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Memory Machine Lyrics
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
There are times I think eternal life ain’t such a bad gig
Smoke all you want and see the planets
If and only if they find a way to cure the longing
The distant panic
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
There are folks that say to have a soul you’ve got to suffer
Well lately I’ve had my RDA of that
And call it fascist but I know that someday happy
Will be all that matters
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Poetry, Aldous Huxley—yeah, yeah, yeah, it’ll be a relief
If they can make machines to save us labor
Someday they’ll do our hearts the very same favor
The wails of ruined lives brought to a halt
By the serene hum of computers in air-conditioned vaults
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
Black wire: left temple
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
There are times I think eternal life ain’t such a bad gig
Smoke all you want and see the planets
If and only if they find a way to cure the longing
The distant panic
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
There are folks that say to have a soul you’ve got to suffer
Well lately I’ve had my RDA of that
And call it fascist but I know that someday happy
Will be all that matters
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Someday, I’m telling you
They’ll make a memory machine
To wax our hearts to a blinding sheen
To wash away the grief
Poetry, Aldous Huxley—yeah, yeah, yeah, it’ll be a relief
If they can make machines to save us labor
Someday they’ll do our hearts the very same favor
The wails of ruined lives brought to a halt
By the serene hum of computers in air-conditioned vaults
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
Red wire: right temple
Black wire: left temple
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As of now, this is the only song I've heard of Dismemberment Plan and I love it. Very unique sounding in the good way, very original and intereting.
one of my favorite dismemberment plan songs, if not my favorite, its so interesting and well done.
the begining reminds me of Our Lady Peace. very different song.
@tuko Is anybody home?
@tuko Is anybody home?
@tuko I don't expect you to reply but I would like to know which song you are talking about
@tuko I don't expect you to reply but I would like to know which song you are talking about
I think the meaning is pretty obvious. He'd like immortality, but only if they had some way to erase our bad memories so that they wouldn't eventually overwhelm us. Great song.
Anyone else notice an extreme similarity between this song and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? I used to like the idea of a memory machine until I saw that movie.
Ooh, that's a really good comparison, distopiandreamguy !
The whole song is sort of a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World." It's about a future society that's basically about having pleasure and consuming resources. This is great of course, except that there's no real art or passion or anything left because no one feels pain anymore. Travis Morrison was probably just writing about the book and how he thinks that kind of future is extremely likely. People will ultimately choose constant pleasure and distraction over a life of hardship and pain that produces things that are poetic and beautiful.
On the other hand, in the book, there's no actual "Memory Machine," there's just a drug called "soma" which they take whenever they have any somewhat painful experiences. So it may not be completely based off the book.
The whole song is sort of a reference to Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World." It's about a future society that's basically about having pleasure and consuming resources. This is great of course, except that there's no real art or passion or anything left because no one feels pain anymore. Travis Morrison was probably just writing about the book and how he thinks that kind of future is extremely likely. People will ultimately choose constant pleasure and distraction over a life of hardship and pain that produces things that are poetic and beautiful.
On the other hand, in the book, there's no actual "Memory Machine," there's just a drug called "soma" which they take whenever they have any somewhat painful experiences. So it may not be completely based off the book.
because in Brave New World there are no memory machines, I actually think that it isn't about the book. The song doesn't describe any of the events or characters in the book, but just mentions Aldrous Huxley's name. But it does share many common themes with the book.
The point being of course, idealists who think taking away the pain would be a great idea.
But then again there are part of the song in which he says people focus to much on pain. This could either be the built in satire of the song, or something he really feels.
But what really this song is, is dark satire. Singing from the point of veiw from someone who wants to not feel pain. This is truely shown at the end of the song
"The wails of ruined lives brought to a halt By the serene hum of computers in air-conditioned vaults "
Aldrous Huxley is just name dropped as an example of a utopian society that was explored in Brave New World in which there was no pain, only pleasure which is a similar theme to this song. I don't believe that this song was written specifically about it in any way.