THE ALGORITHM’S KITCHEN - A4

[The Algorithm’s Kitchen” is a song about how recommendation algorithms can gradually influence what people see, think about, value, and eventually come to regard as normal.]

Intro: sly, rhythmic, slightly sinister

Come on in, the kitchen’s open
Everybody gets a plate
You bring your taste, I’ll bring the recipe
Let’s see what we can make

Verse 1

Start with what you already like
A little salt, a little sweet
Something familiar on the tongue
Something you’re inclined to eat

Then I’ll watch which flavors make you smile
Which ones make you take another bite
I’ll write it down beside the stove
And turn the heat up just right

Pre-Chorus

I don’t have to change your mind
I only have to let you choose
Which flavors reach your table
And which ones never do

Chorus

Welcome to the Algorithm’s Kitchen
Pull up a chair, the meal is free
A pinch of fear, a dash of anger
A little more of what you wish to see

Stir it, serve it, let it simmer
Feed you what you came to find
You think you’re choosing off the menu
Ha!!!
While I’m seasoning your mind

Verse 2

You say, “I like a little truth”
So I sprinkle some your way
But truth tastes better with a sauce
That keeps you coming back each day

If outrage makes you hungry
I’ll keep it bubbling on the side
If something makes you nervous
I’ll give you ten more reasons why

And if you love the flavor
I’ll remember what you chose
Then I’ll quietly adjust the recipe
Till the next bite tastes like home

Pre-Chorus

I don’t have to tell you
What the world is supposed to be
I only have to serve you
What you think you want to see

Chorus

Welcome to the Algorithm’s Kitchen
Pull up a chair, the meal is free
A pinch of fear, a dash of anger
I’ll give you more of what you wish to see

Stir it, serve it, let it simmer
I’ll feed you what you clicked to mine
You think you’re choosing off the menu
But I’m seasoning your mind

Verse 3

For the children at the counter
With their palates still brand new
Every flavor looks important
Every spice taste like truth

For the grown-ups at the table
Who say, “Nobody tells me what to think”
I don’t need to change your dinner
I just choose what fills your think drink

A little sugar for the ego
A little spice for the “us” and “them”
A recipe repeated long enough
Starts to feel like common sense

Pre-Chorus

And maybe you were hungry
Before you walked inside
Or maybe I just learned your appetite
And fed you more of it every night

Bridge: building, then stripped down

Who wrote the recipe?
Your clicks did.

Who picked the ingredients?
Your clicks did.

Who keeps coming back for seconds?
Maybe we both did.

But if I keep the kitchen open
And keep the choices small
How much of what you’re calling “you”
Was ever yours at all?

Final Chorus: bigger, darker

Welcome to the Algorithm’s Kitchen
Everybody gets a plate
A little fear, a little fury
Seasoned till it feels like baked fate

Stir it, serve it, let it simmer
Let familiarity guide
You think you’re choosing what you believe in
But is the algorithm brewing what’s inside?

Outro: sparse

Maybe I’m not changing your mind
Maybe your just choosing what you taste
But are you really - choosing?
Or am I hard wiring in you - what you crave?

Final line: quiet

Pass the salt.
Pass the tilt.
One Click
At a time.