The Gloves single arrived early in 2007, heralding the release of the Horrors' full-length debut, Strange House, which arrived in the U.K. that March and in the U.S. in May. In 2008, Webb and Furse formed the analog synth project Spider & the Flies, and released the album Something Clockwork This Way Comes. For 2009's Primary Colours, the band worked with Cunningham and Portishead's Geoff Barrow as co-producers, opting for a very different sound that mixed shoegaze, post-punk, and goth; the album was released by XL that spring and earned several critical raves, including NME's Album of the Year. In between albums, Badwan teamed with Canadian opera singer Rachel Zeffira for the hazy pop project Cat's Eyes, which released its self-titled debut in early 2011. The Horrors self-produced their follow-up, 2011's Skying, which featured a lighter yet still atmospheric sound that drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and the Psychedelic Furs. In 2012, they released the remix companion album Higher and embarked on an extensive tour. In 2013, they began recording new material with producer Craig Silvey. Early the following year, the single "I See You" reflected the more expansive direction of their fourth album, Luminous, which arrived in May 2014. The Horrors began work on their next full-length with Paul Epworth at London's Church Studios in 2015, and forged a darker, rawer yet still danceable sound that borrowed from '80s post-punk, synth-pop, and '90s dance. The result was V, which arrived in September 2017.
Biography by Heather Phares
There are other artists with the same name:
2) A garage rock/punk band from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which formed in 1997 and broke up in 2003. They released two albums, The Horrors (2000) and Vent (2003). Singer/guitarist Paul Cary recently released his debut album, Ghost of a Man, on Candy Dinner Records in 2010.
3) An American psychedelic rock group active in the 1960s, best known for their single "Briar Patch".
For much more information, go to the band's official forum, "The Horum", and official Myspace.
Machine
The Horrors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But read out your lines
And bring the fantasy to life
You taste like a ghost
A cold simulation
So close to the truth
A costume jewel, an off-white lie
Keep it in mind now
Insect in amber, the death of a star
Now and forever
'Cause you will never, never, never, be
Yeah you will never, never, never, be
More than a machine
A trace of a smile
A sly imitation
Light with no heat
An empty cry in silent streets
Your mannequin moves
You ghost through the motions
Who do you think it is
That keeps this scene alive?
Insect in amber, is that what you are?
Keep it in mind now
Insect in amber, the death of a star
Now and forever
'Cause you will never, never, never, be
Yeah you will never, never, never, be
More than a machine
Insect in amber forever you are
Keep that in mind now
Insect in amber the death of a star
Keep that in mind now
No going back and there's no one to tell
Nowhere to turn, better turn on yourself
No more disguises to find a way out
And you will never never be
You will never never never be
In "Machine" by The Horrors, the lyrics explore the concept of human emotions and the idea of being more than just a machine. The opening lines "Your smile is nothing to live for, but read out your lines and bring the fantasy to life" suggest a detachment from reality and the use of artificial means to create a facade of happiness. The comparison to a "costume jewel, an off-white lie" implies a cheap imitation of true emotions. The lines "You taste like a ghost, a cold simulation, so close to the truth" further emphasize the idea of artificiality and the lack of depth in the persona being portrayed.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "insect in amber, is that what you are?" which is a metaphor for being frozen in time and not being able to evolve or grow. The line "you will never, never, never, be more than a machine" further emphasizes this idea of stagnation and inability to break free from the persona being portrayed. The second verse talks about the "mannequin moves" and "ghost through the motions" suggesting that the person is just going through the motions and lacks true emotions.
The ending of the song "No going back and there's no one to tell, nowhere to turn, better turn on yourself, no more disguises to find a way out" suggests a sense of hopelessness and the realization that there is no escape from this artificial persona. The overall tone of the song is somber and introspective, exploring the depths of human emotions and questioning the reality of these emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Your smile is nothing to live for
Your smile is meaningless and cannot sustain life
But read out your lines
Recite your script or lines as instructed
And bring the fantasy to life
Bring the fabricated scenario to reality
You taste like a ghost
Your essence is insubstantial and hard to define
A cold simulation
An emotionless mimicry of something real
So close to the truth
Almost indistinguishable from reality
A costume jewel, an off-white lie
A fake and inferior substitute for the real thing
Insect in amber, is that what you are?
Are you trapped and preserved in a state of artificiality?
Keep it in mind now
Remember this thought
Insect in amber, the death of a star
Like a star that has burned out and died, you are also trapped and unchanging
Now and forever
For all time
'Cause you will never, never, never, be
You will forever be incapable of
Yeah you will never, never, never, be
You will forever be incapable of
More than a machine
Being anything beyond a mindless automaton
A trace of a smile
Only a hint or suggestion of a smile
A sly imitation
A sneaky copy of something else
Light with no heat
Brightness without any warmth or passion
An empty cry in silent streets
A pointless shout in a deserted area
Your mannequin moves
Your movements are stiff and mechanical
You ghost through the motions
You appear as a ghost or apparition while you perform your actions
Who do you think it is
Who do you imagine is responsible
That keeps this scene alive?
That sustains this ongoing scenario?
Insect in amber forever you are
You will be permanently trapped and unchanging, like an insect in amber
No going back and there's no one to tell
You cannot return and there is no one to confide in
Nowhere to turn, better turn on yourself
There are no options left, so you must confront yourself
No more disguises to find a way out
You cannot invent any more false appearances to escape
And you will never never be
You can never achieve
You will never never never be
You can never achieve
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Faris Badwan, Joseph Spurgeon, Joshua Hayward, Rhys Webb, Tom Cowan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@manicpixiedreamgirl-yeahit8857
[Verse 1]
Your smile is nothing to live for
But read out your lines
And bring the fantasy to life
You taste like a ghost
A cold simulation
So close to the truth
A costume jewel, an off-white lie
[Pre-Chorus]
Insect in amber, is that what you are?
Keep it in mind now
Insect in amber, the death of a star
Now and forever
[Chorus]
Because you will never, never, never, be
Yeah you will never, never, never, be
More than a machine
[Verse 2]
A trace of a smile
A sly imitation
Light with no heat
An empty cry in silent streets
Your mannequin moves
You ghost through the motions
Who do you think it is
That keeps this scene alive?
[Pre-Chorus]
Insect in amber, is that what you are?
Keep it in mind now
Insect in amber, the death of a star
Now and forever
[Chorus]
Because you will never, never, never, be
Yeah you will never, never, never, be
More than a machine
[Outro]
Insect in amber forever you are
Keep that in mind now
Insect in amber the death of a star
Keep that in mind now
No going back and there’s no one to tell
Nowhere to turn, better turn on yourself
No more disguises to find a way out
And you will never never be
Because you will never never never be
Yeah you will never never never be
@stephftw12
The Horrors are constantly changing their sound in each album and never cease to amaze me how much they continue to progress in the music world! This new album is going to be epic!
@splinter360
This is hardly progression. If anything it sounds more mature and less gung ho.
@jethfco498
The Smashing Pumpkins/Heavy Metal Machine/Machina the Machines of God (2000), now do you think this is innovative?
@casucasueq4479
I know what you mean steph. Dont let these internet music critics get you down. The new 2021 albums demo songs are out, Lout etc. Sadly thier new sonic adventures stray from my musical tastes. Although I've only heard the demo so there is still hope yet :)
@Aiur
Honestly, one of the heaviest horrors tracks and so damn underrated- this hits so HARD LIVE
@davidalvarezguzman3389
That ethereal, yet dark and dirty sound... welcome back!
@zucchini_flowers
The visuals.... Absolutely stunning. I wish I could have a slowmo of this video as a live wallpaper on my phone
@tvacchino
Wow! Their new stuff has that darker Gary Numan vibe to it. Nice!
@casucasueq4479
This album really had some gems. I heard Lout the other day, a preview of the 2021 album... its maybe an acquired taste, I hope :(
@theIATPpodcast
Man, they've come a long way since since Strange House. I've enjoyed all their records and can't wait for V. My favorite thus far is still Primary Colours.