Washing Machine
Slowcoaster Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They invited me into the drugstore
I fixed
I fixed
I fixed
Her washing machine
Washing machine
Dirty clothes clean
Washing machine

She wore a checkered dress
A checkered dress
Just like the rest
Just like the rest
I sat at her desk
In her checkered dress

She came from East Berlin
From East Berlin
Well I've never been
I've never been
To East Berlin
I've never been

They invited me into the drugstore
I fixed
I fixed
I fixed
Her washing machine
Washing machine




Dirty clothes clean
Washing machine

Overall Meaning

The Slowcoaster song "Washing Machine" seems to be telling a story about someone being invited into a drugstore to fix a girl's washing machine. The repetitive nature of the lyrics emphasizes the act of fixing the washing machine, which is the central theme of the song. The repeated use of the phrase "washing machine" and "dirty clothes clean" suggests that this act of fixing the machine and making clothes clean is symbolic of cleansing or purification, both literally and metaphorically.


The next verse introduces a girl wearing a "checkered dress" who seems to be just like everyone else. This emphasizes the idea of conformity and how people tend to blend in and follow the crowd. The repetition of the phrase "just like the rest" emphasizes the idea of sameness and how people tend to conform to society's norms and expectations. The next line mentions sitting at her desk in her checkered dress, which could be interpreted as the singer taking on her persona or perhaps being attracted to her.


Finally, the song mentions a girl from East Berlin and how the singer has never been there. This seems to suggest that the song is set in the post-Cold War era when East and West Berlin were still divided. This line also emphasizes the idea of separation and how people can be divided by boundaries, both physical and metaphorical.


Overall, "Washing Machine" seems to be a meditation on conformity, cleansing, and separation. The repetitive nature of the lyrics emphasizes the idea of cleansing and purification, while the references to conformity and separation suggest the difficulties of breaking free from societal norms and boundaries.


Line by Line Meaning

They invited me into the drugstore
I was invited into a place where drugs are sold


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


Her washing machine
The thing I repaired was a washing machine that belonged to her


Washing machine
The repaired washing machine was a machine that washes clothes


Dirty clothes clean
The washing machine repaired by me was able to clean her dirty clothes


Washing machine
The repaired washing machine was a machine that washes clothes


She wore a checkered dress
She was wearing a dress made of squares in different colors


A checkered dress
Her dress was made of squares in different colors


Just like the rest
Her dress looked like the dresses other people wear


Just like the rest
Her dress looked like the dresses other people wear


I sat at her desk
I sat down at a piece of furniture used for working or studying that belonged to her


In her checkered dress
She was still wearing her dress made of squares in different colors when I sat at her desk


She came from East Berlin
She was from a city called Berlin that was located in the eastern part of Germany


From East Berlin
The place she came from was a city called Berlin that was located in the eastern part of Germany


Well I've never been
I have not had the chance to visit the city of Berlin


I've never been
I have not had the chance to visit the city of Berlin


To East Berlin
I have not had the chance to visit the city called Berlin that was located in the eastern part of Germany


They invited me into the drugstore
I was invited into a place where drugs are sold


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


I fixed
I repaired something that was broken


Her washing machine
The thing I repaired was a washing machine that belonged to her


Washing machine
The repaired washing machine was a machine that washes clothes


Dirty clothes clean
The washing machine repaired by me was able to clean her dirty clothes


Washing machine
The repaired washing machine was a machine that washes clothes




Contributed by Brooklyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@KeithBlade

another gem from branch, what an amazing talent.

@ermonski

As much as I loved The Spirit Room, I love this album more.

@henrivalencia21

good times. good songs.

@yourmother1000000000

Another great Michelle Branch song... Not surprised it's one of the few indie pubed songs with lyric videos I've ever heard of. Can we do a petition to ask Michelle to come back?

@austincooley6643

I know this was 2 years ago, but she’s back!! 🥲I’m so happy!!😍

@SMD24

I wish Michelle had re-recorded some of these songs when Spirit Room part 1 released like this one