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.
With primitive ablutions
Like a hobbyist of deranged proportion
The win is yours
We failed again
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
Machines of joy and then some
Machines of joy and then some
You are a vision of extraordinary contortion
An athletic form of warm distortion
The triumph yours
We lose again
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
Machines of joy and then some
Machines of joy and then some
You are a vision
A kind of vision
So tell me what he said
Though it doesn't really matter
Tell me what he said
Though I don't really care
It's only what he said
And we can make it better
Tell me what he said
Though I don't really care
Help is on the way
Help is on the way
Help is on the way
It's a kind of vision
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
Like a hobbyist of deranged proportion
The win is yours
We failed again
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
Machines of joy and then some
Machines of joy and then some
You are a vision of extraordinary contortion
An athletic form of warm distortion
The triumph yours
We lose again
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
Machines of joy and then some
Machines of joy and then some
You are a vision
A kind of vision
So tell me what he said
Though it doesn't really matter
Tell me what he said
Though I don't really care
It's only what he said
And we can make it better
Tell me what he said
Though I don't really care
Help is on the way
Help is on the way
Help is on the way
It's a kind of vision
We are magnificent machineries of joy
We are magnificent machineries of joy
The fleshy existence you keep
To yourself is secure
Lyrics submitted by cathalmcb
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I think this song is about a women pleasuring herself rather than being pleasured by a man, knowing it's an easier way to accept that form of self expression but well insecurity gets in her way to accept it otherwise. Machineries Of Joy, in other words, in my interpretation is well self-explanatory, we please ourselves. The name of the album (and its title track) comes from a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury, The Machineries of Joy. (wikipedia). I haven't read any of his works so I won't know deep down the meaning ; although in my head this song speaks this, just my theory
@DenzelForevar Machineries of Joy is the first short story in that collection. It’s about Catholic priests, Irish and Italian, in Chicago who have very different opinions about the Church’s views on space exploration. In the end they learn the thing that motivated them most on the issue was to not be proven wrong.
@DenzelForevar The first story in that Bradbury collection is also titled "Machineries of Joy," and it is about a group of priests who disagree about the theological implications of men traveling to other planets. Personally, I think there is a clue about the meaning intended in the song there.