Record: Non-Secure Connection (album) .. 2020
Porn Hour features: Bruce Hornsby (piano, Chamberlin, vocals); John Mailander (violin); University of Miami Frost School Orchestra, Bruce Coughlin (orchestration).
From Bruce Hornsby on Apple Music:
“My friend Chip deMatteo and I were writing the song for our ill-fated play SCKBSTD [pronounced ‘sick bastard’]. And maybe the title just ruined us right at the beginning—it was too weird for the people, for our partners. So we kept the song for ourselves, and we’ve been playing it for the last two or three years in orchestral concerts that I do, because it works great as an orchestral song.”
“It was inspired by a newspaper article I read about unlikely innovators in the early days of the internet, those unlikely innovators being the porn industry. I thought, since we’re writing a song a little bit about the birds and the bees, I would use some of the modern classical language that I’ve been dealing in, in my piano play.”
“This song features the language of Olivier Messiaen’s musique des oiseaux. Messiaen is a famous French avant-garde composer who was famous for going out in the forest and fields of France to score and transcribe birdsong, chant des oiseaux. He had perfect pitch and he could write it all down, then he would go back to his music studio and compose. I call it Messiaen meets Diggler.”
Bruce Hornsby’s song “Porn Hour” explores the significant role that adult content played in shaping the early days of the internet. It presents a commentary on how the demand for online pornography contributed to technological innovation and the rapid growth of the digital world. Through playful and sometimes tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Bruce acknowledges both the benefits and moral complexities of this influence.
Porn Hour meaning
“Porn Hour” is a satirical take on the early internet era, where the adult entertainment industry became a driving force behind technological advancements. Bruce highlights how the creation and consumption of adult content fueled the development of various technologies, from DVDs to cloud computing. The song is filled with humour, irony, and social commentary, pointing out the central role that pornography played in popularising and advancing the internet’s capabilities, despite the stigma that often surrounds it.
Analysis of the lyrics
First verse
“She bought tube socks on Amazon
I watched girls remove their bras
She wrote paper on Babylon
While she’s busy, time to toss”
In the first verse, Bruce juxtaposes mundane online shopping and academic activities with the more personal, private use of the internet for adult content. The reference to Amazon and academic papers highlights the contrast between the internet’s many uses and the overwhelming prevalence of pornography.
Technological references
“Gutenberg, then Sony too
DVDs, the cloud, what’s next?
Next big thing when this one’s through
Will be huge if it’s got sex”
Bruce draws a connection between historical and modern technological advancements. The mention of Gutenberg (who revolutionised communication with the printing press) and Sony (a pioneer in video technology) suggests that every major technological leap has been closely tied to how content, including adult content, is distributed. “DVDs, the cloud, what’s next?” points to how new technologies continue to evolve, with the suggestion that success often hinges on whether or not it can support or deliver pornography (“Will be huge if it’s got sex”).
Saluting the industry
“We salute the industry of the San Fernando Valley
We got everything we want with a mouse click
Because of the mighty porn flick”
The “San Fernando Valley” is a well-known hub for the adult film industry, making this a nod to the region’s contribution to internet content. By “saluting the industry,” Bruce acknowledges its role in shaping the way people consume content online. The line “We got everything we want with a mouse click” encapsulates the instant gratification provided by internet access, made possible in part by the infrastructure developed to support the high demand for online adult content.
Innovation and the internet
“Innovation of the Internet
Was driven by a couple on a film set
We thank the hard boys and the naked girls
For the coming of our beautiful cyber world”
This section touches on the idea that the adult entertainment industry was a major force behind innovations in video streaming, payment systems, and data transfer that laid the groundwork for the broader digital landscape. The line “driven by a couple on a film set” symbolises how adult content creators played a pivotal role in popularising new technologies. The playful gratitude toward “hard boys and naked girls” underscores the irony that something as taboo as pornography helped bring about the “beautiful cyber world” that we enjoy today.
Metaphors and deeper meanings
The song uses humour to tackle a serious and often uncomfortable subject. By framing pornography as an unlikely hero of the internet revolution, Bruce raises questions about societal attitudes toward adult content and the ways in which innovation is sometimes propelled by unexpected factors. The song’s repeated salute to the adult industry could be seen as both an acknowledgment and a critique of how technological progress has been driven by this often marginalised sector.
Conclusion
“Porn Hour” is a clever commentary on the role that adult content played in shaping the internet as we know it. Bruce uses humour, irony, and cultural references to highlight the unexpected ways that pornography contributed to technological innovation. By doing so, the song challenges listeners to consider the often-overlooked forces that have driven the digital age, while also poking fun at society’s reluctance to fully acknowledge this influence.