She shines
In a world full of ugliness
She matters when everything is meaningless

Fragile
She doesn't see her beauty
She tries to get away
Sometimes
It's just that nothing seems worth saving
I can't watch her slip away

I won't let you fall apart

She reads the minds of all the people as they pass her by
Hoping someone can see
If I could fix myself I'd - but it's too late for me

I wont let you fall apart

We'll find the perfect place to go where we can run and hide
I'll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side
...but they keep waiting
...and picking...

It's something I have to do
I was there, too
Before everything else
I was like you



Lyrics submitted by thewhitepony33

Track duration: 07:16

"The Fragile" as written by Arvid Wam Solvang, Maria Viktoria Mena

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Fragile song meanings
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86 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This is a complicated song because of the roles. To put it simply, the protagonist is not real. Trent is speaking in first person as the hero he wishes he had, and "she" is actually Trent himself. He had hoped for a hero since the very first song "Somewhat Damaged", and was let down when he felt he didn't get one. He dreamt up this character to act out and the woman he loves is actually what he wishes he meant to someone else. It's tricky, but it works because Trent was waaay too broken to write a love song, he didn't love anyone (he couldn't feel anything!). But he wanted to [be] loved (understood), and this was his way to expressing it. It's all imaginary. Queue the next couple songs, now it should start to make a lot of sense.
    Flagged bloodbringeron January 31, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Memory:This song came on my ipod after I went to visit a friend and I realized he had a cocaine addiction. It was hauntingly perfect.
    Flag disgustipated07on August 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is my situation.
    The love of my life is my best friend. He recently started dating someone else, and I am utterly heartbroken and sick over the whole thing. We have been talking about it, a lot actually, and he knows how I feel about him, yet he still is determined to be my best friend. I've been saying a lot about how I feel like giving up, that I don't feel like I'm worth anyone's time, and that I don't know who I am anymore. I'm constantly being hounded by friends and family who tell me that he's not worth risking my health over (Because I'm literally getting sick because of it) but I'm insisting on staying close to him. This is my favorite NIN song just because I so often feel like this girl and all I want is for someone to love me this much. Yesterday, he posted the lyrics "It's something I have to do. I was there too. Before everything else, I was like you." as his facebook status. Somehow I know it was a message to me. I just wish I knew what he was saying.
    Flag demolitionlover4on August 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Holy shit is all I can say. The first time I heard this I was blown away. It's a song about putting someone else's life ahead of your very own survival... a girl/significant other who behaves telepathically, reading the minds of others that merely pass by until the narrator finds her, knowing what she is going through but being beyond repair himself... thinking even though it's too late for him maybe he can save her.
    Flag Pray4Iceon February 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Double post, I apologize for that error...
    Flag RedShoeboxon January 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:See, when I think of this song, I interperet all the lyrics as they come. Like this:

    "She shines / In a world full of ugliness" - The speaker/singer/character (or Trent, if that's who you picture) finds 'she', perhaps a lover, to be beautiful beyond compare.
    "She matters / When everything is meaningless" - She means very much to him, more than anyone else.
    "Fragile / She doesn't see her beauty / She tries to get away" - She does not seem to feel the same way about herself, so she tries to isolate herself, perhaps because she may think she's not as good as everyone else.
    "Sometimes / It's just that nothing seems worth saving / I can't watch her slip away / I won't let you fall apart..." - The speaker is identifying that nothing else really matters to him, therefore, he can't stand to see her this way.

    "She reads the minds of all the people as they pass her by / hoping someone will see" - She's intelligent, beautiful, meaningful... he is in love with her, but she still feels like no one can understand her pain.
    "If I could fix myself, I'd- / but it's too late for me" - He has felt this pain before. But he can't fix it. But perhaps, he can save her. "I won't let you fall apart..."

    "We'll find the perfect place to go where we can run and hide / I'll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side" - He tells her "We can get away from this, where we'll understand each other, where we can fix this pain, where no one can judge us..."
    "...but they keep waiting / ...and picking" - They won't leave him and the girl alone.

    "It's something I have to do" - She's all he has left.
    "I was there too / Before everything else / I was like you." He's been there. He's felt her pain. He won't let the same things happen to her that he's endured.

    Sorry for the length of this comment, but this is what I feel when I hear this song. It's made me cry, in fact.
    Flag RedShoeboxon January 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:See, when I think of this song, I interperet all the lyrics as they come. Like this:

    "She shines / In a world full of ugliness" - The speaker/singer/character (or Trent, if that's who you picture) finds 'she', perhaps a lover, to be beautiful beyond compare.
    "She matters / When everything is meaningless" - She means very much to him, more than anyone else.
    "Fragile / She doesn't see her beauty / She tries to get away" - She does not seem to feel the same way about herself, so she tries to isolate herself, perhaps because she may think she's not as good as everyone else.
    "Sometimes / It's just that nothing seems worth saving / I can't watch her slip away / I won't let you fall apart..." - The speaker is identifying that nothing else really matters to him, therefore, he can't stand to see her this way.

    "She reads the minds of all the people as they pass her by / hoping someone will see" - She's intelligent, beautiful, meaningful... he is in love with her, but she still feels like no one can understand her pain.
    "If I could fix myself, I'd- / but it's too late for me" - He has felt this pain before. But he can't fix it. But perhaps, he can save her. "I won't let you fall apart..."

    "We'll find the perfect place to go where we can run and hide / I'll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side" - He tells her "We can get away from this, where we'll understand each other, where we can fix this pain, where no one can judge us..."
    "...but they keep waiting / ...and picking" - They won't leave him and the girl alone.

    "It's something I have to do" - She's all he has left.
    "I was there too / Before everything else / I was like you." He's been there. He's felt her pain. He won't let the same things happen to her that he's endured.

    Sorry for the length of this comment, but this is what I feel when I hear this song. It's made me cry, in fact.
    Flag RedShoeboxon January 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about the girl I SHOULD be with. Beautiful and wonderful, and doesn't realize it.
    Flag Salvador33on December 19, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song keeps me from falling apart when I'm in a dark place. Literally. I feel depressed and I listen to this song, and know that everything will somehow come out all right.
    Flag Miserymachineon November 10, 2010   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:This is the song I cry to when *I'm* falling apart. It's a comfort, it makes me feel like there's at least ONE person out there in the world that cares about me, even if I've never met him & probably never will. Yes, I'm a pathetic fangirl who secretly imagines being Mrs. Reznor, but I like to pretend he wrote this just for me. It's about watching someone he loves slip further & further away into hurt and sadness, and being determined to save her & hold her up when she's breaking down. This song, unlike most of his others, is about loving someone eternally & unconditionally. It's the most powerful love song I've ever heard.

    I'm actually planning to get "I won't let you fall apart" tattooed on my wrist in the Sin font, how cheesy is that? Lol...
    Flag Cenobyteon October 01, 2010   Link

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