The band was formed in 1996, consisting of the sole founding member, writer and musician, Nathaniel Leigh Nicoll. The current line-up of the band varies but typically consists of Nathaniel Nicoll, Mike Hayden, and James Wong.
A synth musician from S.F. Take one part Japan, mix with 2 parts Depeche, and add twist of longing.
site on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bmachine23
Lapse
B! Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goes out on two lives
Rain starts to fall
Almost on cue
Seconds will pass
That could have been ours
Fall on this shore
Listening to the voice in my head
Where we should be
Cursing the clouds instead
Why are we left
Sifting through ashes
A permanent lapse
Is all that we'll ever find
Somewhere a sun
Sets on two live
Forever ends
Like and ordinary day
Somewhere a door
Closes on two lives
Silence is all
Almost on cue
A permanent lapse
Is more than we'll ever know
B! Machine's song "Lapse" speaks about two lives that end, and how that disappearance impacts the world. The song is poignant and powerful in its simplicity. It starts in medias res, as if we entered the scene as the light goes out on "two lives." The song then describes how rain falls, seemingly responding to the tragedy unfolding. Seconds pass, and we're left with a feeling of regret, wondering what could have been. Instead of listening to the voice in our heads or cursing the clouds, we're forced to sift through ashes and face a permanent lapse.
The song then describes another end, this time a sunset that marks the end of two lives. Forever ends, just like an ordinary day. The song then describes how somewhere a door closes on two lives, leaving only silence in its wake. The song concludes that a permanent lapse is more than we'll ever know, emphasizing the depth of loss that is impossible to fully comprehend.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, and B! Machine's fans have offered different theories. Some see the song as a commentary on suicide, while others interpret it as an evocation of grief and loss. What's undeniable is the song's emotional power, which is further emphasized by its haunting melody and production.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere a light
In an unspecified location, there is a light source
Goes out on two lives
The light represents the end of two lives, which have just ended
Rain starts to fall
Water droplets from the sky begin to fall onto the ground
Almost on cue
The timing of the rain seems precisely related to the ending of the two lives
Seconds will pass
Periods of sixty equal parts of time will elapse
That could have been ours
The time that is passing could have been spent by us doing something
Fall on this shore
The seconds relate to their flow in time, not a physical action like falling on a shore
Where we should be
In an ideal world, we need to be in that location during that time
Listening to the voice in my head
We should be listening to our inner voice or intuition instead of being caught up in our own thoughts
Where we should be
An ideal place which would be better than elsewhere
Cursing the clouds instead
Directing our frustration towards the sky for the rain which may be symbolic of the end of the two lives we associate it with
Why are we left
We don't understand why we are abandoned by something or someone
Sifting through ashes
Sorting out the remains of something destroyed by burning
A permanent lapse
A failure or moment of forgetfulness in the past which can never be reversed or restored
Is all that we'll ever find
The only thing left for us is to identify our mistakes or shortcomings and learn from them
Somewhere a sun
In the same unspecified location as the light, there is the sun
Sets on two live
The disappearance of the sun symbolizes the end of two lives, like the light
Forever ends
The word 'forever' describes the end of something, which will never come back, and shuts off all the possible chances to explore and recover it, even if it is just like any other day.
Like an ordinary day
The end of two lives may be thought of as normal like any other day or routine activity
Somewhere a door
This line is similar to the previous two but expresses the end of a different person's life
Closes on two lives
The closing of a door symbolizes the end of two individuals' lives
Silence is all
The absence of sound suggests that there is no hustle and bustle left in the world, which slows down as the individuals leave the universe
Almost on cue
The timing of the silence seems precisely related to the end of the two lives, a rhythm so synchronized that it seems mechanical
A permanent lapse
The failure to fix or restore, the impermanence that we reach at the end of our time, represents a gap or a hole that we can never patch, and it resembles the void that could be felt in the world after the absence of the light, rain, and sun that previously symbolized the end of people's lives.
Is more than we'll ever know
It is difficult to comprehend the ambiguity and complexity that the end of life brings, and it leaves us with unanswered questions about existence that we can never know.
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.