The band originally consisted of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Mike Ratledge, most of whom were former members of The Wilde Flowers in 1966. Later members have included Hugh Hopper, Roy Babbington, Elton Dean, John Etheridge, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, and Allan Holdsworth.
Soft Machine continued on in name, even after all the original founder members moved on; Mike Ratledge was the last to depart in 1976. Numerous offshoots and side projects have included "Soft" in their names: Soft Heap, Soft Head, Soft Works, and the band Matching Mole, a play on words for the French of Soft Machine ('machine molle'). As of 2005, Soft Machine Legacy is a working concern.
Other musicians in the band during the later period were bassists Percy Jones of Brand X and Steve Cook, saxophonists Alan Wakeman and Ray Warleigh, and violinist Ric Sanders. Their 1977 performances and record Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris were among the last for Soft Machine as a working band. The Soft Machine name was used for the 1981 record Land of Cockayne with Jack Bruce and Allan Holdsworth, plus Ray Warleigh and Dick Morrissey on saxes and John Taylor on electric piano, and for a final series of dates at London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in the summer of 1984, featuring Jenkins and Marshall leading an ad-hoc line-up of Etheridge, Warleigh, pianist Dave MacRae and bassist Paul Carmichael.
Pig
Soft Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look more sexy than the tights girls are wearing
But even there, weren't the time wasted
Time that could be spent completely nude, bare, naked?
Virgins are boring
They should be grateful for the things they're ignoring
Why be smug about the time wasted
Knickers and panties
We are groping under knickers and pants
But is it worth it, all that time wasted?
Time we could've spent completely nude, bare, naked
With nothing on at all
Nothing, no clothes on
Nude, naked bare
The lyrics to Soft Machine's Pig explore the concepts of sexuality and nudity, and the societal norms and expectations surrounding them. The opening lines of the song, "Suspenders and stockings, look more sexy than the tights girls are wearing," suggest that there is a societal expectation for women to wear constricting clothing such as tights. The singer, however, believes that going completely nude would be a better use of time, as opposed to wearing clothing for the sake of societal norms.
The second verse expands on this idea, suggesting that the societal expectation for women to remain virgins until marriage is boring and restrictive. The singer believes that those who adhere to this expectation are "smug" about the time they are wasting by not exploring their sexuality. The final verse focuses on the act of groping and exploring undergarments, again suggesting that this is a waste of time that could be spent completely nude.
The song's lyrics, while controversial, challenge societal norms and expectations related to sexuality and nudity, encouraging listeners to question and reject these norms in favor of personal exploration and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
Suspenders and stockings
The items of clothing known as suspenders and stockings are considered to be more sexually appealing than the alternative girls are wearing
Look more sexy than the tights girls are wearing
The aforementioned suspenders and stockings are perceived to be more attractive than the tights that women are currently clad in
But even there, weren't the time wasted
Despite the aforementioned items of clothing being more desirable, the time spent putting them on may not be worth it
Time that could be spent completely nude, bare, naked?
The singer questions whether or not the time spent putting on any form of clothing is worth it at all, and suggests that being completely naked may be preferable
Virgins are boring
The singer believes that individuals who have not yet engaged in sexual activity are lackluster or unexciting
They should be grateful for the things they're ignoring
The aforementioned virgins should appreciate their ignorance of sexual matters and the potential complications that come along with them
Why be smug about the time wasted
The singer questions why these same virgins should be proud or conceited about potentially wasting their time engaging in sexual activity
Time that could be spent completely nude, bare, naked
The singer again proposes that engaging in sexual activity while completely naked may be preferable to wasting time on anything else
Knickers and panties
The singer refers to undergarments commonly worn by women
We are groping under knickers and pants
The act of groping for sexual pleasure is being carried out on the aforementioned undergarments
But is it worth it, all that time wasted?
The singer questions whether or not the act of groping under someone's clothing is worth the time and effort put into it
Time we could've spent completely nude, bare, naked
Again, the singer suggests that the time spent groping one another may be better spent naked
With nothing on at all
The singer concludes the song by emphasizing the fact that being naked is the most desirable state to be in during sexual activity
Nothing, no clothes on
The singer again emphasizes that being naked is preferable to anything else during sexual activity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MIKE RATLEDGE, ROBERT WYATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind