Regina Spektor: Machine Meaning

Machine Lyrics

My eyes are bifocal
My hands are sec-jointed
I live in the future
In my pre-war apartment
And I count all my blessing
I have friends in high places
And I'm upgraded daily
All my wires without traces

Hooked into machine
Hooked into...

1. anonymous

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   May 25th 2019 !⃝

   The artist of this song, Regina Spektor, was born in 1980 in the Soviet Union at the height of communism, and this song seems to have heavy references to communism and utopian/dystopian societies. Along with those references, themes of conformity, obedience and deindividuation begin to stand out.
   The song is a metaphor for conformity, as the speaker seems too be some sort of a perfect cyborg that is “hooked into machine”. The machine represents society, and the speaker is ‘hooked into’ it. She is so tethered to the rest of society that she is lacking her own voice among the many, and as she is so connected to everyone else, she cannot distinguish herself or her thoughts from those of others. The lyrics also mention that the speaker is “part of a composite”, another nod to the fact that she is not an individual, but part of a larger picture. Her identity is not herself as an individual, but rather as part of an amalgam. She must comply with the wishes of the group, and she is not allowed to have her own thoughts.
   Obedience is another overarching theme of this piece, as it goes hand-in-hand with conformity. It especially deals with authority figures and “friends in high places”. She must be obedient in her conformity, following what her superiors tell her to believe despite what she might believe herself. By saying “I collect my moments / Into a correspondence / With a mightier power / Who just lacks my perspective” she is saying that she shifts her beliefs to those of an authority figure, likely out of fear. She also mentions that the superior lacks her perspective, possibly causing cognitive dissonance as she obeys the superior rather than herself.
   Another theme of this piece is deindividuation arising from the conformity. The metaphor of the machine represents a lack of individuality, as machines cannot express thoughts, feelings, or emotions. The repetition of the “hooked into machine” highlights the extreme lack of individuality that the speaker feels, as they are rooted to society. They have no personal identity anymore, and aren’t allowed to have one.
   Another interpretation to this song is dependency on technology, and how we as a society are losing ourselves in the constant connection of the internet. Contributors on Genius Lyrics have said that we are “so interconnected in this day and age, and it’s so hard to divide and realize your own thoughts, ideas, and biases from those of others.” Technology has brought us together, but it might be bringing us too close together. We are able to communicate instantly with anyone at any time, and are constantly bombarded with opinions that it’s hard to tell what thoughts are really our own. As well, it suggests that we are becoming dependent of technology and are “hooked” on it.

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