Does capitalism encourage individuality? (Song)


from the ABC set Lyrics

1st Verse:

To your fashions, I conform,
like a fascist uniform.
I buy myself off the shelf,
‘cause you make me hate myself.

Afraid to be fat or old;
afraid to be who I am;
I try to look how I’m told
on TV, well that’s the scam.

Chorus:
I’m a capitalist clone;
follow all the latest trends;
smell of the newest cologne
like my capitalist friends.

Individuality
is what you’ve taken from me.
You say communists are drones,
but I’m
a capitalist clone.

2nd Verse

Tell me I’m not a number
‘cause I’m just money to you.
Stick out like a sore thumb or
follow fashion; well you choose.

Afraid to be different,
all of my money is spent,
trying so hard to conform
to a capitalist norm.

Chorus:
I’m a capitalist clone;
follow all the latest trends;
smell of the newest cologne
like my capitalist friends.

Individuality
is what you’ve taken from me.
You say communists are drones,
but I’m
a capitalist clone.

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Comments

awsamy | July 5, 2011 - 21:15

this is a very good song :) i think the concept is true i worry about the same things ^^ i think although captilism promotes indivualism some how in todays society its merged into conformity with latest trends strange :)

well-wisher | July 5, 2011 - 22:28

Thanks, awsamy. Up until the 80's atleast (maybe the early nineties too)kids used to make up their own fashions and create their own culture but nowadays
so much youth culture is bought prepackaged.

However, I think that capitalism in general benefits from conformity. It's far easier to sell mass produced goods if there are large sections
of society that have the same tastes and those tastes are created by promotion and advertizing.

Also addressed in my song is the way that capitalism benefits from dissatisfaction and self-loathing. Happy people spend less money because they need
less to make them happy. Keep showing them images
of 'beautiful' people living 'the good life' and
you keep them feeling inadequate and unhappy.

celticman | July 5, 2011 - 22:40

good song. I'd like to hear it sung.

well-wisher | July 6, 2011 - 13:23

Thanks, celticman. I think its kind of a punk/new-wave rock song. Maybe someone like Hazel O'Connor in the movie "Breaking Glass" would be a good choice to sing it.