Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett's leadership, they released two charting singles and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind the band's peak success with the albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The musical film based on The Wall, Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), won two BAFTA Awards. Pink Floyd also composed several film scores.
Following personal tensions, Wright left Pink Floyd in 1979, followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced two more albums—A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994)—and toured in support of both before entering a long hiatus. In 2005, all but Barrett reunited for a one-off performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), was based on unreleased material from the Division Bell recording sessions. In 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Album Chart. Pink Floyd's hit singles include "See Emily Play" (1967), "Money" (1973), "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979), "Not Now John" (1983), "On the Turning Away" (1987) and "High Hopes" (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, Pink Floyd were awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden for their contribution to modern music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
Studio albums
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured by Clouds (1972)
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
The Final Cut (1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
The Division Bell (1994)
The Endless River (2014)
Welcome To The Machine (New Age Ve
Pink Floyd Lyrics
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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
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
The song "Welcome To The Machine" by Pink Floyd is a commentary on the music industry and how it can manipulate artists and their creativity. The lyrics "Welcome my son, welcome to the machine" address the idea of the music industry as an assembly line, treating artists as objects rather than individuals with unique talents and dreams. The lyrics continue to describe how the artist has been primed for success in the industry, with toys and scouting for boys referring to the grooming process of making an artist marketable.
The lyrics "Filling in time" reflect on how instead of being allowed to create, the artist is pushed towards churning out a product with the objective of maximizing profit. The song also references how the artist may have been pushed towards music as a mode of rebellion against their parents, symbolized by "You bought a guitar to punish your ma." The idea that the music industry tells the artist what to dream is exemplified by the lyrics "What did you dream? It's alright we told you what to dream."
The second half of the song continues to critique the music industry through the lyrics' story of a successful artist who is ultimately trapped and consumed by their own success, forced to eat in a specific restaurant and drive a certain car to continue to be accepted. The overall message of the song is how the music industry can stifle individual creativity, pushing artists towards a formulaic approach to music-making that is solely motivated by monetary gain.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome my son
The song begins with a welcoming tone, addressing the listener as the son of the new age.
Welcome to the machine
The machine refers to society, which is designed to control and monitor individuals in order to fit into a predefined mold.
Where have you been?
The listener is asked where they have been, implying that they have been absent from society and its expectations.
It's alright we know where you've been
The statement shows that society has kept track of the listener's every move and does not judge them for their absence from social norms.
You've been in the pipeline
The pipeline represents the path of societal expectations that the individual is expected to follow without deviation.
Filling in time
An allusion to the monotonous or boring nature of conforming to societal norms, which can be likened to filling in time with meaningless tasks.
Provided with toys and scouting for boys
This line is a commentary on the ways in which society distracts individuals, by providing them with material goods and opportunities to indulge in socially acceptable sexual behaviors.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma
The purchase of a guitar represents an act of rebellion against societal norms and parental expectations.
And you didn't like school
The listener is implied to have been unwilling to conform to the restrictive and standardized environment of the education system.
And you know you're nobody's fool
The listener is confident in themselves and is not willing to be manipulated or controlled by societal expectations.
So welcome to the machine
Despite the disillusionment with societal norms, the listener is now a part of the machine and has lost some of their individuality and freedom in the process.
What did you dream?
The question is rhetorical, indicating that the listener's dreams and aspirations are not important in the face of fitting into societal norms.
It's alright we told you what to dream
The lyrics suggest that society has taken control of the listener's dreams and aspirations, shaping them to fit the expectations of the machine.
You dreamed of a big star
The lyrics satirize the machine's notion of a dream, which is that of fame and material wealth rather than personal fulfillment and self-actualization.
He played a mean guitar
The machine's definition of a dream still revolves around the guitar, a symbol of rebellion against societal conformity.
He always ate in the Steak Bar
The reference to a luxurious dining establishment highlights the machine's obsession with class and material goods.
He loved to drive in his Jaguar
The Jaguar symbolizes wealth and social status, which the machine values above all else.
So welcome to the machine
The song ends on a note of resignation, indicating that the listener is fully engulfed in the machine and its expectations.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WATERS, ROGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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