Today’s video of the day is Laurie Anderson – "Language Is a Virus" released in 1986.
Laurie Anderson released “Language Is a Virus” in 1986. The song appeared in her concert film Home of the Brave: A Film by Laurie Anderson. She directed the film herself. The video combines spoken word, performance art, and synth-driven sound. It’s strange, smart, and unforgettable. The song draws from a William S. Burroughs idea. In his novel The Ticket That Exploded and essay collection The Electronic Revolution, Burroughs claimed “language is a virus from outer space.” Anderson takes this wild theory and turns it into a performance. The result is hypnotic and deeply original.
Laurie Anderson emerged in the late 1970s New York art scene. She mixed performance, storytelling, and electronic music. Her 1981 single “O Superman” became a surprise hit in the UK. That song appeared on her debut album Big Science. Like that album, Home of the Brave uses spoken word and experimental music to explore human communication. “Language Is a Virus” fits this theme perfectly. The song explores how words shape thought. Anderson performs with ironic calm, backed by robotic beats and digital visuals. She plays with rhythm and repetition to show how language programs the mind.
The track appears on Home of the Brave, a live companion to her earlier studio album Mister Heartbreak. While Mister Heartbreak features studio precision, Home of the Brave shows Anderson’s live energy. It brings her ideas to life on stage. Both albums share themes of technology, identity, and language. This video remains a landmark in avant-garde music. Anderson uses the stage like a laboratory. She blends science, literature, and art. The result still feels fresh decades later. “Language Is a Virus” stands as a tribute to Burroughs. But it also proves Anderson’s genius. She turns a complex theory into something catchy, weird, and fun. She shows that words have power. And sometimes, they come with a code.
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