Sadly, I was late to the game. This was my first NIN album. Hearing it blew my mind. It was like a college education for how to manipulate sounds and express yourself as a solo artist. I am now obsessed with pretty much everything he's done, movie soundtracks included.
Ever play the game Quake (the original)? That's Nine Inch Nails too! Just thinking of some odds and ends in case there is something you may still get a fresh listen to.
I was a young guy out on the clubbing scene when NIN debut album came out. I can’t begin to describe how blown away we were by what we were hearing, especially since up to that point synthesized music to us was a little too, let’s just say wimpy for us. Mind you, this was a couple years before the Nirvana Nevermind album came out. People talk about Kurt's anger, meh. Trent Reznor flipped the game.
The moment I became obsessed with everything he did was when I listened to Hurt... performed by Johnny Cash that is. Then I backtracked to the original and started listening to more of his stuff. It really captured the kind of feeling I felt back then, and even now, sometimes.
@@jotacalvoBefore Nine Inch Nails,there were LOTS of Bands (that probably influenced Nine Inch Nails,Nirvana and others like: The Butthole Surfers, Sonic Youth,Big Black or even stuff like Lydia Lunch,Husker Du ....(For Nirvana,definitely,they were influenced by Husker Du,Lydia Lunch,Big Black and a myriad others!) Nine Inch Nails likely,did get inspired by Big Black...maybe? I don't know,maybe throw in Neubauten,Skinny Puppy, and of course Throbbing Gristle...
Generic Internetter I just woke up from a really good nap. my back and shoulder are in a lot of pain from a recent surgery so I'm about to take some pain meds. Also, I love you. Will you marry me?
It's Me Cody Same. NIN is like a fine wine. It takes wisdom and maturity to appreciate. I hated this band as a teenager but as an adult I see the genius in the simplicity and complexity of the music.
+triflingmatter thanks for reminding me :D i competely forgot about winamp XD i still use VLC media player though xD im downloading Winamp now thanks to you :)
you appreciate music as you get older,not only the music but the depth and talent of the artist ,Trent Reznor is on a whole different level to the the norm of mainstream shite,his ability to roll several genre's of music era's in one song ..like most of his songs is indeed an impressive feat...
I love how Trent has a habit of connecting different works in time, like how "Then the tiniest little dot caught my eye it turned out to be a scab" is a reference to Down In It on Pretty Hate Machine.
What's cool is how everyone interprets this song to fit their experience. In Trent's case, I think he's talking about a split personality within himself, as is expressed by the video, and the two halves are arguing with themselves. Brilliant
Actually the song is based around the ideology of metaphysical solipsism where you believe no one exists outside your own mind and everyone on earth are figments of your imagination used to personify your own complex personality. Hence the lines "I just made you up to hurt myself" and "there is no you, there is only me" etcetera
Calvin Willis No, it's a simple description of a case of schizophrenia. Where he's denying a personality who he interacts with once he realizes that this is not a real person. Not to be confused with Multiple Personality Disorder, which is obviously a different problem... even though people often confuse the two. Metaphysical Solipsism is different from the manifestation of an apparent person who he's been "interacting" with, who doesn't actually exist. It's kind of surprising how many people mis-interpret this song, when the core idea behind the words is so clearly stated in the song.
vats1955 Yes, you are right. I could see it in a different way from another person. I should have said, this is how I see it. Only Mr. Reznor really knows how it should be interpreted.
This was the first NIN song I ever heard. I remember getting ready for school and this came on MTV. I was hooked right away. I was the most bizarre, yet coolest thing I ever heard.
damn, the CG from this still really holds up...it's the Jurassic Park of music videos :) I think this was the first decent 3D video, I was studying CG animation at the time and couldn't believe the quality when I saw this. I love NIN so much, damn near 20-odd year love affair now - other music has come and gone, so have jobs, careers even, friends, relationships and homes...but there has always been NIN...unless it was only me and made NIN up to fulfill myself. So much love.
Not every day a music video is even more enrapturing than the song it accompanies. I hope whoever came up with the idea and whoever made it happen got paid well for it, because damn do they deserve it.
Great music video directed by David Fincher. Considering he also made Fight Club, I wonder if this song would've been featured in the film had it been released earlier; as the lyrics fit perfectly.
This song is many things on many levels. Basically, this song is about denial with a subplot of addiction and a running theme of self identity. MPD BPD DID MDD (Dissociative Personality Disorder) (Schizophrenia) whatever you personally call it, are spawned from denial. Denial is there to protect you, but sometimes it does too good of a job. Trent was recovering from addiction at the time. But this song can mean many things to many people. One being more simplistic or in various frames of mind might see it as relating to relationships, or looking out for number one, or struggles with religion, spiritually, anger or you name it. The song can be arming and disarming, enabling or disabling, revealing yet fleeting. It ends up being what you need when you need it. This is the protective power of denial and the strength of your conscience, subconscious and emotions. This also highlights how music that speaks to you can be transformative in a mostly positive way. But that's up to you, your proclivities, frame of mind and biases.
I'm becoming less defined As days go by Fading away And well you might say I'm losing focus Kind of drifting into the abstract In terms of how I see myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I can see right through myself Less concerned about fitting into the world Your world, that is 'Cause it doesn't really matter anymore (No it doesn't really matter anymore) No it doesn't really matter anymore None of this really matters anymore Yes I am alone But then again I always was As far back as I can tell I think maybe it's because Because you were never really real To begin with I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself, yeah And I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself, yeah And I just made you up To hurt myself And it worked Yes it did! There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no phuking you There is only me There is no phuking you There is only me Only Only Only Only Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye And it turned out to be a scab And I had this funny feeling Like I just knew it's something bad I just couldn't leave it alone I kept picking at the scab It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut But I climbed through Now I am somewhere I am not supposed to be And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see And now I know why, now, now, now I know why Things aren't as pretty On the inside There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no phuking you There is only me There is no phuking you There is only me Only Only Only Only Only Only Only Only
So close to being my favorite from NIN. The anger and passion in the chorus especially is amazing. I just reviewed the band's new album "Hesitation Marks",it's the featured video on my channel! Would love to hear what everyone thought of it.
I couldn't for the life of me solve a chemistry problem, but when I turned this song on, I solved it right away. That proves that listening to Nine Inch Nails makes people smarter.
though it really depends on the 'type' of effect. Here they used really well what they knew they mastered. The look is extremely clean cut, and with none organic tools/shapes. I think if they were to use realistic skin renders, it would have been a different story. Not that it's not very masterfully done!
There is the literal way to interpret the song, the theory that everyone but you is fake or the one which sites schizophrenia, or you can interpret it more loosely, saying that he is referring to a relationship where he just inferred that someone had a certain personality, but got hurt when he realized they didn't match with who he thought they were, so now he's alone.
I remember really liking this album when it came out but catching a lot of shit from the other kids who claimed to be old school nin fans, who felt this was their Black Album that gave them mainstream radio play.
kenrdid: exactly. Unlike say, Metallica, Trent did not water down his music to make it more poppy. He just mellowed a little in his old age...the music's as sharp as ever though.
I don't know if they were even alive when NIN released The Downward Spiral but they played "Closer" and "March of the Pig" constantly on the radio. They should shut up now.
I love this song. As a soul singer, I can hear some serious blues influence in some of his notes, choice of chord progression, etc. I wanna cover this one day!
This song is about the concept that everything in your reality is just in your head. "I just made you up to hurt myself", being literally anyone. "yes I'm alone, but then again I always was" because nothing is real and everything/everyone is made up. Check out his other song about this topic called "Right Where It Belongs". Trent deals with bi-polar disorder, and derealization is actually common enough amongst people who have it.
+bobby The best part of discovering Trent's music is you have one hell of a journey of discovery ahead of you. Thankfully,you haven't made him up to hurt yourself.I really hope you get the chance to see him live-as he ain't done yet! :)
When I worry about speaking too many negative mantras, like: "I just made you up, to hurt myself" I just change the lyric to (for example): "I just made you lunch, please help yourself"
***** If you've got the lyric stuck in your head, it can be possibly be helpful to examine it... by changing it up. Good luck out there in the mad world. :0)
It's an internal diatribe to the volitional egoic dissociate alter that is personality... I started trying on these lyrics as written sung within myself, so to speak... devastating and shocking... worst (or best) of all, true. =0)
Oh my god I thought I was the only one who thought that way. Many times there are great songs with a REALLY negative lyric so I just skip it. I don't like saying negative things in reference to myself, especially during a song Because it can become a habit if you sing it over and over. You seem to know a bit about the ego/psyche that's sweet
This can be seen as an abstract representation for the experience of resonance in a structure(mainly bridges) like Tacoma Narrows: once that frequency of response reaches natural, it becomes increasingly unstable and the deflections keep increasing so long as the response (wind, earthquake, terrorists) continues and the apple falling represents total collapse of the structure.
I think everyone takes away their own message. I always associated this song with self-responsibility. Whatever goes wrong, "There is no you, there is only me." I think once you discover that you are directly responsible for all of your own crap, it kind of shifts your focus and shatters the world you had built around you; the safe little cocoon that kept you shielded from the harsh reality of your own bad decisions is shed away and you are finally able to grow. Of course, there is some pain in that shedding, and growing pains are to be expected.
I have interpreted it as an individual's disavowment of God and denial of God's existence. The protagonist realizes that he created "God" in his own image...for the purpose of punishing himself for perceived misdeeds and sins. This theme is in-keeping with "The Hand That Feeds", "Terrible Lie", and "Head Like A Hole" where he takes religion, faith, and God to task. I'm surprised more people haven't picked up or commented on this.
to me he seems to sing about losing his identity. he climbs deep into his own mind, nearly losing himself while doing so. fighting a change in personality. his mind is not pretty on the inside.
Samantha Pandy - I like your interpretation. I always interpreted it as a relationship song though, in that we typically don't see others for what they really are, choosing instead to base our opinions of them on what we *want/wish* them to be. Then, once the breakup happens, you realize that through the whole relationship you based your feelings for the other person on your own construct of who you wanted them to be, failing to see who they really were that whole time. Then they let you down, hurt you, crush you, and you finally realize you fooled yourself, "things aren't as pretty, on the inside", and you've been in love not with a real person but with a fiction you created "There is no you, there is only me".
reminds me of being in high school, about 14 years old and at this girls house for the night. Her mum made me sleep down in the lounge with a bed setup on the couch. The girl came down like five minutes after her mum went to sleep and I remember finding this and closer on her ipod. Ahh good memories.
I'm becoming less defined As days go by Fading away Well you might say I'm losing focus Kinda drifting into the abstract In terms of how I see myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I can see right through myself Less concerned About fitting into the world Your world, that is 'cause it doesn't really matter Any more No, it doesn't really matter Any more None of this really matters Any more Yes I am alone But then again I always was As far back as I can tell I think maybe it's because Because you were never really real To begin with I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself And it worked Yes it did There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me Only only only Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye And it turned out to be a scab And I had this funny feeling Like I just knew it's something bad I just couldn't leave it alone I cut off that scab It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut But I climbed through Now I'm somewhere I am not supposed to be And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see And now I know why Now I know why Things aren't as pretty On the inside There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me Only only only only only only?
Trent is a lyrical genius for writing this masterpiece. The lyrics in the 1st verse up to "because you were never really real to begin with" and beyond sums up my life. Sigh, I wish the grim reaper would come knocking on my door and set me free already.
Does not describe everyone that I know...but describes many of them. The philosophy of most...There is no YOU, there is only ME! (me...me...me...that's all I care about! You know who you are.)
***** That's okay how you see it. I wish you would have gone into more depth of what this song meant to you so that I could see your point. It's all about interpretation. So there is no right or wrong to how this song makes you feel.
I'm becoming less defined As days go by Fading away Well you might say I'm losing focus Kinda drifting into the abstract In terms of how I see myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I think I can see right through myself Sometimes I can see right through myself Less concerned About fitting into the world Your world, that is 'cause it doesn't really matter Any more No, it doesn't really matter Any more None of this really matters Any more Yes I am alone But then again I always was As far back as I can tell I think maybe it's because Because you were never really real To begin with I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself I just made you up To hurt myself And it worked Yes it did There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me Only only only Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye And it turned out to be a scab And I had this funny feeling Like I just knew it's something bad I just couldn't leave it alone I cut off that scab It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut But I climbed through Now I'm somewhere I am not supposed to be And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see And now I know why Now I know why Things aren't as pretty On the inside There is no you There is only me There is no you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me There is no fucking you There is only me Only only only only only only? Songwriters: Michael Reznor / Trent Reznor
I like how this video has become noteworthy for its absence of smartphones, tablets and curved screens. This song and this video will only (with apologies for unintended phrasing) get better as time marches on.
At first reading of your comment I thought it said "God this song is absolute shit" and I was about to bitchslap you through the computer but upon second reading I noticed the "the" and calmed back down. lol.
I was really impressed with this LP when it came out, I still like it. Talk as much shit about Trent Reznor as you want, he doesn't care; he's the man.
WHY can't Tool and NIN collab? sure, there's the supergroup recordings of maynard and reznor that never became thing - but really - IT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH YET
Ah, The "Tapeworm Project". Maynard used one of those songs for A Perfect Circle. Known as 'Vacant' when it was recorded over 10 years ago live it turned into the song 'Passive' on APC album eMotive. I prefer the old live version. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X7rZtbTjhQw.html
just had my first ever panic attack last December (day after Christmas) with severe depersonalization symptoms and holy shit... didn't even think about relatable this song is lol.
Flavia Ciarletti when I first heard NIN I was too young to understand and I felt dirty after listening to them like the music left me feeling guilty. Now 15 years after this album came out I relate to it ic so much it’s crazy.
