If you spent any time in the indie horror scene back in 2017, you definitely heard it. That swing-style, electro-swing beat. The raspy, high-energy vocals. The feeling that a cartoon demon was literally breathing down your neck. DAGames Build Our Machine lyrics didn't just become a fan song; they basically became the anthem for an entire era of gaming culture.
Honestly, it’s rare for a fan-made track to eclipse the game it’s based on, but for a while, "Build Our Machine" was Bendy and the Ink Machine. It’s got over 200 million views on YouTube for a reason. Will Ryan (the man behind DAGames) captured something gritty and desperate that the actual game was still trying to find in its early chapters.
The Story Behind the Ink
The song dropped on February 25, 2017. At that point, Bendy and the Ink Machine only had one chapter out. There wasn't a ton of lore to work with. Will Ryan basically had to vibe-check the game and guess where the story was going.
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You’ve got the opening lines: “They have sent you a letter to come back home to play / But to your dismay, this isn’t your day.” It sets the stage perfectly. Henry, the protagonist, returns to the old studio. But instead of a trip down memory lane, he finds a nightmare.
What’s wild is how much Will got right before the full game was even finished. The lyrics mention Boris having "no guts" because the creator replaced them with "mechanical strain." That was a direct reference to the surgery-table Boris we see at the end of Chapter 1, but the song expanded it into a full-blown motive for revenge.
Why the Lyrics Hit So Hard
The chorus is where the magic happens.
I am alive! Immortalized!
You're the creator, you traitor!
Hey! There's no vaccine to cure our dirty needs!
For now you must build up our machine, you die tonight!
It’s aggressive. It’s catchy. It uses words like "immortalized" and "traitor" to hammer home the theme of abandonment. The characters aren't just monsters; they’re discarded art projects with a massive chip on their shoulders.
The phrase "Build up our machine" serves a double purpose. In the game, you’re literally fixing the Ink Machine. In the lyrics, it feels more like a command to face the consequences of your own creation. It’s sort of a "you made your bed, now sleep in it" vibe, but with more ink and screaming.
Key Themes You Might Have Missed
A lot of people just nod along to the beat, but the second verse gets surprisingly deep into the "old-timey animation" aesthetic.
- The Cartoon Portrayal: “We’re just cartoons for your portrayal / To tell some tale about a boat and sail.” This is a nod to the early days of animation, like Steamboat Willie. It highlights the contrast between the innocent "fun" of the past and the "venom stains" of the present.
- The Soul and the Divine: Later in the song, the lyrics say “I am aware that your soul is now divine.” This is a bit more cryptic. It hints at the ritualistic nature of the Ink Machine—the idea that souls were being traded for life.
- The Reckoning: The song constantly uses the word "reckoning." It’s not just about killing Henry; it’s about a cosmic balancing of the scales.
The Impact on Bendy Lore
The song was so successful that the developers (TheMeatly and Mike Mood) couldn't ignore it. They ended up putting an instrumental version of the track into the actual game as an Easter egg. If you find Sammy Lawrence’s office in Chapter 2 and turn on the radio, you’ll hear that familiar swing.
That’s basically the gold standard for fan content. Most creators get a "cease and desist." DAGames got canonized.
A Breakdown of the Best Lines
| Lyric | Meaning/Context |
|---|---|
| "Boris has no guts" | Reference to the mutilated Boris found in Chapter 1. |
| "No vaccine to cure our dirty needs" | The idea that the ink corruption is permanent and unstoppable. |
| "New born cyanide" | A metaphor for how toxic and deadly the "new" versions of the characters have become. |
| "The heart beats loud, you've joined our crowd" | Hinting that Henry might eventually become one of the ink creatures himself. |
Why Does It Still Rank?
It’s 2026, and people are still searching for these lyrics. Part of it is nostalgia. People who were kids in 2017 are now looking back at the "Indie Horror Golden Age." But another part is just the quality. Will Ryan’s vocal range—going from a smooth croon to a guttural growl—is genuinely impressive.
The song doesn't feel like a "YouTube song." It feels like a professional theater piece that just happens to be about a demon made of ink.
If you're trying to learn the song for a cover or just want to scream it in your car, pay attention to the bridge. The tempo shifts slightly, and the lyrics get a lot denser: “We care not to toil with unbroken chains / So don't toil with ours like he did with our shining stars.” It’s a mouthful, but if you nail it, it’s the most satisfying part of the track.
Common Misconceptions
One thing people get wrong? Thinking this is an "official" song by the game studio. It’s not. It’s 100% a fan creation. Also, some people think the song is sung by Bendy. While the "Ink Demon" is the face of the song, the lyrics often use "we," suggesting it’s the collective voice of all the abandoned characters in the studio.
Another weird one: people often mishear "We are but punished serpentines" as something about "serpent tides." While "serpentines" refers to the winding, snake-like movement of the ink, "serpent tides" has actually appeared in some fan-made lyric videos, leading to a bit of a Mandela Effect situation.
What to Do Next
If you’re a fan of the song, you should definitely check out the "remastered" versions or the live performances Will Ryan has done at various conventions. The energy of "Build Our Machine" live is a totally different beast.
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- Check out the "Gospel of Dismay": This was the follow-up song for Chapter 2, and it’s arguably just as good, featuring a more "big band" theatrical sound.
- Look for the 8-bit versions: If you want a real nostalgia trip, there are some incredible chiptune covers that make the song sound like an actual NES boss fight.
- Read the Bendy books: If you love the "traitor creator" themes in the lyrics, the official novels like The Illusion of Living dive way deeper into Joey Drew’s madness.
The ink is still flowing, and as long as there are creators making things and then abandoning them, this song is going to stay relevant. Keep those headphones on and remember: the machine needs to be built.
To get the most out of the track, listen to the 2017 original alongside the newer "Resurrected" versions to see how the production quality has evolved over the years. This helps you catch subtle backing vocals and layerings that aren't obvious on a first listen.