Sysadmin Rockstar
In 2007, Splunk co-sponsored the second Sysadmin of the Year contest, with the theme of “Is your sysadmin a rock star?”
As part of the contest, Patrick McGovern asked Eric “Maverick” Garner to write a song “talking about the wonders of being a sysadmin”. It was recorded and provided as a metal hair band rock version (sung by Michael Wilde), as an unplugged version (sung by Maverick), and without lyrics. Those entering the contest could then create or remix their own song about being a sysadmin. If anything was learned from this contest, it is that sysadmins as a rule should not sing.
The contest shirt has the rock on hand gesture as ascii art composed of binary. Reportedly, the binary reads either “Splunk” or “Splunk Sysadmins Rule All” or something to that effect.
Lyrics
Sysadmin Rockstar (by Eric “Maverick” Garner)
Copyright © 2007, Garner. All rights reserved.
I may look like an average guy
Truth is, I am more than that
I can cd to your directory
and quickly read your files with cat
I can ls your ip address
and reset your date and time
I can ps and find your process
and stop it with a kill -9
Sysadmin Rockstar, I’ve got command-line skillz
Sysadmin Rockstar, just watching me will give you chills
Yes it will
I download all the patches and fixes
and countless system updates
I push’em out to all the servers
So nobody escalates
Never have time to look it up
I just figure it out as I go
I’m in the cube next to yours
But I’m the real one running the show
Sysadmin Rockstar, I’m your IT go-to Guy
Sysadmin Rockstar, I can hack it on the fly
Yes I can
(refrain)
I upgrade all the raids
I resolve every hairy network issue
I maintain all the apps and servers
OSes and the DBs too, yes I do
Some people say I belong with the geeks
Others say I belong with the nerds
But the truth is, I’m one of a kind
and my actions speak louder than my words
(guitar solo)
Sysadmin Rockstar, I’m your IT go-to guy
Sysadmin Rockstar, I’ll make it work, do or die
Sysadmin Rockstar, I take the SH out of IT
Sysadmin Rockstar, Yeah, that's me
Move over
Move over
Move over
And let me drive
Move over
Move over
Mover over and let me drive for a while
(repeat chant above and fade out)
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