| Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Here goes nothing.... throughout this ramble the word "his" is used to refer to the character ONLY... This is not in anyway to point to Trent Reznor's personal desires or wishes or experiences for that matter. 1. Mr self destruct he is basically introducing his character, a possibly afraid religiously raised person that has found that he has become an addict, and is afraid of his weakness. 2. Piggy... about "his" lover, a BDSM (Slave and master) relationship that he thought would teach him peace and give him comfort, but this person deserted him as well and just left him confused and beaten. with none of the support that you need from a "master" (i am speaking from some experience in these types of relationships) 3. Heresy. looking at religion to get away from his addiction (a la 12 step) but he sees the solution (methadone?) as a virus not a cure because it works the same "magic" and the church wasn't helping him through it either. 4. March of the Pigs... The hatred "he" feels for the church for failing him and showing him something he *should* just accept, but he can't. the character sees the church as a crutch and he wants to break it. he doesn't want it anymore. It isn't helping. 5. Closer... "he" finds a lover, someone that shows him a strength that none have before, he feels so complete around this person that he thinks it is the only way he will make it out. 6. Ruiner. Another railing against the church realizing what the church has really has done to him (possible molestation?)(again the character not Trent Reznor ppl, stay with me here) 7. The Becoming... the characters fear that technology and the information overload he receives on a day to day basis is beating the humanity right out of him, stopping his creation, his transcendance 8. I Do Not Want This.. wanting to find an escape and reaching to someone that he hopes may have the answer, but he is afraid that if he has to reach out, he is showing weakness and is afraid that this will weaken him further. 9. Big Man With a Gun...He has found his strength, in the form of a weapon and thinks that now he has his "power" his strength and his ability to impact someone else's life. 10. Warm Safe Place (yes it has no lyrics, but has meaning)...drugs...introversion into his own head an "escape" 11. Eraser. again showing that "he" wants to be a "slave" but he is also afraid of losing himself, thinking he *must* strike back in order to keep himself as a separate person because of what has happened before where he was just left broken and bruised, and not received any love or happiness "in slavery....." (see prev NIN CD for references to this idea.) 12. Reptile.. another way of saying snake in the grass, a cheater. finding that yet again his weakness is being taken advantage of. Now some may argue the last 2 but here is my thoughts on them anyway... 13. The Downward Spiral...*Not* about him committing suicide...it is contemplating it. seeing that he is too weak to do it to himself and afraid it isn't enough to kill the pain he continues on *alive* but realizing that he is weak but still denying his own weakness. 14. Hurt... Heroin. Plain and simple. "needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting" trying to kill away everything through the haze of it but it won't go away. Telling someone you love that thy could have everything, submitting completely, but warning them that there isn't anything left to take. He has hurt and been hurt. He wishes he could start all over and not have become an addict in the first place and lost his "self" but knows it is too late. There ya go... In a nutshell |
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