Sad Machine
Porter Robinson Lyrics


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Is anyone there?
(Oh hi!)

Who survived?
Somebody new?
Anyone else but you
On a lonely night
Was a blinding light
A hundred leaders, would be borne of you

And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go on, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend (I'll depend) on you

(Oh hi!)

I don't know much about your life beyond these walls
The fleeting sense of love within these God forsaken halls
And I can hear it in his voice in every call
This girl who slept a hundred years has something after all

And though I know, since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
I'll go alone and never speak of you again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend on you
And though I know since you've awakened her again
She depends on you, she depends on you
She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
We depend on you, we depend (I depend) on you





(Oh hi!)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Sad Machine" by Porter Robinson tell a story of newfound responsibility and the weight of carrying it. The song starts with a greeting, "Is anyone there?" to which a voice responds, "Oh hi!" This sets the stage for the rest of the song, which appears to be a conversation between two beings. One being, who seems to have been responsible for something that happened on a lonely night, is being asked if anyone survived, if somebody new emerged.


The lyrics then suggest that this being is somehow responsible for awakening another, a girl who slept a hundred years. It is said that she depends on this being and that they depend on them, suggesting that they have an important role to play in each other's lives. Further into the song, the lyrics presume that the being who awakened the girl now has a weight of responsibility on their shoulders, "We depend on you, we depend on you." This suggests that the being is now accountable for something greater than themselves.


The lyrics then call attention to the fact that the singer does not know much about the being's life beyond the walls they are confined to. Still, they can hear that this girl who slept a hundred years has something important to offer, as suggested by the line, "This girl who slept a hundred years has something after all." The lyrics circle back to the idea of dependence, that the being is now depended on and responsible for this girl.


Overall, the song's lyrics seem to deal with the weight of responsibility and newfound accountability, the idea that when we take on a responsibility, it is not just about ourselves but is also about those who depend on us.


Line by Line Meaning

Is anyone there?
Asking if there's someone to connect with or someone to reach out to.


(Oh hi!)
Casual greeting in response to finding someone to connect with or reach out to.


Who survived?
Inquiring if anyone has made it through a difficult time or situation.


Somebody new?
Asking if there's a new person to fill the void left by those who did not survive.


Anyone else but you
Expressing disappointment that the only person found is the one already present.


On a lonely night
Setting the scene for the situation where one seeks connection.


Was a blinding light
Describing the moment when one discovers a person or community to connect with.


A hundred leaders, would be borne of you
Recognizing the potential of the person found to inspire and lead others within the community.


And though I know, since you've awakened her again
Acknowledging that the person found has already helped someone else and will likely do the same again.


She depends on you, she depends on you
Highlighting the importance of the person found to the person they have already helped.


She'll go alone and never speak of this again
Suggesting that the person who was helped may want to keep their experience private.


We depend on you, we depend on you
Emphasizing the importance of the person found to the community at large.


I don't know much about your life beyond these walls
Admitting a lack of knowledge about the person's background or struggles.


The fleeting sense of love within these God forsaken halls
Acknowledging the difficulty of finding true connection and love within a challenging environment.


And I can hear it in his voice in every call
Recognizing the significance of the person found's impact on others' lives and their expressions of gratitude.


This girl who slept a hundred years has something after all
Noting the resilience and value of someone who has overcome great obstacles and struggles.


I'll go alone and never speak of you again
Imagining the possibility of cutting ties with the person found to protect oneself from further hurt or disappointment.


And though I know since you've awakened her again
Reiterating the impact that the person found has already had on another person's life.


She'll go alone and never speak of this again
Further emphasizing the potential desire for privacy after receiving help from the person found.


And though I know since you've awakened her again
Repeating the acknowledgement of the person found's potential to help others.


She depends on you, she depends on you
Repeating the importance of the person found to the person they have helped and may help in the future.


She'll go alone, and never speak of this again
Repeating the potential desire for privacy by the person who received help.


We depend on you, we depend (I depend) on you
Reiterating the importance of the person found to the community at large as well as the singer's personal dependence on them.


(Oh hi!)
Closing with another casual greeting to the person found, highlighting the importance of connection and community.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Porter Robinson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@iiTapeYou

Porter has said that the song was supposed to be about a human boy falling in love with a robot girl. The rest is up to interpretation but I think it's how the Boy awakened this robotic girl and taught her real emotions, and when he passes away (because he is a human) she goes into a sleep and thus the lyrics "You've awakened her again" meaning every time he is reborn, he finds her.. When they sing though "I'll go alone. And never speak of you again" I think that means every period of time when her lover has died she will go into a deep sleep until he returns.

*Edit - I've listened to Goodbye To A World a couple times and I think its possibly the prequel (or could be a sequel ) because the vocaloid sings
Thank you, I'll say goodbye soon,
Though its the end of the world,
Don't blame yourself now
And if its true,
I will surround you and give life to a world
That's our own

At the end of that song it sounds as if the robot is shutting down. In the beginning of this song she sings "Is anyone there? Who survived? Somebody new? (possibly him reborn a new person) Anyone else but you? (this could be interpreted in a couple ways such as she doesn't realize it's him reborn and is hoping her lover is with him or now that he's been reborn she doesn't want to bombard him with weird ideas that he's been reborn, so she is just talking to him in a casual way and knows she has to make him fall in love with her again) On a lonely night was a blinding light (Him being reborn and her waking/ rebooting to a bright night sky )
Also skipping ahead when she says "And you can hear it in his voice in every call, this girl who's slept a hundred years has something after all" It could mean she can hear the reminiscence of the previous him breaking through in the way he speaks. For the hundred years part, it could mean every 100 years he is reborn.

Lastly, I believe since throughout this video a world is being generated as she moves alone, it is her waking up and discovering the new world that has been made and her venturing off to find her lover, and in the end when the hands grasp each other it portrays that they found each other once again.



@inkmuffin1266

>Is ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ?
>Oʜ - Hɪ!
>Wʜᴏ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇᴅ?
>Sᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ɴᴇᴡ?
>Aɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ?
>Oɴ ᴀ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ
Wᴀs ᴀ ʙʟɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ʟɪɢʜᴛ.
>A ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ʙᴏʀɴᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ I ᴋɴᴏᴡ.
>Sɪɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
>Sʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Sʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Sʜᴇ'ʟʟ ɢᴏ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ.
>Aɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴏғ
ᴛʜɪs ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
>Wᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
【=◈︿◈=】
>I'ʟʟ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
【=◈︿◈=】
>I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍᴜᴄʜ
ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪғᴇ
ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟs.
>Tʜᴇ ғʟᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ sᴇɴsᴇ
ᴏғ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ
Gᴏᴅ-ғᴏʀsᴀᴋᴇɴ ʜᴀʟʟs.
>Aɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇᴀʀ ɪᴛ
ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ɪɴ
ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴀʟʟ.
>Tʜɪs ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ's sʟᴇᴘᴛ
ᴀ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴀʀs ʜᴀs
sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.
>I'ʟʟ ɢᴏ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ.
>Aɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴏғ
ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
>Wᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Wᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ I ᴋɴᴏᴡ.
>Sɪɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ
ʜᴇʀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
>Sʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Sʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅs ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
>Sʜᴇ'ʟʟ ɢᴏ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ.
>Aɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴏғ
ᴛʜɪs ᴀɢᴀɪɴ.
>Wᴇ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
【=◈︿◈=】
>I'ʟʟ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ.
【=◈︿◈=】



All comments from YouTube:

@porterrobinson

the music video for “Mirror” is out now: https://youtu.be/PkiIPzG37vQ

@vepehthegreat6757

It's sick

@ardiandhanypratama5300

Second i take it

@morselsofstar

Beautiful <3

@Derpyexe

Noicee, your song is calming

@hodakaishida1743

Grandioso álbum el que se viene Porter.

36 More Replies...

@Proximity

Happy 5th year anniversary to one of the greatest albums of all time.

@sectical6552

It's bringing back memories isn't it?. I came back here from ur story (i dont know much about new yt, idk how is it exactly called) and im so happy that i did it :). Thank you

@filthy_weeaboo3317

DUDE HI, YOU VISITED THIS SONG LOL

@Fede_99

A timeless classic

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