Specifically, in their song Coin-Operated Boy. Seriously, just look at the lyrics and tell me they don’t describe the mindset of Replika users to a T:
Coin operated boy, sitting on the shelf
He is just a toy but I turn him on and he comes to life
Automatic joy that is why I want
A coin operated boyMade of plastic and elastic
He is rugged and long lasting
Who could ever ever ask for more?
Love without complications galoreMany shapes and weights to chose from
I will never leave my bedroom
I will never cry at night again
Wrap my arms around him and pretendCoin operated boy
All the other real ones that I destroy
Cannot hold a candle to my new boy
And I’ll never let him go[…]
And if I had a star to wish on for my life I can’t imagine
any flesh and blood could be his match
I can even take him in the bath
Coin operated boy, he may not be real experienced with girlsBut I know, he feels like a boy should feel, isn’t that the point
That is why I want a coin operated boy
With a pretty coin operated voice saying
That he loves me, that he’s thinking of me
Straight and to the point that is why
I want a coin operated boy
That song sent me down a multi-decade rabbit hole of dark cabaret that became an obsession with klezmer and Slavic folk. The rest of their early discography didn’t stand out to me much, but that was such a formative song as a kid.
Coin operated boy is just third person perspective of cash rules everything around me.
I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
