The Infernal Machine

[verse 1] Clock in with a whisper, badge scans like a prayer Doors unlock in sequence, triggered by stale air Pass the file to the left hand, stamp it with a scream Blindfolded architects, chasing broken beams [pre-chorus] A lever pulls a cable tight To ring a bell that sparks a light Which signals someone out of sight To say we’re doing fine [chorus] We are cogs inside the infernal machine Ah-oooh, ya-ee-oh, ya-ee-ohhh Grinding through the gears of a dream unseen Mm-da-da, mm-da-da-da-ahh Wheels spin lies on a track that loops No start, no end, just endless groups And every task’s a trap in the infernal machine Ohhh—ahh-ya—ohh-ya-ohhh [verse 2] They hand me forms to fill with ink that fades in days Signatures that vanish, rewrites in a haze We queue to ask the question no one dares define And solve a puzzle built to waste our time [pre-chorus] A piston pumps a pointless beat The rhythm’s stale, the loop’s complete We’re told it’s progress, on repeat— A dance of red-taped lines [chorus] We are cogs inside the infernal machine Oh-oh-oh, ay-ya-ay-ya, ohhhh Stuck in sync with the noise between Na-na-na, na-da-na, oh-ahh A thousand steps to move one inch And every voice replaced by a glitch Still we spin, still we scream: “Long live the infernal machine” Ee-ya-ya-ee, ah-oh-ahh, ooooh [bridge] Who drew the blueprint? Who swallowed the key? Who oils the silence when we start to see? A maze of mirrors in a filing drawer We chase the task, then ask “what for?” [chorus – extended] Oh we’re cogs inside the infernal machine Ay-ya-ay, ah-oooh, ahhhh Clock hands shaking from what might’ve been Na-na-na, ya-oh-ya, mmm-hmm We don’t break down, we just break in To another day that won’t begin And still it churns, this cursed routine— The cruel design of the infernal machine Ahh-ya-ohhh, ya-ee-ah, ahhhhhhh [outro] Fade to grey in fluorescent light Step aside for another fight Count the clicks but lose the time— We’re ghosts inside the line