Ecstacy is all you need
Living in the big machine now
Oh, you're so vain
Now your world is way too fast
Nothin's real and nothing lasts
And I'm aware

I'm in love but you don't care
Turn your anger into lust
I'm still here, but you don't trust at all
And I'll be waiting

Love and sex and loneliness
Take what's yours and leave the rest
So I'll survive
God, it's good to be alive

And I'm torn in pieces
I'm lyin there waiting for
My heart is reeling
I'm blind and waiting for you

Silly love with all your sins
Wait and stop and I begin
And I'll - I'll be waitin'
Livin' like a house on fire
What you fear is your desire
It's hard to deal
I still love the way you feel

Now this angry little girl
Drownin in this petty world
And I'm who you run to
Swallow all your bitter pills
That's what makes you beautiful
You're all a lie
I won't leave what you ain't got

And I'm torn in pieces
I'm lyin there waiting for
My heart is reeling
I'm blind and waiting for you

I'm blind and waiting for you
I'm blind and waiting for you

And I can't believe it's coming true
God, it's good to be alive
I'm still here and waitin' for you
And I can't believe it's coming true
I'm blind and waiting for you



Lyrics submitted by shadynut

Track duration: 03:10

"Big Machine" as written by John Rzeznik

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Big Machine song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about a man who falls for a woman and he used to just go the way of everything else in the world living for the feeling of feeling good, (ecstasty is all you need, living in the big machine) he meets a woman who has never lived for that and although she cares for him she thinks shes worth more than he can offer(ah youre so vain.) (now your world is way too fast, nothing's real and nothing lasts) now she is doing what he did i can only assume it means promiscuity, and now her world is going by way too fast she has nothing to hold onto and nothing lasts (well im aware im in love but you don't care) he is aware that he is in love with her but shes trying to fill the void she feels from his history with other people. (turn your anger into lust, im still here but you dont trust at all, and ill be waiting) shes going off and turning her anger towards him into having sex with other men because she doesnt trust that he isnt still doing it but he's still waiting.(Love and sex and loneliness Take what’s yours and leave the rest
    So I’ll survive God it’s good to be alive)he wants her to decide on love, sex or being alone because her promiscuity is hurting him now. (I’m torn in peaces I’m blind and waiting for My heart is realign I’m blind and waiting for you) its tearing him apart and hes turning a blind eye to it like she couldnt and waiting to have her back, he is heartsick. (Still in love with all your sins Where you stop then I’ll begin and I’ll, I’ll be waiting) now she has become like he used to be "where you stop and i begin" she has become what hurt her in the first place but hes still waiting and not fooling around.(Living like a house on fire
    What you fear is your desire It’s hard to deal I still love the way you feel.) now shes becoming smaller and become what she fears, shes addicted and craves it now, its hard for him to deal with it but he still loves the way she feels. (Now this angry little girl,Drowning in this petty world,And I'm, Who you run to).now shes angry and falling into the big machine which is the flow of the world and hes the one she runs to (Swallow all your bitter pills,That's what makes you beautiful.) she swallows her anger and bitterness and comes running to him and that is what he loves about her (You're all or not,I don't need what you ain't got.) wether or not she is complete or a shell of what she used to be she is all he needs
    Flag menacingbeautyon September 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with bee happy. That is what I have always interpreted
    Flag MangaChick777on April 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:ok everyone needs to know about the context here. The goos started out in buffalo and moved to LA after the recording of their Dizzy Up The Girl Album in 1998. This song is from the Gutterflower album written in 02. This album coincided with lead singer Johnnie Rzeznics divorce with his wife and hence this song refers to LA as "the big machine" and contains many references to his divorce. Despite apparently still being in love "im blind and waiting for you", "i'm in love but you dont care", the singer realises that it is important not to take everything so seriously to survive in the "big machine" of LA, and that joy and "ecstasy is all you need"
    Flag skuzlakon July 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I am in love with this song. I feel like the first poster...I'm no good at telling meanings but I am becoming a fan of Goo Goo Dolls and I wonder why it took ME so long! But I love this and other older songs of theirs, not so much the new stuff.
    Flag ChloeGirldieon May 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i have to say that this song is absolutely awesome. definitely makes my top... well... actually there are way too many which all tie to get it down to 10, but watever lol.

    but i think i agree with PRtwilight85 the most, but also with kavna. i always thought it was about life in general, but now i think that its probably just about both. besides, i dont really think that it matters what the song is about, because although that is interesting and all, i think its most important that it means something to whoever is listening.

    xx
    Flag BlackBalloonBabyon March 29, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:like half the other people on here, this song reminds me of an ex.
    Flag lightlytoasted89on January 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree with everyone else i think its such a good song for our time i mean look at the world we live in where the only people we have to look up to is brittney spears or paris hilton or any other Laguna beach fake people its kinda just sick and depressing i think its also right about how johnny is in love with a girl i think he just wants to find someone real and i think he found her but she's just so shallow and stuck up with herself that she cant even relize what she wants he's ready to show her something new and something thats actually real but she's still too confused on what life really is. I've been in a relationship where your just so confused its tearing you up and you just want to show them everything but they will never really know what it is
    Flag fakelineson January 19, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:By the way, I read it was "Love is angry little girl" not "Now this angey little girl" but I am not sure :P
    Flag noachianon November 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:PRtwilight85 and Bee-Happy I think you two might have got it. It is obviously an unrequited love story. The boy likes the girl and she lives in a 'sinful' shallow world where she lives a somewhat immoral life of pleasure and hedonism. He on the other hand is more controlled and she obviously doesn't want him seriously so he keeps his distance but still waits for her in the background :) thats my view on it any how and I have listened to is Lord knows how many times.
    Flag noachianon November 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To and this is completely my experiences in life, it kinda reminds me about my ex.When he says "now your world is way too fast,nothing's real and nothing lasts,and i'm aware
    i'm in love but you don't care." it reminds me how my ex said she needed time to have fun and she wasnt ready to settle down but the party life isnt what it seemed and even though she knows Im in love with her she dosent care.
    Flag Namnezeon October 13, 2007   Link

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