A.C.-D.C.

[bloomcountry]

The poet is talking about the components of computers and he mentions "tapes", which makes me think of some music and specially the hard rock group AC/DC, but I wonder if it might be something absolutely different. I am not sure if it could be the acronym for something else. Thanks:

"With tapes for tripes, A.C.-D.C.
Speaks metaphors from Galilee
And bakes good bread and serves good wine
That bloods the soul most super-fine"

("The Haunted Computer and the Android Pope", Ray Bradbury).

 

[morzh]

No, I think it is "the type of power used" AC/DC (alternating current / direct. current).

So, "with tapes making its intestines (old computers used tape external memory instead of disks), and some Ac/DC powering inside it".

 

[lucas-sp]

Morzh, enjambment! Golly. AC/DC is the subject of the sentence.

"With tapes for tripes," = its guts being made out of computer tapes
"A.C.-D.C. / Speaks metaphors from Galilee" = AC/DC (electricity) chants metaphors from the holy land"

 

[morzh]

Well, lack of punctuation in poetry always deceives me. Enjambment indeed But I guessed "tapes for tripes" correctly.

 

[Egmont]

I tend to think it refers to the Australian band. It had been around, with international success, for several years when this book came out.

 

[Myridon]

I tend to think it refers to the Australian band. It had been around, with international success, for several years when this book came out.

The poem of the same name was first published in a magazine in March of 1980 when Bradbury was 59 and they'd only had a couple of singles in the US Top 100.
Far be it from me to predict the musical tastes of 59-year-old men in 1980, but it seems unlikely.