The band consisted of three members, Robin Proper-Sheppard (born Gary Sheppard) (guitar/vocals), Jimmy Fernandez (bass) and Ronald Austin (drums), and they first performed officially under the name The God Machine in 1991. They released an EP, Purity with the record label Eve, and were later given contracts with the label Fiction. They released two albums in their career, both with their trademark dark and industrial-sounding alternative rock, before Jimmy Fernandez suddenly died from a cancerous brain tumor in 1994. Robin went on to form The Flower Shop Recordings label, and bands Sophia and The May Queens.
The first full-length album, Scenes from the second storey, was released in 1993.
Their second album, One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying, was recognized by Alternative Press as one of the "90 greatest albums of the 90s" (#88) in their December 1998 issue.
Their San Diego incarnation was called Society Line and also featured guitarist Albert Amman, who left the band before its move to London.
Alone
The God Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sky is grey
Like veins in the side
Of a mountain
And I sit in the company of kings
That speak of their riches freely
And I sit in the company of kings
I stare out the window when it's cold
I think god I must be getting old
I look at the walls while I'm counting the stars
Every wish has a name, I just wish I knew what they were
And there's a girl outside
That says you'll never understand so don't...
So don't even try
In The God Machine's song "Alone," the band paints a picture of a desolate and lonely landscape. Through the opening stanza, one can envision a barren forest and cloudy skies, for the singer expresses that the "trees are bare and the sky is grey, like veins in the side of a mountain." The singer then proceeds to describe his company, which is composed of kings who speak of their riches freely, yet the singer still feels alone. This feeling is palpable through his detached tone and repetition of the phrase "And I sit in the company of kings," emphasizing his isolation.
Throughout the second stanza, the singer's loneliness becomes even more pronounced, as he stares out the window, realizing his mortality and age. He also references counting stars on the walls and how every wish has a name, but he doesn't know what they are, further depicting a sense of deep longing and uncertainty. In the final lines of the song, a girl outside tells the singer that he'll never understand and shouldn't even try, signifying a sense of resignation and the idea that the singer is futilely searching for something he may never find.
Overall, "Alone" is a raw and haunting track that captures the melancholy of loneliness and introspection. Through the use of vivid imagery and repetition, The God Machine creates a vivid portrait of a desolate world and a narrator desperately searching for something that may never be found.
Line by Line Meaning
The trees are bare
The natural beauty has deteriorated
And the sky is grey
The surroundings are dull and gloomy
Like veins in the side
The pattern is something unusual in the mountain
Of a mountain
The contrast between the mundane and the extraordinary
And I sit in the company of kings
Surrounded by people who have a lot in the form of materialistically rich people
That speak of their riches freely
They brag about their wealth excessively
I stare out the window when it's cold
Silent contemplation during an unfavourable weather condition
I think god I must be getting old
The realization that age has caught up and there are fewer days to make significant life-altering changes
I look at the walls while I'm counting the stars
Indulging in imagination due to boredom
Every wish has a name, I just wish I knew what they were
Knowing the right words to articulate thoughts and desires effectively
And there's a girl outside
A bystander urge warning against the imminent dangers of pursuing this line of thought
That says you'll never understand so don't...
Heed the warning and stop the course of action
So don't even try
It's not worth the trouble and you surely won't understand after all
Contributed by Jeremiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Evans
The albums are indeed available. You can find them on Amazon, although you'll have to order them from private sellers. I had to pay between 25 and 30 dollars for both this album and the other one ("Scenes From The Second Storey"). Money WELL spent... visceral, gut-bucket stuff... full of darkness but also power, and affirmation of the human condition. Proper-Sheppard's later stuff with Sophia is also GREAT. More people need to know about this band and about him.
Gabriele Pauri
Stupendi! Li adoro da sempre
Method Sinik
Condivido a pieno!
Sébastien Monot-Ratieuville
one of the best bands from my teenage darkened years....
joepauljoe
Thanks for posting these songs,...so many folks don`t know about The God Machine and they truly are one of my favs.
Sonny Karlsson
Great song, love the bass, awesome band
Sal Saccheri
Absolutely, man. Great group....and Robin is still doing his thing.
tehf00n
much appreciated. thisd one is a gem :)
Mayhem 74
Great song by a great band. i don't think they were underrated as success was almost a given when bassist Jimmy Fernandez died tragically and suddenly of a brain tumour. By the time the second album was released The God Machine had effectively ceased to exist. Big loss all round.
Zenden San
Superbe!!!