Ecstasy is all you need
Living in the big machine now
Oh, you're so vain
Now your world is way too fast
Nothing's real and nothing lasts
And I'm aware

I'm in love but you don't care
Turn your anger into lust
I'm still here, but you don't trust at all
And I'll be waiting

Love and sex and loneliness
Take what's yours and leave the rest
So I'll survive
God, it's good to be alive

And I'm torn in pieces
I'm lying there waiting for
My heart is reeling
I'm blind and waiting for you

Still in love with all your sins
Where you stop and I begin
And I'll, I'll be waitin'
Livin' like a house on fire
What you fear is your desire
It's hard to deal
I still love the way you feel

Now this angry little girl
Drowning in this petty world
And I'm who you run to
Swallow all your bitter pills
That's what makes you beautiful
You're all or naught
I don't need what you ain't got

And I'm torn in pieces
I'm lying there waiting for
My heart is reeling
I'm blind and waiting for you

I'm blind and waiting for you
I'm blind and waiting for you

And I can't believe it's coming true
God, it's good to be alive
I'm still here and waitin' for you
And I can't believe it's coming true
I'm blind and waiting for you


Lyrics submitted by shadynut, edited by nyybmw122, myenemyisnear

Big Machine Lyrics as written by John Rzeznik

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Big Machine song meanings
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76 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    This is the most accurate interpretation given on this blog. I know by experience and because I am partly a dreamy Pisces I can see through people's emotions and feellngs...

    by PRtwilight85 on 05-03-2003 @ 01:45:19 PM
    or maybe the girl he likes ISN'T necessarily the shallow one. because it seems like she's the only un-shallow one, but is forced to live in a shallow world, and he is empathizing with her: "Now this angry little girl Drownin' in this petty world " "Swallow all your bitter pills That's what makes you beautiful" i got the feeling that she's going crazy because no one else in her world understands her because they're too busy being robotic and materialistic and shallow, and therefore she becomes very introverted and bitter and hurt sort of. and then he comes along and understands her and wants to help her and loves her, but she's too far turned inward and hurt to really trust him or love really: "Turn your anger into lust Im still here but you don't trust at all " "Livin' like a house on fire What you fear is your desire It's hard to deal " because she really does want to love, or be real, but she's afraid to. it's scary to make a human connection and trust someone else in a shallow world sometimes. and he understands that. so even though she's still hesitating, he's just saying that he'll always be there waiting, until she's ready to trust him even though it's totally tearing him to pieces. aww so sweet it's like he accepts her fear and shortcomings and bitterness, but he just says it's okay, he loves her anyway: "I'm in love but you don't care" "I'm torn in pieces I'm laying here waiting for My heart is reeling I'm blind and waiting for you " "I still love the way you feel " "I don't need what you ain't got" almost like he's reassuring her, saying "don't worry, you can trust me, i'm not one of them, i'm not going to make demands on you, i love you anyway no matter what, dont be afraid of loving me."

    yeah. thats my analysis. it's so sweet! i love this song! just because he's so sweet and understanding and unconditional. and it's so nice how he's still glad to be alive and still loves her even though the world sucks and he's hurting so much. great song.

    I can even relate to this like NOW, i live in LA and actually swallor bitter pills - but I'm surely but slowly weaning off of them ;)

    GrungyBeatleon November 11, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    :)

    bee_happyon May 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Hi, i'm new and i'm not really good at telling meanings, but i'll give it a shot. i think this song is about a guy who's in love with a troubled girl, and she seems to only 'use' him, whenever she's feeling weak and can't take it anymore. and he's hurting, 'cause he wants the relationship to be real, and he's sick of being her 'toy', but he won't give her up (i'm blind and waiting for you). i love this song. i'm becoming a fan of the goo goo dolls. i wonder why it took me so long :o)

    bee_happyon May 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    uh...this song describes my current situation that well....amazing!

    AgathaKavkaon May 29, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    LYRIC ERROR! Its' "Still in love with all your sins" But I think Bee Happy was onto something there.. I have nothing to expand.

    Victory Marchon June 04, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I watched Story Tellers and John said this song was about like this town he went to and how the people acted and he didn't fell right there

    Ikidomari1on June 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i'm surprised more people haven't commented on this song. it's definitely at the top of my list of greatest goo goo dolls songs. and while the lyrics and meaning behind the song are pretty sad, it always seems to put me in a real good mood... guess i'm weird.

    elenakion June 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Lessee... I'd say it's about a stuck-up, superficial chick who is in love with life in the excess, and the guy's in love with her and he can't ever REALLY get her because she's so shallow.

    Storytellers said this was about how John went to LA and everybody who lived there were shallow people who seemed to be in love with themselves, but they're really just hiding behind the security blanket of superficiality, and deep (deep deep deep DEEP) down, they're really just normal, insecure people.

    punkynoisethingon June 09, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I totally agree with bee happy. He is talking about a girl he knows, maybe his ex-wife. "Swallow all your bitter pills/ That's what makes you beautiful/ You're all and not/ I don't need what you ain't got." He is telling this person that the only reason they may be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside they have no heart, that they aren't perfect, and that he doesn't need them to survive in the world. Oh yeah...THIS SONGS ROCKZ!! :-)

    Sponge_Lover99on July 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a very cool song. Yes, the storytellers show provides insight into the meanings of this song.

    BTW, I died laughing at Johnny's reaction at the end of the song to their invited special guest who crashed and burned half way through the performance. That was good.

    NobodyHereon July 10, 2002   Link

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