The group recorded two studio albums and a live album before dissolving in 1992, when Bowie returned to his solo career. The group was generally reviled, often receiving scathing critical reviews.
David Bowie’s Never Let Me Down album (already a move into slightly "harder" rock territory) and subsequent "Glass Spider Tour" had been savaged by critics, and the singer was aware of his low stock. Eager to return to making music for himself rather than the mainstream audience he had acquired following the Let's Dance album, Bowie began collaborating with Reeves Gabrels (who pushed the singer to rediscover his experimental side and went on to work closely with Bowie for much of the next decade) and multi-instrumentalist Erdal Kizilcay on new material in 1988. The first fruits of this came with a new version of Bowie’s 1979 song "Look Back in Anger", performed at the "Intruders At The Palace" benefit concert on 1 July 1988. They then began to plan a concept album based on Steven Berkoff's play East as a Bowie solo album, but this idea was scrapped. Bowie and Gabrels began working with producer Tim Palmer on new material. Bowie then recruited brothers Hunt Sales and Tony Sales (the sons of comedian Soupy Sales) as a rhythm section. Bowie had worked with them on Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life album and ran into them at a party in Los Angeles around this time.
The Sales brothers moved the tone of the sessions in Nassau away from art-rock and more towards hard rock, and Bowie looked to one of his favorite bands at the time, Pixies, for inspiration. The Sales brothers heckled Bowie into greater spontaneity, with most songs recorded in one take, and lyrics left unpolished, thus giving the band a ragged, punk rock edge similar to the Pixies.
The group chose the name Tin Machine after one of the songs they had written (Gabrels would later credit the Sales brothers with this choice). The group set up allowed Bowie a certain level of anonymity, much needed after his 1980s overexposure, and he was happy to let the rest of the band (notably Hunt Sales) take the lead in interviews.
The band’s self-titled first album (Tin Machine) produced mixed but generally positive reviews on release in May 1989, picking up favorable comparisons with Bowie’s three more recent solo albums. However, many critics were scornful of Bowie’s latest attempt to reinvent himself as a bearded band-member. Commercially, the album initially sold well, reaching #3 in the UK charts, but sales quickly tailed off. The band undertook a low-key tour in small venues between 14 June and 3 July 1989, before further recording sessions in Sydney, Australia. During these sessions Tin Machine contributed to a surfing compilation album called Beyond the Beach, with a new instrumental song titled "Needles on the Beach.
The group then went on hiatus while Bowie conducted his solo "Sound+Vision Tour." In December 1990, Bowie split from EMI. Both parties stated that the split was amicable, although it is believed EMI refused to release another Tin Machine album in an exasperated attempt to secure another album similar to Let's Dance. In March 1991, the group signed to Victory Music, a new label launched by JVC and distributed worldwide by London Records and Polygram, and recorded more new material. This was combined with tracks from the Sydney sessions to form Tin Machine II album. This time the commercial success was even more fleeting, and Bowie was already tired of being shackled to a group set-up. From 5 October 1991 to 17 February 1992, the group undertook a larger tour, known as the "It's My Life Tour". The band was joined on this tour by guitarist Eric Schermerhorn, who would go on to play with Bowie's friend Iggy Pop.
Tracks from this tour were released on the July 1992 album Tin Machine Live - Oy Vey, Baby. Shortly afterwards, Bowie returned to solo recording with his single “Real Cool World” and the band dissolved.
Bowie promised Tin Machine III or at the very least a boxed-set of unreleased material in the mid-1990s, but his solo career had taken precedence, making him reluctant to dedicate energy to an old project. He continued to work with Gabrels, spanning four albums after Tin Machine: Black Tie White Noise (Gabrels contributed to only one track), Outside, Earthling, and Hours. After the last album, Gabrels felt that Bowie was moving in a softer, gentler direction that he did not want to travel in, so the two parted ways professionally. In some interviews he has also indicated his disappointment in the retrospective projects Bowie was planning at the time (the Toy album, which never surfaced, as well as the Ziggy 2002 project) played a part in his parting with Bowie.
Tin Machine
Tin Machine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tin machine
Take me anywhere
somewhere without alcohol
Or goons with muddy hair
Tin machine
Tin machine
Tin machine
The zombies that I pass
The guy that beats his baby up
The preachers and their past
Tin machine
Tin machine
Tin machine
Baby doll
Baby doll
Clarity and power
There's more than money moving here
There's mindless maggot glare
Working horrors-humping Tories
Spittle on their chins
Carving up my children's future
Read 'em pal and grin
Raging raging raging
Burning in my room
Come on and get a good idea
Come on and get it soon
I'm waiting on the fire escape
I'm not exactly well
I'm neither red nor black nor white
I'm gray and blown to hell
Tin machine
Tin machine
Make some new computer thing
That puts me on the moon
Not this psycho-time-bomb planet
Poised to meet its maker
Shake a leg
Tin machine
Tin machine
One sick deathless duty to remain endangered species
They reach right out to touch someone
Then wash their crusty hands
Tin machine
Tin machine
Baby doll
Baby doll
Blue suede tuneless wonders
Mass confusion-faithless blues
Night that spews out watchmen
Mopping up another fortune
Fractured words and branca-sonic
Anger trapped behind locked doors
And right between the eyes
The song "Tin Machine" by the band Tin Machine is a poignant commentary on society and human nature. The repetition of the phrase "Tin Machine" throughout the song serves as a motif for the industrial, mechanical nature of modern society, where individuals are merely cogs in a larger, uncaring system. The singer pleads for a way out of this oppressive existence, asking to be taken "anywhere/somewhere without alcohol/Or goons with muddy hair."
The song also addresses the darker aspects of society, such as violence against children and the greed of political leaders. The singer sees the world around him as filled with "zombies," "goons," and "preachers and their past," and he is fueled by a righteous anger against the injustices he sees. Despite this anger, however, the singer acknowledges his own vulnerability and uncertainty, referring to himself as "gray and blown to hell."
Overall, "Tin Machine" is a powerful commentary on the harsh realities of society, challenging listeners to confront and question the systems that define their everyday lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Tin machine
The persona of the singer is being referred to as Tin Machine.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Take me anywhere
The singer wants to go anywhere.
somewhere without alcohol
The artist doesn't want to go to a place with alcohol.
Or goons with muddy hair
The artist doesn't want to go to a place with people who are violent.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
The zombies that I pass
The artist sees people in a tired and lifeless state.
The guy that beats his baby up
The singer sees someone physically abusing their child.
The preachers and their past
The artist sees religious figures with questionable pasts.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the singer's identity.
Baby doll
The artist refers to themselves as Baby Doll.
Baby doll
The artist refers to themselves as Baby Doll.
Clarity and power
The singer values mental clarity and power.
There's more than money moving here
The singer believes that there are important things at play other than just money.
There's mindless maggot glare
The artist sees a lot of mindless, empty people.
Working horrors-humping Tories
The artist dislikes politicians.
Spittle on their chins
The politicians are so angry that they are spitting.
Carving up my children's future
The singer is concerned about what kind of future their children will have.
Read 'em pal and grin
The artist is being sarcastic, suggesting that the politicians don't care about people like him.
Raging raging raging
The singer is very angry.
Burning in my room
The singer is consumed by anger and has been brooding in their room.
Come on and get a good idea
The singer wants someone to come up with a good solution.
Come on and get it soon
The artist wants someone to come up with a good solution quickly.
I'm waiting on the fire escape
The artist is waiting on the fire escape.
I'm not exactly well
The singer is struggling with their mental and emotional state.
I'm neither red nor black nor white
The singer doesn't identify with any particular group or ideology.
I'm gray and blown to hell
The artist is gray (neither good nor bad) but they feel like they've been through a lot.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Make some new computer thing
The singer wants someone to create a new technology.
That puts me on the moon
The artist wants to travel to the moon.
Not this psycho-time-bomb planet
The singer thinks that the world is dangerous and unstable.
Poised to meet its maker
The singer thinks that the world is on the brink of destruction.
Shake a leg
The singer is telling someone to hurry up.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
One sick deathless duty to remain endangered species
The singer thinks that humans have a dangerous and self-destructive nature.
They reach right out to touch someone
People want to connect with others.
Then wash their crusty hands
People aren't willing to take responsibility for what they've done.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Tin machine
Repetition of the first line to put emphasis on the artist's identity.
Baby doll
The singer refers to themselves as Baby Doll.
Baby doll
The artist refers to themselves as Baby Doll.
Blue suede tuneless wonders
The singer dislikes Elvis Presley.
Mass confusion-faithless blues
The singer thinks that people are confused and don't believe in anything.
Night that spews out watchmen
The singer dislikes people who are obsessed with security.
Mopping up another fortune
The artist thinks that people make money at the expense of others.
Fractured words and branca-sonic
The artist is using nonsense language to express their feelings.
Anger trapped behind locked doors
The singer is angry and feels like they can't express themselves.
And right between the eyes
The singer thinks that people need to face the truth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: David Bowie, Hunt Sales, Reeves Gabrels, Tony Sales
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind