I think that the song is about someone has made themselves as described in the lyrics, by telling themselves that they are like that. The first verse is like a collection of mantras, all beginning with 'don't' especially the second part of the verse, which sounds like a chant. (don't want cash, don't want car; don't need money don't need fame).
The Chorus is more assertion that the speaker is right in their actions. (I know exactly what I want and who I want to be) and they call themselves a 'machine' to show that they can do this because they're almost programmed to do it. The speaker then says how they predicted this would happen, and because they did, they made it happen (I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy) Then they feel some fear of this life because it sounds too easy to work. (oh, oh no, oh no ,oh no oh)
The second verse is the speaker telling themselves why they can't get scared because they might fail and they don't have a backup. (One-track mind; if I fail I'll fall apart). Then they explain that they are never happy with their intelligence/skill, so always try even harder (I feel like I'm the worst so I always act like I'm the best). They also wonder if this is a test, in the sense that people who pass it will achieve great success. In the second part of this verse the speaker seems to be warning the audience about material possessions, and teaching people makes the speaker feel experienced, and they go on to explain their experience of it. (The entirety of the second part). The speaker says that 'real life has no appeal', which is explaining why they 'walk and talk like a machine', and also makes the speaker feel confident that they don't need to waste time doing 'normal' things, and can dedicate all their time to work on their career, sort of another self-assurance.
The middle-eight (or whatever its called) is the fear that this path will either turn out very good or very bad, and then they go back to the chorus, which is to remind the speaker that they have it all worked out.
So in conclusion the song is about hard-working people who doubt themselves and miss normal life sometimes. Correct me if you have any arguments to what I've said.
I guess I kind of missed that, but I agree with you there. They're sort of half-aware that their priorities are messed up, but feel they can't stop now, so they're hard-working, but "lost" as well.
I guess I kind of missed that, but I agree with you there. They're sort of half-aware that their priorities are messed up, but feel they can't stop now, so they're hard-working, but "lost" as well.
I think that the song is about someone has made themselves as described in the lyrics, by telling themselves that they are like that. The first verse is like a collection of mantras, all beginning with 'don't' especially the second part of the verse, which sounds like a chant. (don't want cash, don't want car; don't need money don't need fame). The Chorus is more assertion that the speaker is right in their actions. (I know exactly what I want and who I want to be) and they call themselves a 'machine' to show that they can do this because they're almost programmed to do it. The speaker then says how they predicted this would happen, and because they did, they made it happen (I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy) Then they feel some fear of this life because it sounds too easy to work. (oh, oh no, oh no ,oh no oh) The second verse is the speaker telling themselves why they can't get scared because they might fail and they don't have a backup. (One-track mind; if I fail I'll fall apart). Then they explain that they are never happy with their intelligence/skill, so always try even harder (I feel like I'm the worst so I always act like I'm the best). They also wonder if this is a test, in the sense that people who pass it will achieve great success. In the second part of this verse the speaker seems to be warning the audience about material possessions, and teaching people makes the speaker feel experienced, and they go on to explain their experience of it. (The entirety of the second part). The speaker says that 'real life has no appeal', which is explaining why they 'walk and talk like a machine', and also makes the speaker feel confident that they don't need to waste time doing 'normal' things, and can dedicate all their time to work on their career, sort of another self-assurance. The middle-eight (or whatever its called) is the fear that this path will either turn out very good or very bad, and then they go back to the chorus, which is to remind the speaker that they have it all worked out.
So in conclusion the song is about hard-working people who doubt themselves and miss normal life sometimes. Correct me if you have any arguments to what I've said.
The song views these "hard-working people" as basically being lost, with a messed up sense of priorities.
The song views these "hard-working people" as basically being lost, with a messed up sense of priorities.
I guess I kind of missed that, but I agree with you there. They're sort of half-aware that their priorities are messed up, but feel they can't stop now, so they're hard-working, but "lost" as well.
I guess I kind of missed that, but I agree with you there. They're sort of half-aware that their priorities are messed up, but feel they can't stop now, so they're hard-working, but "lost" as well.