Help: what is the meaning of "virtually insanity"?

[Anna.ha]

I do not really figure out the meaning of it, please help me out, my dear, respected teachers?

For me, "virtually" in this context means largely, almost, seemingly... or somewhat similar. I think I understand the meaning of "insanity" but when the two words combined together I cannot figure out the meaning.

Thanks

Anna

[Skrej]

Hi Ana,

I believe the phrase is 'virtual insanity', but could you post some context for us, before I try to answer?
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[Anna.ha]

Yes, Sk, it exactly is 'virtual insanity'. It's the name of a song of the acid jazz band, I cannot give you any more context than that. Whoops! I posted that question when I was rather sleepy so there was a grammatical error :-

Thanks Sk for your prompt response.

[Skrej]

Ah, well if it's a song title, all bets are off. :)

Virtual has two basic meanings, the first meaning 'almost the same as, if not formally called so, or admitted'.

The other meaning of virtual is related to computers. We call something 'virtual' if it exists on computers or in the digital world.

Without reading the lyrics of the song then there is no way to tell exactly what they mean.

I can easily see them using either definition for a song title. Either they're commenting on being almost insane, or it's a comment about the craziness of something computer based.

Is this the song you're asking about?



If so, then the song is a play on words. He's singing both about going crazy (the virtual insanity of our word) because of our obsession with technology. So he's talking about both definitions of 'virtual'.

Note how the walls of the room are made to look like the padded walls of a solitary confinement cell in a mental institution. :lol:

Here are the lyrics:

Oh yeah what we're living in (let me tell ya)
It' a wonder man can eat at all
When things are big
That should be small
Who can tell what magic spells we'll be doing for us.
And I'm giving all my love to this world
Only to be told
I can't see, I can't breathe
No more will we be
And nothing's gonna change the way we live
Cuz we can always take and never give
And now that things are changing for the worse,
See, it's a crazy world we're living in
And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin
Is all we have to give these

Futures made of virtual insanity
now always seem, to be governed by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh now there is no sound for we all live underground

And I'm thinking in what a mess we're in
Hard to know when to begin
If I could slip the sickly ties that earthly man has made
And now every mother can choose the color of her child
That's not nature's way
Well that's what they said yesterday
There's nothing left to do but pray
I think it's time I found a new religion
Whoaaa it's so insane to synthesize another strain
There's something in these futures that we have to be told.

Futures made of virtual insanity
now always seem, to be governed by this love we have
For useless, twisting of our then new technology
Oh now there is no sound for we all live underground

Now there's no sound if we all live underground
And now it's virtual insanity
Forget your virtual reality
Oh, there's nothing so bad, I know yeah
(Bridge)
Oh, this virtual insanity, we're living in,
Has got to change, yeah
Things will never be the same
And I can't go on
While we're living in oh, oh virtual insanity
Oh, this world has got to change
Cos I just, I just can't keep going on, it was virtual,
Virtual insanity that we're living in, that we're living in
That virtual insanity is what it is

Chorus x2:

Futures made of virtual insanity
now always seem to be governed by this love we have
For useless, twisting, our new technology
Oh there is no sound for we all live underground

Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity
Living - Virtual Insanity

Virtual Insanity is what we're living in
_________________
Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
***
Did you hear they arrested the Energizer Bunny on battery charges?
***

[Anna.ha]

Yes it is. Thanks SK. I've only heard and loved that song without searching for its lyrics to see what it is exactly about.