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.
The Life Song
The God Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spent trying to deny these
Things inside
And if I sould doubt you
And if I should doubt you
Just give that doubt time
All of my life
Spent trying to deny these
And if I should doubt you
And if I should doubt you
Just give that doubt time
And what do you see
And what do you see my love
And what do you see when you look on the inside my love
My love...
The Life Song by The God Machine seems to be a song about introspection and the struggle to confront one's inner demons. The singer speaks of spending their entire life trying to deny these "things inside" which could refer to personal struggles, secrets, or even darker aspects of their personality. The doubt mentioned in the lyrics could refer to doubt in oneself or doubt in a higher power, as the line "and if I should doubt you" suggests. However, the singer seems to be urging whoever they are speaking to- possibly a lover or even a higher power- to give that doubt time. This suggests that doubt may eventually lead to clarity and self-realization.
Line by Line Meaning
All of my life
Throughout my entire existence
Spent trying to deny these
I have been attempting to reject and ignore these things
Things inside
The emotions and thoughts I harbor within myself
And if I sould doubt you
If I ever lose faith in you
And if I should doubt you
If I ever lose faith in you
Just give that doubt time
Allow me the opportunity to work through my doubts and fears
And what do you see
What is it that you perceive
And what do you see my love
What do you perceive, my beloved
And what do you see when you look on the inside my love
What is your perception of my innermost being, my love
My love...
Endearment towards the person being addressed
Contributed by Alexis B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.