Key Lyric: “We Can Party Like Its B.C.”
Babylon Introduces the narrator as someone colorful, queer, and focused on fun while establishing the role of Gossip and “B.C.” in the album’s story. It simultaneously presents who I imagined myself to be before my PTSD & aims to “hook” listeners before For Boston introduces direct references to trauma, assault, and despair. It’s the sweet talk before he buys you a drink.
Purpose (Why this song?)
Babylon is one of a few tracks on the album that has roots extending far beyond the life of this project. The production is based off of a remix to Babylon I made in late 2024 that was ultimately released under my “Jack Smith Dot CT” remix album/mixtape project from May 2025. When it came time to record this album and became clear that I was using the process to work through my PTSD from college, I knew I wanted to include Babylon due to the lyric “We Can Party Like Its B.C.”
I’m resourceful, if nothing else, so it was quite easy for me to decide that I’d use the beat I already made for Babylon for my own version, too. My original remix had a lot of pitched down vocals, so it was as if I produced it for a man anyway and fit my voice quite easily. The mix came together quickly, but it actually ended up being the track I revisited most throughout the creation process. Over the course of Lent, I added a few small changes to the beat to bring in some cohesion with the rest of the album, so my version has some extra watery synths and even clips of me playing the bongos that aren’t featured in my original remix (I was thinking of going all Donkey Kong with it, for a second). I also spent hours mastering the track: I made it with a clubby feel in mind, so getting the kick and bass just right was one of my top priorities as I thought about publishing! My ears sure are glad I’m done with that process.
The Creative Process:
Enjoy the original remix that I created the Babylon beat for!
Babylon goes for a “garage glam” vibe, combining DIY sounds with the kind of music that makes you want to strut. I’ve got some janky synths playing the Saxophone lines from Gaga’s original and include a few different bass sounds that all aim to give the track a dry, retro warmth.
Sonic Identity
Core Sounds
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The Droplets synth is what I consider to be the glue that holds the album together, in a cohesive sense. It’s this cute Alchemy Preset in the Logic Pro Suite that brings together a soft, melodic pluck layered with an arpeggio of small splashes. As water plays an important thematic role throughout the album, offering emotional depth and the notion of self-reflection, I wanted to incorporate this water-y synth into every song on the track list.
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As mentioned, I was after a retro warmth in the production process of this song. To achieve that, I’ve used more than a handful of different bass synths to line the bottom of the track. It was fun switching between different tones, An 808 vibe here, a womp vibe there. All good stuff
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My favorite part of Gaga’s original Babylon is the saxophone lines played throughout the main chorus. In my original remix of the song, I just went ahead and threw the original stems in. But in this version, where I was limited from using copyrighted samples, I had fun taking on the melodies my own way.
I ended up using some synths that I can only describe as janky. They’re not as easy on the ear as the saxophone, but I think they bring an incredible amount of attitude to the track!
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One of the reasons Babylon is such an iconic song, in general, is because of how it presents an image to the listener. At least for me, when I listen to Gaga’s original, I feel transported to a place as much as I just feel soundwaves hitting my ear. Gaga’s always been good at this.
For Babylon, I picture a moonlit temple brightened with the same multi-color spotlights that line the ceiling of Club Cafe down in the South End. We’re up high, on a balcony of sorts, with an expansive jungle down below. This isn’t the image I wanted to evoke for my own version, but I wanted to pay homage to it in my cover and so included some recordings of Jungle Ambience. If this album hasn’t shown… I’m a Gaga fan
I must give credit where it is due. The main reason this song is on the album is actually because of my ex-boyfriend from my time studying at my Jesuit alma mater. We briefly dated on the tail-end of Gaga’s Chromatica Era (this is how gays mark time) and both liked the album a lot. The guy was always smarter than me, and I think he got a kick out of being able to blow my mind a little bit by simply pointing out that we were, indeed, partying like it was B.C.
From then on, I always loved the lyric. My school didn’t do yearbook quotes, but it stuck in the back of my head as something I’d use for something like that. I think I used it on the Instagram post with my graduation pictures, which I guess is close enough.
As it became clear that the album was shaping up to be about my PTSD from college, Babylon immediately got a slot on the album. In fact, it was the only choice for the project’s first track… And I love it! The iconic line introduces the listener to the notion that this might be more than just a cover album of pop songs. I also appreciate the song’s lack of emotional intensity. You see, some of the songs discuss and exist within themes that are really heavy. This is especially true for ‘For Boston,’ which follows this track in the album. Babylon gives the listener an entry point into the story that isn’t yet draped in trauma or its aftermath, allowing me to show the color and joy of my personality before jumping into some of the harder feelings I’m trying to alchemize with this album.
Storyline
Key Moments
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As previously mentioned, this lyric is the reason for Babylon’s inclusion on the tracklist of this album. Already a cute cheeky line from the original, my rendition allows the lyric to become a play on words referring equally to the Era “Before Christ,” B.C and… British Columbia perhaps ;-)
Within the song, the line is emphasized through some additional background harmonies and a little chipmunk voice saying “oh, nice!” It kinda sounds like “all night,” too, which I like. Both work for the line!
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Before the final chorus and song outro, I have a section that centers vocals that have been pitched down considerably. I sang those lyrics with the intention of sounding commanding, envisioning myself as a sweaty athletic coach instructing my team to strut it out. It becomes an important moment in the song as a short shift in energy before exploding into the track’s finale, making the loud finale sound even louder than it actually is.
