My eyes are bifocal
My hands are sub jointed
I live in the future
In my prewar apartment
And I count all my blessings
I have friends in high places
And I'm upgraded daily
All my wires without traces

Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into hooked into
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into
Hooked into machine

I collect my moments
Into a correspondence
With a mightier power
Who just lacks my perspective
And who lacks my organics
And who covets my defects
And I'm downloaded daily
I am part of a composite

Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into, hooked into
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
Hooked into machine
I'm hooked into
Hooked into machine

Everything's provided
Consummate consumer
Part of worldly taking
Apart from worldly troubles
Living in your prewar apartment
Soon to be your postwar apartment
And you lived in the future
And the future
It's here
It's bright
It's now


Lyrics submitted by incurable_humanist

Machine Lyrics as written by Regina Spektor

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Machine song meanings
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41 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    I love the machine sound effects even though this song creeps me out ..reminds me of the opening credits of charlie and the chocolate factory ( the one with johnny depp)

    fruitionon June 17, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think instead of "cold respondence" its actually "a correspondence."

    kaysnteeson June 16, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This part:

    And I'm downloaded daily I am part of a composite

    makes me think of Making Records.

    I think that she could be talking about her computer as the Machine. She's "upgraded daily" and has "friends in high places". The correspondence who "just lacks my perspectives and who lacks my organics and who covets my defense" I'm thinking e-mail. Letters without feelings. Everything's provided - we're not doing anything ourselves, and because of all this we forget the worldly troubles. pre-war or post-war: we never notice. We just see our own future and our machines...

    OK. a bit hard to follow maybe, but I think this is a possible interpretation.

    mlion June 16, 2009   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    This seems to be about the so-called Singularity, the merge of humans and machines, that is supposed to happen in the next 50 years. Check the name Ray Kurzweil in wikipedia.

    Picazzoon June 19, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Ok, first of all I want to say I love this song! It reminds me a lot of Bjork, if any of you listen to her. :D

    Second of all, I'm sure my meaning isn't the right one, but to me this song is more about people all being connected into the "machine" of human kind. And the whole "collecting my moments into a higher power" bit is about people talking to God, and how God wishes to be part of humanity in a way. Especially because it says "a mightier power/who just lacks my perspectives/ and who lacks my organics/and who covets my defects"- it just makes me think of some like high perfect being who wishes to be able to connect on a human level.

    ...

    Now that I think about it that describes a machine, too, in some ways. Now that I REALLY think about it "God" and machines have a lot in common. Hehe.

    Ok, well, just had to contribute my two cents. :D

    britcheson June 24, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i love this because her accent is so strongly russian in this song i've never read 1984 but im sure since that book was about the future that interpretation is likely i think its also about consumerism and the need to have all the gadgets

    emilysymphonyon July 29, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    These are things I know about this song: 1)I feel like a jerk whenever I listen to it. 2)I tend to chuckle at myself when I listen to it. 3)I love this song.

    Now as for my attempt at coming up with a meaning, there's a number of ways to take it.

    I like the 1984 idea. It fits, but that's not what I think of when I listen to it. I personally take it as a dig on herself as well as others for being so dependent on machines (computers, cars, TV, music players, etc). Almost like we've started assimilating ourselves into being a part of one. We blog, we e-mail each other, facebook, twitter, surf, download and upload music, videos, and pictures; it's pretty funny when you start thinking about it, although a tad aggravating at the same time. lol

    That's just my two cents on the matter though.

    myselfamion February 12, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It is about George Orwell's classic book "1984" the end of this song is so creepy, almost like a smiley doll is saying it or she is being forced to say it. AHHH the new album is so great and this is my favorite of the new songs

    musicoverdoseon June 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Amazing song, I agree about the George Orwell nod.

    kaysnteeson June 16, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    One of my favourites off the new album.

    I think this song definitely calls to attention how busy Regina is now that she is famous (at least by my standards). Calls everywhere, messages from the label, gigs, etc etc. People download her music. I wonder if one of these lines has to do with creative control from the label, a higher up not getting her music.

    sheela_lon June 18, 2009   Link

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