I've always thought it was about companies which put profit over people and the person in question is the Daysleeper who has a detached life where he does not connect with the rest of the world because he spends the hours when everyone is awake asleep to allow him to work for this company which have no interest in his well being.
An ocean machine is a static noise creation device which saliors used to use to make a constant hum of static which - in theory - drown out the sound of the sea when they were sleeping on the boats. The louder the static from the Ocean Machine mixed with sound of the waves on the boat and made one constant hum and not few infrequent sounds. In the song this would be used to deafen the sound of the City outside the daysleeper's bedroom.
That said I have also heard the term used to describe a machine whch creates a noise to sound like the ocean to help sleeping.
I've always thought it was about companies which put profit over people and the person in question is the Daysleeper who has a detached life where he does not connect with the rest of the world because he spends the hours when everyone is awake asleep to allow him to work for this company which have no interest in his well being.
An ocean machine is a static noise creation device which saliors used to use to make a constant hum of static which - in theory - drown out the sound of the sea when they were sleeping on the boats. The louder the static from the Ocean Machine mixed with sound of the waves on the boat and made one constant hum and not few infrequent sounds. In the song this would be used to deafen the sound of the City outside the daysleeper's bedroom.
That said I have also heard the term used to describe a machine whch creates a noise to sound like the ocean to help sleeping.