Thom's words on the song and why it was a bside "Ain't no fat on this record, it's a lean motherfucker. Short records are a good idea. 40 minutes is the length of a school lesson, isn't it? Besides, we didn't have a lot left over. There's a b-side called 'Drunk Machine', which was cool, but The Eraser has a nice sheen to it, and if we put that in, it would have been like putting a massive stink bomb in the middle of the record."
Spin, July 2006
The Drunkk Machine
Thom Yorke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spitting nonsense
Spitting feathers
Talking in tongues
Swivelling heads
Splitting hairs
Don’t listen
Who is driving?
Aquaplaning
Hold on
I got a bad feeling
I got a bad feeling
I got a bad feeling
Don’t listen
Swivelling heads
The drunkk machine
Spits
Who put it in charge?
The lyrics to Thom Yorke's song The Drunkk Machine paint a picture of a chaotic and disorienting environment, where the titular drunk machine is spewing nonsense and talking in tongues, causing swiveling heads and splitting hairs. Yorke warns the listener to not listen to this chaos, and asks who is driving the drunken machine, over which he has a bad feeling. The repetition of "swiveling heads" and the spitting of nonsense by the machine create a vivid image of confusion and disorientation, adding to the feeling of unease and anxiety the song produces.
Symbolically, The Drunkk Machine can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but it seems clear that Yorke is using the image of a drunk machine to critique a society that has become awash in meaningless chatter and vitriol. The question of who is driving the machine points to a larger issue of control and power, where it's unclear who is really in charge and what the ultimate consequences will be. The repetition of "don't listen" can be seen as a call to action to tune out the noise and seek clarity, while the sense of unease and foreboding suggests that there may not be a clear way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
The drunkk machine
This is about a person who is completely intoxicated and is referred to as a machine.
Spitting nonsense
The person is talking without making any sense and is spewing meaningless words.
Spitting feathers
The person is so drunk that they are coughing and choking while talking.
Talking in tongues
The person is speaking incoherently and not making any sense.
Swivelling heads
People are turning their heads because they are either confused or disgusted by the intoxicated person's behavior.
Splitting hairs
The intoxicated person is being overly particular about things that don't matter.
Don’t listen
The listeners are advised to ignore the words of the intoxicated person.
Who is driving?
The person is questioning who is in control of the situation.
Aquaplaning
The person feels unsteady and out of control, much like a car hydroplaning on wet pavement.
Hold on
The person is urging others to brace themselves for what's to come.
I got a bad feeling
The person is expressing their intuition that something is not right and things may get worse.
Swivelling heads
People are still turning their heads in confusion or disgust, emphasizing just how bad the situation is.
The drunkk machine
Reiterating the original metaphor to emphasize just how out of control and dangerous the situation has become.
Spits
Just like a machine, the person is spitting out words without any real thought or purpose.
Who put it in charge?
The person is questioning who gave the intoxicated person the power to be in charge of the situation.
Contributed by Charlotte V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.