As I mentioned in a recent Econlog post, I have been asking ChatGPT to write song lyrics, including lyrics about a variety of economics topics.

One commenter asked me to share the songs ChatGPT wrote me about public choice.

Here are a couple of those songs.

I asked “Write a song about public choice theory in the style of Fishbone” and ChatGPT responded:

Verse 1:

Public choice theory, it’s a way of thinkin’

About how people act when they’re votin’

They seek their own self-interest

Not always for the common good, that’s for sure

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a theory that’s not so nice

It’s about how we’re all driven

By our own selfish desires

 

Verse 2:

Public choice theory, it’s a concept so bold

It says that politicians, they’re just like us all

They’re not always noble, they’re not always fair

They’re just tryin’ to get what they want, like anyone else out there

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a theory that’s not so nice

It’s about how we’re all driven

By our own selfish desires

 

Bridge:

But we can’t let our selfishness win

We gotta work together, for the greater good

We gotta use our votes wisely, not just for ourselves

We gotta think about the future, and how our choices will affect it all

 

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a theory that’s not so nice

But if we work together, we can make it right

We can use our power for the common good

Public choice, public choice

Let’s make the right choice.

 

I then said, “Write a song about public choice theory in the style of Tower of Power.” The AI responded:

Verse 1:

There’s a theory that’s been floating around

Explaining why people act the way they do

It’s called public choice, and it’s a big deal

It’s changing how we think about democracy too

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a game changer for the people’s voice

Public choice, public choice

It’s a new way to understand what we do

 

Verse 2:

We all have our own self-interest

And that shapes our decisions every day

But when we’re voting or making laws

It’s not always easy to see the way

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a game changer for the people’s voice

Public choice, public choice

It’s a new way to understand what we do

 

Bridge:

We can’t just assume that we’re doing what’s best

For the common good, we need to be aware

Public choice is a tool to help us see

The consequences of our choices, loud and clear

 

Chorus:

Public choice, public choice

It’s a game changer for the people’s voice

Public choice, public choice

It’s a new way to understand what we do.

I’ll note, by the way, that Tower of Power does have at least one real song that I think covers public choice quite well. That’s “Taxed to the Max” off of their 1995 album Souled Out.  The song covers vote seeking politicians (“Politicians promise all they can to get elected”), information asymmetries and opportunism (“In the smoke-filled rooms, they’re making all their plans. But when the smoke gets cleared, you know it’s just a scam.”), the military-industrial complex (“Weapons systems, national defense, vested interests. It doesn’t make no sense!”), and more.

So far, I think humans have an edge over AI when it comes to writing catchy songs that illustrate public choice theory. At least, humans who specialize in songwriting do. But technology is changing rapidly. Who knows what the future holds?

 

Nathan P. Goodman is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Economics at New York University. His research interests include defense and peace economics, self-governance, public choice, institutional analysis, and Austrian economics.