You're keeping in step
In the line
Got your chin held high and you feel just fine
Because you do
What you're told
But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold

Just how deep do you believe?
Will you bite the hand that feeds?
Will you chew until it bleeds?
Can you get up off your knees?
Are you brave enough to see?
Do you want to change it?

What if this whole crusade's
A charade
And behind it all there's a price to be paid
For the blood
On which we dine
Justified in the name of the holy and the divine

Just how deep do you believe?
Will you bite the hand that feeds?
Will you chew until it bleeds?
Can you get up off your knees?
Are you brave enough to see?
Do you want to change it?

So naive
To keep holding on to what I want to believe
I can see
But I keep holding on and on and on and on

Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
Will you stay down on your knees?



Lyrics submitted by Angie Christ

Track duration: 03:32

"The Hand That Feeds" as written by Trent Reznor

Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

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The Hand That Feeds song meanings
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209 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I think HammerFloyd is right, but the references to bein on your knees refers to prayer, in my opinion. It deals with both religion and politics, society in general. Seeing the "truth" or "light," yet choosing to still believe; knowing that what we collectively are doing is wrong, but following the crowd anyway.
    Flag TwoVirgoson May 31, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's an appeal to reject the system we live under in general, interspersed with specific pleas for right-wing christians to get closer to what their faith suggests and tell the right-wing evangelicals and republican to fuck right off ("get off your knees").
    Flag dgkfhjlffjfjhlfhjaon May 31, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song doubles as a cry against the government (many of NIN's songs have such double meanings), yet it also influences the course of With Teeth, if you will. The song is about pretending you're happy when you're not. This is the inner feeling and desire to bite the hand that feeds... but we don't. Even though we see everything we're holding onto is a lie, we hold on because it temporarily makes us feel safe and secure, and we don't want our collected feelings (see The Collector) to blow up. However, in the end, we're only making it worse for mental stability and self-identity.
    Flag HammerFloydon July 05, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Nine inch nails is a christian by it's very nature.
    It's name is a reference to the bible.
    That's what it's all about.

    You have problems man.
    Flag lokicannonon May 09, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ok ThisLittlePiggy or UseSomeoneElse or whatever your name is.
    Here is a page that explains 100% exactly what I believe.
    BlueWaffle.biz
    It might be a bit more scientific than you're used to so feel free to comeback and tell me what you think about it.
    Flagged lokicannonon May 09, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Anyway what it's really about is a kid taking holy communion and considering biting the priests hand.
    Flag lokicannonon May 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:People are dominated by social structure, culture and society.
    The Hand That Feeds questions whether you should follow the rules of society for a comfortable life and continue believing the lies which control our culture or rebel and live by your own means.
    Flag lokicannonon May 09, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    will you stay down on your knees?
    its simply, blowjobs
    Flag cosmonaut17on August 10, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:So, I agree that this song is actually somewhat political.

    But having read that With Teeth was influenced by Reznor's battle with drugs, I first viewed it in that light.

    you're keeping in step
    in the line
    got your chin held high and you feel just fine
    because you do
    what you're told
    but inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold

    //this section seems political, yes, but it could also be viewed as being happy in a way, with a drug high or addiction, but not really being truly happy (the black and hollow heart).

    just how deep do you believe? //do you think that this is really the answer to happiness or whatever it is you seek?
    will you bite the hand that feeds? //can you kick the addiction? can you turn on it?
    will you chew until it bleeds? //can you keep it up, stay off drugs?
    can you get up off your knees? //will you get out of your addiction?
    are you brave enough to see? //can you see this isn't truly anything?
    do you want to change it? //do you want to get out of here?

    So yeah, political yes, but I think it could be viewed this way, too.
    Flag tastefulon June 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:"Just how deep do you believe?
    Will you bite the hand that feeds?
    Will you chew until it bleeds?
    Can you get up off your knees?
    Are you brave enough to see?
    Do you want to change it?"
    It sounds like he's calling out all the moderate liberals on their acquiescence because in the end they usually wouldn't turn their back on what gives them privilege. So how can they truly believe when they are too willing to submit themselves to the status quo? Considering it was pretty much the halo 18 album and the time it was released, he could be calling out Bush with the war in Iran, Zionists with the Israeli Palestinian war, or heck the complete racism/elitism/sexism clause that came with the Bush era.
    Flag ravenoushearton March 05, 2010   Link

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