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Cover Art

Aaron Swartz Lyrics by John G. McDaid

Proverbs of Hell

2019

[Verse 1]
Well he grew up at the keyboard
Reading newsgroups, learning code
Out on the Net where skill is freedom
And who you might be matters less than what you know
At fifteen he wrote the standard
To syndicate the web
[Chorus]
Aaron Swartz
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
[Verse 2]
He helped build Creative Commons
Make court decisions free to read
He launched the movement
That brought the freedom-killing SOPA to its knees
His actions did not go unnoticed
By the DOJ and FBI
[Chorus]
Aaron Swartz
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
[Verse 3]
He wrote the Open Access Manifesto
Taught us to hack democracy
Founded Demand Progress
To organize online and in the streets
Battled surveillance and corruption
Stood with those who fought for change
[Chorus]
Aaron Swartz
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
[Verse 4]
He took on those who lock up information
Downloading journals at MIT
With a laptop in a closet
He tried to show that academic research should be free
(Common ad lib: Free as in speech, not necessarily as in beer)
But they dragged him off in handcuffs
Threatened thirty years prison time
[Chorus]
Aaron Swartz
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
[Verse 5]
He was found in his apartment
Unrepentant to the last
Another bite of Turing's apple
Showing once again how justice serves the dead hand of the past
But he left us with the vision
Now its up to us to live the change
[Chorus]
Aaron Swartz
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
The internet's own boy
Credits
John G. McDaid

John G. McDaid

About “Aaron Swartz” by John G. McDaid

Read the complete lyrics to "Aaron Swartz" by John G. McDaid from the album "Proverbs of Hell" in 2019. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Filk, Folk.

"Aaron Swartz" is performed by John G. McDaid. from the album "Proverbs of Hell" in 2019 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Aaron Swartz", explore more songs by John G. McDaid using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Aaron Swartz" is credited to John G. McDaid. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Aaron Swartz" appears on "Proverbs of Hell" in 2019.

Visit the John G. McDaid artist page at /artist/john-g-mcdaid for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.