The Operator
The Coral Lyrics

The Coral's song "The Operator" is a haunting and eerie track that tells the story of a person who has been taken away by unknown operators, with those around them appearing to find the situation amusing. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the person being subjected to invasive medical procedures, with their memories and thoughts being tampered with.

The opening line of the song, "The operators came and took me away," immediately sets the tone for the rest of the piece - the sense of powerlessness and loss of control that can come from being subjected to someone else's will. The repetition of the line "They took me away" only reinforces this feeling. When the persona says "Everybody laughed," it further emphasizes how everything that is happening to them is out of their control, even the reactions of those around them.

The central mystery of the song is what the operators are looking for or trying to achieve by taking the person away. The line "Don't think I'll ever know" highlights the sense of futility that the person feels in trying to understand their captors' motives. The description of the medical procedure they undergo is disturbing and surreal, with the drilling of the head and the wires inserted into the brain creating a grotesque image.

Overall, the song can be seen as a commentary on the idea of control and manipulation, and the sense of violation that can come from others tampering with our thoughts and memories. The verses conjure up images of mental imprisonment and disorientation, while the chorus paints a picture of escape and survival - into a world that the cameras cannot see.