In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time
Provided with toys and 'scouting for boys'
You brought a guitar to punish your ma
And you didn't like school, and you
Know you're nobody's fool
So welcome to the machine
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream
You dreamed of a big star
He played a mean guitar
He always ate in the Steak Bar
He loved to drive in his Jaguar
So welcome to the machine
Where have you been?
It's alright we know where you've been
You've been in the pipeline, filling in time
Provided with toys and 'scouting for boys'
You brought a guitar to punish your ma
And you didn't like school, and you
Know you're nobody's fool
So welcome to the machine
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
What did you dream?
It's alright we told you what to dream
You dreamed of a big star
He played a mean guitar
He always ate in the Steak Bar
He loved to drive in his Jaguar
So welcome to the machine
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher, nasses321, DanVitaleRocks
Welcome to the Machine Lyrics as written by George Roger Waters
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Very Interesting thoughts on this song.
However, I feel that I know the meaning of this song and no one has really hit on it.
The meaning of this song is.... are you ready?...
Death.
It is soo obvious, because they are talking about the persons life in the past tense, as if it is over, "You always ate in the steak bar", "loved to ride in your jaguar", almost like a eulogy, but there is a twist.
It starts out describing the persons (the charactor of the songs) life from how they were little and what their personality was, by buying a guitar to punish his ma.
The machine is where he ends up to his surprise after his death, and the machine is the origin of life and where you return after you are dead (in the song). So, naturally the machine knows everything he did, thought, loved and dreamed while he was alive because it was the creator of him.
The theme is sort of an alien version of the origin of life, that aliens, created his life and he is "welcomed" back to the machine at the end of his life. This should be painfully obvious by the sounds of the record, trying to emulate the noises of an alien spacecraft. The elevator at the end is the charactor of the song being transported from the welcoming area of the machine to the bigger area where all of the other people who have died are located, hence the noise of many people, of a crowd.
Have a cigar is about the music business. Welcome to the machine is about the charactor of the song finding himself dead and being welcomed back to the alien machine, and the aliens that were the creators of his life. I'm not saying I believe this version of creation, but it is very obvious that this is what this song is about.
What do you think the robot hands on the album represent,... They represent robots, aliens, the future.
Pink floyd was always know for making music that was way out there. In Dark side of the moon they covered themes of life: Money, home, time, etc.
Welcome to the machine is Pink Floyd's version of a science fiction song, about alien's being the creators, of life and the charactor dies and is welcomed back to the machine from whence he came, and to prove it the alens, or the machine recount his entire life for him.
@a13510 LOVE the profound creativeness in this idea!!! Now to wonder... if the aliens welcome him back... how is The Machine of Death any different from The Machine of Life itself? are they simply all "free" there? unlike the version of his earth life? What would be the point of the aliens creating him on the earth, only to welcome him back to reflect on it? :)
@a13510 Very interesting! I agree!<br /> I think the 'aliens' you mean would be better described as the 'machine elves' (by Terence McKenna).<br /> @kimmisty50 Has to do with reincarnation, living many lives where you 'play' different personas and adventure, but then always come back to the origin.