Welcome to the Machine – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: Wish You Were Here

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine" and experience a masterclass in English lyrical storytelling combined with innovative musicality. This song offers a rich vocabulary for expressing disillusionment and societal critique, making it perfect for advanced learners. Its unique blend of evocative lyrics and experimental sounds will not only enhance your comprehension but also immerse you in a pivotal moment of English progressive rock history.

[English]

Welcome my son

Welcome to the machine

Where have you been?

It's alright we know where you've been

You've been in the pipeline

Filling in time

Provided with toys and scouting for boys

You brought a guitar to punish your ma

And you didn't like school

And you know you're nobody's fool

So welcome to the machine

Welcome my son

Welcome to the machine

What did you dream?

It's alright we told you what to dream

You dreamed of a big star

He played a mean guitar

He always ate in the Steak Bar

He loved to drive in his Jaguar

So welcome to the machine

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
welcome /ˈwɛlkəm/ A1	verb - to greet or receive someone warmly noun - a greeting or reception
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A1	noun - a mechanical or electrical device
pipeline /ˈpaɪplaɪn/ B2	noun - a long pipe, typically underground, for transporting liquids or gases
provided /prəˈvaɪdɪd/ A2	verb - to supply or make available
toys /tɔɪz/ A1	noun - objects for children to play with
scouting /ˈskaʊtɪŋ/ B1	noun - the activity of exploring or searching for something
guitar /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ A1	noun - a musical instrument with strings
punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ A2	verb - to inflict a penalty or discipline on
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children
fool /fuːl/ A1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or is easily deceived
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring in sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a massive luminous ball of plasma in space noun - a famous or prominent person
mean /miːn/ A2	adjective - unkind or unfair verb - to intend to convey or refer to
steak /steɪk/ A1	noun - a thick slice of meat, typically beef, cooked as food
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - to operate and control the direction and speed of a vehicle
jaguar /ˈdʒæɡjuːər/ B1	noun - a large feline animal of Central and South America noun - a brand of luxury car

Key Grammar Structures

• Welcome my son

  ➔ Imperative sentence using 'welcome' as a verb

  ➔ The verb "welcome" is used directly to give a greeting or invitation.

• Where have you been?

  ➔ Present perfect tense used for asking about past experience with relevance to present

  ➔ The question "Where have you been?" uses present perfect to ask about someone's whereabouts up to now.

• You've been in the pipeline

  ➔ Present perfect continuous implying ongoing state or repeated action

  ➔ The phrase "You've been in the pipeline" suggests an ongoing involvement or process up to now.

• Provided with toys and scouting for boys

  ➔ Past participle phrase used to show passive action

  ➔ "Provided with toys and scouting for boys" functions as a passive phrase describing what has been given or arranged.

• You brought a guitar to punish your ma

  ➔ Past simple tense used for completed actions

  ➔ The verb "brought" indicates a specific action completed in the past.

• And you didn't like school

  ➔ Negative past simple with auxiliary 'did not' + base verb

  ➔ "Didn't like" is formed by the negative auxiliary 'did not' + base verb 'like' to express past dislike.

• It's alright we know where you've been

  ➔ Use of present simple ('we know') with present perfect ('you've been') for present and past connection

  ➔ "We know" (present simple) expresses current knowledge, while "you've been" (present perfect) relates to past experience relevant now.

• He always ate in the Steak Bar

  ➔ Past simple tense with adverb of frequency 'always' indicating a habitual past action

  ➔ "Ate" is past simple, while "always" emphasizes that this was a repeated or habitual action in the past.