A futuristic rock odyssey from Queen's 1989 album The Miracle, "Machines (Back to Humans)" is Brian May's dystopian vision of a world overrun by soulless technology, blending industrial clangs with soaring harmonies to lament the erosion of human spirit. Penned as a sequel to the band's earlier tech-themed tracks, the song—featuring Freddie Mercury's impassioned cries over Roger Taylor's mechanical drums and John Deacon's pulsing bass—contrasts machine "perfection" (no disease, no love) with humanity's messy vitality, from smoke-blackened pistons compressing the soul to "bytes and mega chips for tea." Inspired by the late '80s rise of computers and AI fears, its repetitive chants and coined terms like "parahumanoidarianised" create a chilling soundscape of takeover, culminating in a desperate plea to "back to humans." A deep cut from The Miracle's conceptual suite on miracles amid modernity, it showcases Queen's prescience, warning that in a machine's world, rock 'n' roll—and the soul it feeds—may be the last bastion of resistance.
The Works -
Machines (or ‘Back to Humans’)
#
Lyric line
Interpretation & Notes
Intro — Mechanical chant 0:00–0:20
1
Machines
Repetitive invocation sets a hypnotic, industrial tone, foreshadowing machine dominance.
2
Machines
Builds rhythmic urgency, evoking assembly-line monotony.
3
Machines
Continues the chant, symbolizing relentless mechanization.
4
Machines
Heightens the repetitive drone, mirroring robotic efficiency.
5
Machines
Sustains the mantra, immersing in a machine-dominated soundscape.
6
Machines
Echoes the invasion of technology into human life.
7
Machines
Culminates the intro, transitioning to dystopian warning.
8
Machines
Final repetition, priming for the human-machine conflict.
Verse 1 — Machine takeover 0:20–0:50
9
It's a machine's world
Declares a dystopian reality where machines rule, stripping human agency.
10
Don't tell me I ain't got no soul
Defends human essence against dehumanization by technology.
11
When the machines take over
Foresees AI dominance, evoking sci-fi fears of the era.
12
It ain't no place for rock 'n' roll
Laments the loss of creative, rebellious human expression like music.
13
They tell me I don't care
Machines dismiss human emotions as irrelevant.
14
But deep inside, I'm just a man
Affirms core humanity beneath technological oppression.
15
They freeze me, they burn me
Describes mechanical torments, symbolizing industrial alienation.
16
They squeeze me, they stress me
Conveys the physical and mental strain of machine control.
17
With smoke-blackened pistons of steel, they compress me
Vivid imagery of factory-like oppression, crushing the human spirit.
18
But no one, but no one, but no one can wrest me away
Defiant assertion of unbreakable human will.
Chorus — Human superiority 0:50–1:20
19
Back to humans
Calls for reclaiming human dominance, rejecting machine rule.
20
We have no disease, no troubles of mind
Boasts of human flaws as strengths, contrasting machine perfection.
21
We are fighting for peace, no regard for the time
Highlights human passion for ideals over mechanical efficiency.
22
We never cry, we never retreat
Portrays humans as resilient warriors, though ironically emotional.
23
We have no conception of love or defeat
From machine perspective, mocking human emotions as weaknesses.
Verse 2 — Machine mockery 1:20–1:50
24
What's that machine noise?
Questions the sterile sounds of technology.
25
It's bytes and mega chips for tea
Satirizes machine "life" as digital drudgery, contrasting human warmth.
26
It's that machine, boys
Personifies machines as boys, diminutive and soulless.
27
With random access memory
Highlights cold, fragmented machine "thought."
28
Never worry, never mind
Mocks machine impassivity, lacking human depth.
29
Not for money, not for gold, yeah
Machines lack human motivations like greed or desire.
30
It's software, it's hardware
Lists mechanical components, stripping away soul.
31
It's heartbeat, it's time-share
Parodies life functions as programmed processes.
32
It's midwife's, a disk drive
Absurdly reduces birth and storage to tech terms.
33
Its sex-life is quantized
Ridicules machine "intimacy" as mathematical, devoid of passion.
34
It's self-perpetuating, a parahumanoidarianised
Coined word for pseudo-human machines, critiquing artificial evolution.
Chorus — Return to humanity 1:50–2:20
35
Back to humans
Repeats the call for human reclamation.
36
Back to humans
Builds emotional urgency for return.
37
Back to machines
Sudden shift, perhaps ironic or cyclical.
38
Machines
Reverts to the chant, underscoring inescapable tension.
39
Machines
Sustains the mechanical echo.
40
Machines
Continues the repetition.
41
Machines
Builds to dystopian climax.
Outro — Dystopian reflection 2:20–5:20
42
Living in a new world
Describes the machine-dominated future.
43
Thinking in the past (humans)
Contrasts modern tech with nostalgic humanity.
44
Living in a new world
Repeats the alienation.
45
How you gonna last? (humans)
Questions human survival in machine era.
46
Machine world
Affirms the mechanical takeover.
47
It's a machine's world
Reprises the dystopian declaration.
48
Back to humans
Final plea for return to human values.
49
Back to humans
Echoes the yearning.
Reading guide: A dystopian rock opera from Queen's 1989 album The Miracle , Machines (or Back to Humans) critiques the dehumanizing advance of technology through Brian May's intricate lyrics and the band's futuristic soundscape. Blending industrial rhythms with soaring choruses, it explores themes of humanity vs. mechanization , soul vs. soullessness , and rebellion vs. conformity , urging a return to emotional depth amid digital takeover. With Freddie Mercury's defiant vocals, it's a prophetic warning wrapped in Queen's signature theatricality.
Machines (or ‘Back to Humans’) — Tech Specs
Album
The Works (1984)
Released
19 February 1984 (album track)
Recorded
1983–1984, Record Plant Studios (Los Angeles) & Musicland Studios (Munich)
Genre
Electronic rock / Experimental
Length
5:08
Producer(s)
Queen & Reinhold Mack
Composer(s)
Brian May & Roger Taylor (credited to Queen)
Band Line-up
Freddie Mercury – lead & backing vocals
Brian May – guitars, backing vocals, synthesizers
Roger Taylor – electronic & acoustic drums, vocals, synthesizers
John Deacon – bass guitar, rhythm programming
Brian May – guitars, backing vocals, synthesizers
Roger Taylor – electronic & acoustic drums, vocals, synthesizers
John Deacon – bass guitar, rhythm programming
Technical Personnel
Reinhold Mack – producer, engineer
Notable Features
Experimental track contrasting humans vs. machines, blending rock instrumentation with heavy use of synthesizers and programmed rhythms.
One of Queen’s most electronic-driven songs of the 1980s.
Alternates between aggressive robotic vocals (Taylor/May effects) and Mercury’s human vocals.
Live performances featured it as part of medleys rather than a full track.
Represents Queen’s commentary on technology, automation, and humanity in the 1980s.
One of Queen’s most electronic-driven songs of the 1980s.
Alternates between aggressive robotic vocals (Taylor/May effects) and Mercury’s human vocals.
Live performances featured it as part of medleys rather than a full track.
Represents Queen’s commentary on technology, automation, and humanity in the 1980s.