free to beep

This weekend, Clara was in a production of "Free To Be You and Me," something I remember from my kidhood. I sorta liked it as a kid, scorned it as a teen, got all teary-eyed at parts this weekend.

Still have a crush on Marlo Thomas.

But something struck me this time. I always thought there was something that jangled wrong about the project, and especially its theme song.

Now, in later and more articulate years, I nailed it down: 

It sounds like an AI-generated folk-gospel song.

I see a land bright and clear, and the time's comin' near
When we'll live in this land, you and me, hand in hand
Take my hand, come along, lend your voice to my song
Come along, take my hand, sing a song
For a land where the river runs free
For a land through the green country
For a land to a shining sea
For a land where the horses run free
And you and me are free to be you and me

If you loaded in the complete catalog of Pete Seeger, Andraé Crouch, the New Christy Minstrels, the Seekers, and suchlike, and then told it to spit out a gospel song, this is what it would be. The weird repetition, the odd grammar, the not-quite-it.

hahahahaaaaa!!!!!

Of course, what it *really* is isn't AI Gospel but rather DK Gospel:  Dunning-Kruger gospel. Right? People who don't have the gospel trying to do what they've seen the Swan Silvertones —– or Jim Nabors —– do, and thinking they did it.