Memory
Yellow Machinegun Lyrics

The lyrics to the song "Memory" by Yellow Machinegun are filled with a sense of uncertainty and confusion, as the singer struggles to make sense of their surroundings and the passage of time. The opening lines, "When I woke up there was nothing / But I'm sure / this soft machine is alive," suggest a state of disorientation, as if the singer is just coming to consciousness and is unsure of their surroundings. The phrase "soft machine" is a reference to the 1961 novel of the same name by William S. Burroughs, which explores the themes of identity, control, and addiction. The idea of a "soft machine" implies a sense of fragility and fluidity, as if the singer's sense of self is constantly shifting and changing.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their memories of being in this place before, as if they are caught in some kind of time loop. They describe an "everlasting dream" and the "memory of coming here," suggesting that they have experienced this place before and are somehow stuck in a cycle. The line "Time passes, layers, collapses" reinforces this sense of temporal dislocation, as if the singer is experiencing time in a nonlinear way.

The chorus of the song offers a glimmer of hope, as the singer suggests that they may "be here tomorrow" and that the people around them may "sound like this" again. However, the final lines of the song repeat the same refrain as before, suggesting that the cycle will continue indefinitely. The sense of uncertainty and confusion in the lyrics is further emphasized by the sparse instrumentation of the song, which consists of little more than a hypnotic drumbeat and a distorted guitar riff.