Death Machine
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for a chance to keep me sane
Looking for some peace of mind, tell me what to do
Got to find a way to ease the pain
No one spoke and silence ruled the world
And then the screams
Still today, I hear the pain we made
Looking for a man who used to be a friend of mine
Looking for someone to share the blame
Out there in the desert, I almost lost my mind
Got to find a way to shake the shame
Sky turned white and all the world was blind
Nothing was seen
Then the sights and sounds came crashing down
Death machine
Looking for somebody who can tell me where I am
All directions look the same to me
Looking for somebody who pretends to give a damn
Trying to not see what I still see
Sky was red and all the world was blood
Or so it seemed
Science ruled, it never does no good
Death machine, death machine
The lyrics of "Death Machine" by Motörhead express the search for answers and a way to ease the pain caused by the trials and tribulations of life. The absence of communication and understanding is depicted in the silence that "ruled the world," only to be disrupted by screams originating from human suffering caused by a "death machine." The singer continues to search for a former friend and some relief from guilt and shame that has left them feeling lost in the desert.
The use of color imagery is frequent throughout the lyrics of the song, with the sky turning white, red, and likely symbolize the chaos and destruction caused by the death machine. The mention of science ruling but never doing any good may suggest a critique on the human desire to meddle with technology and weapons without considering the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking for an answer and I'm looking for a clue
Searching for a solution to the problems that distress me
Looking for a chance to keep me sane
Seeking for an opportunity to maintain my mental and emotional stability
Looking for some peace of mind, tell me what to do
Desiring tranquility and calmness, seeking guidance for my actions
Got to find a way to ease the pain
Necessity to relieve my emotional and physical agony
No one spoke and silence ruled the world
Absolute quietness prevailed in the environment
And then the screams
Suddenly, piercing shouts and cries broke the silence
Still today, I hear the pain we made
The repercussion of the damage we caused still resonates in my ears
Death machine
A mechanism designed to cause death and destruction
Looking for a man who used to be a friend of mine
Attempting to locate an acquaintance who was once familiar to me
Looking for someone to share the blame
Searching for a person to take responsibility for the wrongdoing
Out there in the desert, I almost lost my mind
In a barren and inhospitable place, I almost went insane
Got to find a way to shake the shame
Need to find a method to overcome and erase the guilt and disgrace
Sky turned white and all the world was blind
The sky became completely bright, and it was impossible to see anything
Nothing was seen
There was no visibility due to the intensity of the light
Then the sights and sounds came crashing down
Suddenly, vivid and loud noises and images appeared
Death machine
An invention intended to cause termination and demolition
Looking for somebody who can tell me where I am
Attempting to find someone who can provide information about my location
All directions look the same to me
All possible routes seem identical and indistinguishable to me
Looking for somebody who pretends to give a damn
Seeking for a person who only appears to care about my situation
Trying to not see what I still see
Making an effort to avoid noticing something that is still visible to me
Sky was red and all the world was blood
The sky had a red hue, and everything appeared bloody
Or so it seemed
This might have appeared that way, but it's uncertain
Science ruled, it never does no good
Even though science governs the world, it frequently causes harm
Death machine, death machine
An instrument that inflicts demise and annihilation repeatedly emphasized
Writer(s): Ian Fraser Kilmister, Philip Anthony Campbell, Michael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Contributed by Emma L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.