I’ve been on a Pink Floyd kick lately, ok?
Roger Waters, the bass player, lyricist, conceptual thematic architect, and in many ways creative driving force behind Floyd penned these lyrics in 1975’s “Welcome to the Machine” on the album “Wish You Were Here”:
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
During the time of Roger Waters writing this, Pink Floyd had, in a sense, been consumed by, or maybe even become the “Machine”. They had gone from being a relatively obscure, cult underground Rock group out of the UK from 1968 up until 1973 (post Syd Barrett as the frontman in 1967- when they were just an entirely different group altogether!). And then in 73’, they released the explosive “Dark Side of the Moon”, and on the back of the single “Money” off of Dark Side, they were all of a sudden selling out stadiums and travelling all around the world to play shows.
But Rogers, ever the cynic, penned a scathing critique of the downfalls of money and power, even while he was probably deeply captivated by it all himself.
Much of the gospel of Luke is about the struggle of faithful Messiah-hopers against the Machines of the day- the religious machines of Israel, and the governmental machines of the Roman Empire. It contrasts the down and out with the powers that be, and reveals that the God of the Universe very much chooses to reveal Himself powerfully to the down and out, the broken, the humble, the struggling, the marginalized, and those hungry for righteousness, holiness, mercy, and truth!
