The Road to Tritepolis: A Britpop Ghost Ride Through AI Remix Culture (AI Gen)

Revisiting a 1998 Song With Modern Tools, Sarcasm, and Sincerity—Where Homage, Plagiarism, and “Originality” Collide

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination… And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean‑Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.’”
— Jim Jarmusch, citing Jean‑Luc Godard

Google’s Deep Dive Podcast: Originality Is Dead. Long Live the Remix.

I wrote and recorded the original in 1998. Oasis was already fading, but I remained a fanatic, and it always was a guilty pleasure as Noel Gallagher had made a career of stealing others’ work and repurposing it as his. But if we’re honest, all art is derivative, consciously or subconsciously, however, he deserved a dig such as this. As I am going through my old stuff, having AI reimagine it, this one came out pretty well, IMHO. I cut the original into six distinct seeds, then fed each into Suno.com, without any prompts to see what it would do et voila. The result was worth more attention, so I fed it into Moises.ai, separated all the tracks, then remixed in my DAW. The second gen had less riffs, more chords, which reminded me of The Smiths, hence the Tremolo, Reverb and Echo. It isn’t great, but again, it’s at least worth a comparative listen.

Original Lyrics

[Verse]
I’m on the road again
You’re giving me the blues
I’m on my back again
No matter what I choose

[Pre-chorus]
And if it feels alright
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
And if you’re just outside
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
I’m on the road again
Tell me what to do

[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong

[Verse]
I’m out the back again
Sing another tune
I stole the light again
Noel howls at the moon

[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong

[Bridge]
Will you leave tomorrow?
Well, I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view
I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view

[Verse]
He took a lick again
Now I take one too
(British accent: “It’s all been done again!”)
Derivatively doomed
And if the well is dry
(YA GOTTA FIT SOMETHING IN!)
And if some other guy
(ALREADY TURNED IT IN!)

[Pre-chorus]
I’m on the road again
I don’t have a clue.
(That’s right.)

[Bridge]
Will you leave tomorrow?
Well, I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view
I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view
I’m on the road again
I don’t have a clue
(That’s right.)

[Verse]
He took a lick again
And now I take one too

[Pre-chorus]
And if it feels alright
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
And if you’re just outside
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
I’m on the road again
Tell me what to do

[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong

[Bridge]
Will you leave tomorrow?
Well, I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view
I’ve been drinking on the road to Tritepolis
I’ve been thinking about you
And I’ve been sinking in a tomb without a view
I’m on the road again
I don’t have a clue

I’m on the road again

I’m on the road again

I’m on the road again

I’m on the road again

[Verse]
He took a lick again
Now I take one too
I stole a light again
Noel howls at the moon

[Pre-chorus]
And if it feels alright
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
And if you’re just outside
(GOTTA WORK IT IN!)
I’m on the road again
Tell me what to do

[Chorus]
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong
Yeah, it feels like something’s wrong

YEAH, IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING’S!!!