Queen - Machines (Or 'Back To Humans') (Lyrics)

[Highlander01]

The "machine" voice is Roger Taylor's vocals that have been manipulated via a Roland VP330 Vocoder. This song remains one of Queen's best. I used to listen to it non-stop 20 years ago, and I'm still listening to it to it this day!

[shockvoz1234]

This song is way ahead for the time it was written (1984).  Machines are more involved in our lives then ever. I think of auto-tune when freddie sings "when the machines take over, it ain't no place for rock n roll." He's right.

[kingMackson7]

dont worry freddie!machines always need maintenance=) you woulda gotta kick outa transformers,too bad they didnt include your song as a soundtrack rip or better yet live in peace hopefully i can be part of your angelic quior in heaven creating sound drama just for fun but pleasing to the one who gave it.the one who is truly wild at heart the one who made hearts to be wild.

[Reffots]

Did anyone else miss this song on the soundtrack of the Matrix Trilogy?

[egyptianminor]

Machines will likely never pass Turing test, let alone have consciousness, but even if they did If it's up to me "Machines' will never ever take over anything from me - these types of thoughts are just diatribes/ramblings of a misguided purely materialistic and mistakenly anthropocentric worldview. Great song though.

[MrKaivalyapada]

I'd very much like to hear what the vocoder parts sound like without the effect...it'd be really interesting! Any volunteers?

[XavenTigerhelm]

Anybody else get a "Terminator" vibe from this song?

[Dulciem18]

confused

[tavanata]

CAPOLAVORO!

[cuerpoeperra]

2 boys are machine headed

[amanda2109114]

So true. . .So true. . . The Machines will take over one day. . .But not today. . . Well. . . You never know. Technology is becoming so great that it'll some day-turn on us and enslave the human race. And we will be forced to work for them instead of them doing our bidding.

[Macbeertje]

absolutely briljant!!!

[undeadmusic1]

Beautiful vocal work by Freddie (as usual) and the backing track is absolutely spot on!

[drchepa]

fantastic song and the ending is  superb!...

[undeadmusic1]

VOCODER + ROGER's VOICE + FREDDIE's CHARISMA + BRIAN's GTR + JOHN's BASSLINE = CLASSIC SONG!!!

[TheQueensWish]

Back to HUMANS ... YES!

[azzyandlexie]

This song would be good for one of the TRANSFORMER movies... Always liked it. One of their best.



[LordBartek]

@azzyandlexie I agree.

[serotoninsyndrome]

I'll try not to think of all the machines that were involved in the recording, production, pressing, delivery, distribution, promotion, purchase and performance of this song, and just enjoy it...through the speakers on my laptop...



[nemesis76689]

Love is real, real is love, Love is feeling, feeling love, Love is wanting to be loved. Love is touch, touch is love, Love is reaching, reaching love, Love is asking to be loved. Love is you, You and me, Love is knowing, We can be. Love is free, free is love, Love is living, living love, Love is needing to be loved

[dowling1981]

@nemesis76689 Thanks, Lennon

[delar1983]

Amazing song

[62rockin]

Words that are ringing true today. How many jobs are lost to machines? A great song that predicted the future.

[solarDeviant]

"Machines" is a sci-fi song about the dangers of a world being taken over by machines that think. Roger and Brian both had a hand in the creation of this dooms-day style song. It raises a very important question, what will happen to the human race if machines start thinking for us?

[solarDeviant]

Will they revolt against us? Will they try and eradicate us? If so, how would we stop them? They have practically unlimited resources; they never cry, they never retreat, they have no conception of love or defeat. Would we simply be annihilated as a race? Would we deserve it? Machines has a robotic, mechanical sound to it, and plenty of great vocals from Freddie as well. I think the cover art of News of the World really fits into this song.

[dajomcs]

one of those songs the more you listen to it the more you hear coming out of the song.totally love the base espeacially where it changes at 4:28.shear genious how they do it .what a song.!

[IssytOrange]

For some reason, the lyrics are perfectly matched to certain passages in Dan Simmon's 'Hyperion' sci-fi masterpiece. The song is made almost perfect when you read out loud the lyrics.

Bloody fantastic, thanks for uploading.

[MrSwiftframe]

This song passes the louder-it-gets-the-better-it-s­ounds test.

[FreddieWillRockYou]

a fantastic vocal performance! Incredible freddie!!

[Ayeobe]

Its funny listening to this on a computer with two monitors, surrounded by oldschool stuff, two other computers, and literily thinking ot the past ... Speaks prety good volumes..

[vitamincity]

gollum guest starred on this song at the begining...me precious MACHEENS!

[CentraCross]

In 1984 they knew where we were gonna end up today...

[Centuria13]

Parahumanoidarianised!

[rudypatton]

I'm 67 years old. I was out of the country during the 70s. I had heard of Queen but knew nothing about them. Somehow I discovered them last year. I have been totally blown away. Especially after googling the history and seeing the Wimbley video, I have been entranced. Bohemian Rhapsody's lyrics spelled out the horror in Freddy's life even if he could not bring himself to declare it all. God, what a time that was. I had never heard this track. It speaks to today. Thank you.

[amr7037]

@rudypatton nice one rudy

[almithra83]

did pf tried to copy queen ? atleast themes ?

[marcostrong1212]

1: 55' sembra che dice mortacci tua ???grande il piu grande dei grandi freddie sei il numero uno.

[stellathequeen97]

@marcostrong1212 Sembra davvero che dica in quella maniera! Ah, ah, ah!

[vaporetto557]

@marcostrong1212 Ahahahah!! sei un grande!! è vero!! XD Bellissima canzone comunque, sempre W i Queen!! :)

[Sparksaty]

0:21 mushrooms?

[stellathequeen97]

@Sparksaty Ah, ah, ah!!

[MrJuha82]

skilful work by Queen in this great song!!

i know this one has make by Deacon at least, maybe Mercury was another one who did make this song.

[KingOfGoogling]

freedie is to aweome

[duarte1078]

Freddie Mercury uma voz potente e marcante. pq cantar como ele não vai existir ninguem neste mundo. Bryan, Taylor e Deacon o que faltava para banda para formar uma instituição do rock chamado QUEEN.

[vikramvaranasi]

This should be getting 10000000000000 views not 19000!!

[juliazeldin]

i love love love this song!!

[hoodoos]

god damn it's awesome

[mr2gti]

Queens greatest driving track - possibly their finest production.

Classic.

[shockolanu]

Machines must go

[nanderv]

@shockolanu No... Just don't make them too intelligent

[shockolanu]

@nanderv: Is not the ultimate cybernetic dream to artificially create human intelligence?

[PeanutButterJelly500]

@shockolanu as far away as posible

[Chieltje1972]

I think one of the best songs of the works album together with" ïs this the world..."I was stunned about those vocoder voices then by Roger....reminds me also of his solo album"strange frontier...How i miss Queen and especially Freddy,no Voice ever reached his highs and lows and power...damn shit today...

[Stauderhorse]

The beginning reminds me of "The Humans Are Dead".

[HoudiniMan87]

lol flight of the conchords?

[mrfenderbenderman]

i dont think theres anything mercury couldnt do with his voice,!

[charlzrocknroll]

The Works is such an amazing album, may be one of the deepest albums by Queen... The Works is not only I want to break free and Radio Ga Ga, each song is awesome... hey, it's Queen

Gotta love this song

[Nickvara]

I really love love love it!!!

[LufflesMrMercury]

Always loved this song but always wondered who did the voice of the machine. Any ideas? <3

[marvinp01]

Roger Taylor babe

[Highlander01]

@LufflesMrMercury Roger Taylor, via a Roland VP330 Vocoder.

[Senger10]

I love this song

[elmerluzas]

one of the best song from " the works"

[xellossaxon]

One of the best pieces on The Works. (great guitar, great melody, cool second verse)

:-)

[2112eire]

Suits the song! Well done. The most underrated song on The Works.

[amr7037]

@2112eire i agree very underated must be queens heaviest they have ever done music still good enuff for a action robotic movie

[MUDSHARK111]

@amr7037 queens heaviest? the hero or Gimme the Prize.but this is just extraordinary

[CentraCross]

@MUDSHARK111 Ogre Battle.

[MUDSHARK111]

@CentraCross oooooo i dont know ogre battle is a monster song.but with Freddie singing his guts out ,and roger battering life out of his his kit im gonna stick with the hero.thats not to criticizes orge battle. that song is an opera all on its own and a more complex piece of music that the hero .

[Necrotau]

I totally agree! Awsome video! 5/5!

[bullstaff72]

this video is pretty fuckin cool actually