
Church on time makes me party
Church on time puts my trust in God and man

God and man no confessions
God and man no religion
God and man don’t believe in modern love

It’s not really work
It’s just the power to charm
I’m still standing in the wind
But I never wave bye-bye

Written by David Bowie

Song Lyric Sunday 20 February 2022