S/T is an album with a strong theme around a very controlled, drone-like society, and this is one of the songs where this theme is most evident. The "Grand Machine" referenced is the society created by an all powerful goverment, or ruling force.
The first verse, talking about "this damn machine (that) dosent work" is talking about possibly some aspect of the society that is failing, and the way that the government is dismantling and reconstructing it coldly, as if it was a lifeless machine, not made of people.
The chorus goes "We are all just part of some giant grand machine,
Too big to really understand.
But we'll do our jobs till we break down and fall."
This insinuates a sense of being a small part of something huge, controlled by someone else, with no freedom, only the job to do that you have been given by the mysterious force that controls the machine. The people have been trained to just do their jobs like obedient robots until they die, with no hopes or dreams other than to help power the machine.
The second verse shows the true extent of the brainwashing that these people have endured, "sleepwalking through the streets", only acknowledging their pain because it may make them physically unable to do their jobs. It also brings to light the evil of the government, the "controllers of the machine", as they let their people work themselves to the bone, and make them keep working ceaselessly, even though they desperately need sleep.
The second chorus ends the song with a taste of the complete passivity and defeat of the people in the society. They know that they are just being used for someone else's good. And they are letting themselves be, because they don't care about anything anymore than doing their jobs like they've been told.
Overall, I think that this song is also about the susceptibility of man to the words of others. These people are treated like machines, so they start thinking of themselves that way, accept it as a fact and live their lives that way instead of questioning it. Anyway, amazing song, amazing lyrics.
S/T is an album with a strong theme around a very controlled, drone-like society, and this is one of the songs where this theme is most evident. The "Grand Machine" referenced is the society created by an all powerful goverment, or ruling force.
The first verse, talking about "this damn machine (that) dosent work" is talking about possibly some aspect of the society that is failing, and the way that the government is dismantling and reconstructing it coldly, as if it was a lifeless machine, not made of people.
The chorus goes "We are all just part of some giant grand machine, Too big to really understand. But we'll do our jobs till we break down and fall." This insinuates a sense of being a small part of something huge, controlled by someone else, with no freedom, only the job to do that you have been given by the mysterious force that controls the machine. The people have been trained to just do their jobs like obedient robots until they die, with no hopes or dreams other than to help power the machine.
The second verse shows the true extent of the brainwashing that these people have endured, "sleepwalking through the streets", only acknowledging their pain because it may make them physically unable to do their jobs. It also brings to light the evil of the government, the "controllers of the machine", as they let their people work themselves to the bone, and make them keep working ceaselessly, even though they desperately need sleep.
The second chorus ends the song with a taste of the complete passivity and defeat of the people in the society. They know that they are just being used for someone else's good. And they are letting themselves be, because they don't care about anything anymore than doing their jobs like they've been told.
Overall, I think that this song is also about the susceptibility of man to the words of others. These people are treated like machines, so they start thinking of themselves that way, accept it as a fact and live their lives that way instead of questioning it. Anyway, amazing song, amazing lyrics.