I believe I can see the future
'Cause I repeat the same routine
I think I used to have a purpose
But then again, that might have been a dream

I think I used to have a voice
Now I never make a sound
I just do what I've been told
I really don't want them to come around, oh no

Every day is exactly the same
Every day is exactly the same
There is no love here and there is no pain
Every day is exactly the same

I can feel their eyes are watching
In case I lose myself again
Sometimes I think I'm happy here
(Sometimes)
Sometimes, yet I still pretend

I can't remember how this got started
Oh, but I can tell you exactly how it will end

Every day is exactly the same
Every day is exactly the same
There is no love here and there is no pain
Every day is exactly the same

I'll write it on a little piece of paper
I'm hoping, someday, you might find
Well I'll hide it behind something
They won't look behind

I am still inside her
A little bit comes bleeding through
I wish this could've been any other way
But I just don't know, I don't know what else I can do

Every day is exactly the same
Every day is exactly the same
There is no love here and there is no pain
Every day is exactly the same

Every day is exactly the same
Every day is exactly the same
There is no love here and there is no pain
Every day is exactly the same
(Every day is the same!)



Lyrics submitted by brettjrob

Track duration: 04:55

"Every Day Is Exactly the Same" as written by Trent Reznor

Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Every Day Is Exactly the Same song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:"I can't remember how this got started, but I know exactly how it will end" = suicide, obviously.
    Flagged CheeseLordon March 21, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Seems to me this song is Nietschean, and concerns itself with the principle of eternal return. Everyday, of every recurring life, is exactly the same, a deterministic philosophy that is alternately scary as hell, and then again strangely reassuring for some.
    Flag ChiefPJPon February 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Memory:Man, when I was living with my emotionally/verbally abusive step-father, this song is how I felt about life. I was just moving from day to day, trying to avoid doing anything so I wouldn't upset him.
    Flag Meghindon August 04, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is one of the saddest, in my opinion, and tells a story of itself. Think of someone with no one in their life, sustained by only a boring office job. They pretend to be happy and content, but the monotony and boredom in their life is crushing and overwhelming, enough to make them go insane. Over the months, years, however long this routine has been going on, the person has lost all feeling, be it love or pain. Eventually it becomes so big and long that the person is lost (I am still inside here) the ending seems to imply suicide, but the album continues in the further stages of the loss of self-identity.
    Flag HammerFloydon July 05, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song= My lame life......
    Flag Fire19on November 19, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Guys dont be fool, the title speaks for itself. Its not about psycotic, or rehab, or whatever BS you might think other than he is talking about plain ol' life. The routine a normal person would have.
    when he says
    "I believe I can see the future,
    Cause I repeat the same routine"
    Is that he knows that 2morrow (which is already the future) will be the same as the day he is living through. You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what???????? same shit different daY. AGAIN You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what???????? REALLY?????? You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what????????
    "I think I used to have a purpose
    Then again, that might have been a dream"
    THIS MEANS HE HAD GOALS AND WISHED FOR SOMETHING BETTER BUT HE DOESNT HAVE OR NEVER ACCOMPLISHED.

    "I think I used to have a voice
    And now I never make a sound"
    This means he use to have an opinion and spoke it. People or socity would hear his voice, he had a meaning and now he's shut up because he's depressed because he realizes the routine.
    "I just do what I've been told"
    this could mean his job. hes no supervisor or CEO of a company, just a regular employee.
    "I really don't want them to come around", oh no
    He preffers to avoid his bosses.

    Every day is exactly the same
    Every day is exactly the same
    "There is no love here, and there is no pain"
    he has no relationship to look foward to so he has no love that comes with pain.
    Every day is exactly the same

    "I can feel their eyes are watching"
    Society or someone who cares for him is watching over him.
    "In case I lose myself again"
    This could mean, Drugs, Bad habits, Drop out, bum, laizyness.
    "Sometimes I think I'm happy here"
    He's happy, cause he is in his comfort zone. He thinks he is happy.
    "Sometimes, yeah, I still pretend"
    He is not happy at all refering to the previous verse. He s tired of the routine but has to cope with it so he is pretending when hes outside in the real world in society.

    "I can't remember how this got started"
    He doesnt know how, or when this routine started.
    "Oh, but I can tell you exactly how it will end"
    He has an idea how he can finish the routine. could be a judgement call, suicide, or since he can see the future daily routine. it may refer to the end of the day.

    "I'm writing on a little piece of paper
    I'm hoping someday you will find
    Well, I'll hide it behind something
    They won't look behind"
    It speaks for itself a metaphor of his emotions hidding it in his heart.

    "I am still inside here"
    His soul, himself, he feels trapped in the routine. has not change.
    "A little bit comes bleeding through"
    When you bleed it hurts so he's refering to pain, again he mentions no pain in he's life but.......
    still it says a little not a whole lot so he does have emotions. Human being with emotions.
    "I wish this could have any other way"
    He wishes his life woul've been different.
    "Oh, but I just don't know, I don't know what else I can do"
    he's blocked, he doesnt know what actions to take to change he's routine in life.

    This song is about routinary life. Of course not every day is excactly the same. But the little things whe do without putting our minds to it is a routine life. Again..... whats the story of your life???
    " You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what???????? same shit different daY. AGAIN You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what???????? REALLY?????? You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, turn your car on, (some cases, take children to school), go to your daily shift work for 8 hrs. 12hrs etc. during the day you have brunch,lunch,punchout,punch in,finish work, head home, have dinner,watch some tv, go to sleep. next day, guess what????????
    Flag johanrsxon November 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've experienced the effects of medication as a child for preventing the likelihood of Seizures. The effects of these are far worse than Ritalin as far as potential mental auras go. Not the kind where you get into an antisocial state- but one of cold sweat and Deja Vu. Perhaps the brain is just incapable of forcing every little issue to a shorter possibility. I'm not the typical fanboy who reaches into the pants of someones personal life, so whether or not Trent actually takes medication is none of our business and not worthy of speculation. This is just my input on how any sickness- mental or otherwise- can cause annoying and uncomfortable Deja Vu.
    Flag aggregate0072on July 24, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree with those that observed that this song closely parallels the book 1984. I think it is Trent's commentary on how he feels that liberty and freedom is being eroded in America. He sees his own government becoming like the Big Brother regime in 1984, right down to the never-ending wars in "Eurasia". His next album, "Year Zero" made his political objections more clear. He clearly had significant antipathy toward the Bush administration and things like the Patriot Act. So, I think this song is a warning or a prophecy that Trent worries that we may all be destined to lead subjugated lives like that of Winston.

    Having been a corporate dweeb most of my life, I just frigging love this song. It became almost a theme song for me when I was in that life. Fortunately, I escaped and now enjoy a lot more freedom than most people who slave away for a paycheck. HOWEVER...

    Kazenokae's comment compelled me to write a bit more...

    I would like to remind people that the world of 1984 illustrated life under a totalitarian regime that resembled the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact far more than it reflected on any capitalist society of the time or since. In 1984, everyone worked for the state in exchange for sub-standard housing, drab uniform clothing and subsistence rations. Religion and even male/female relationships were illegal (population control). If you even *thought* badly about the government, you would be imprisoned and tortured. So far, corporations do not have anything near that level of power over people (or even have a reason to want it), but governments that abandon capitalism often do. Look around at how the despots of the world have actually operated before you choose to revert to even worse slavery than what "capitalism" may impose. Sadly, our species always manages to produce a percentage of people who lust for power and control over others. Megalomania occurs irrespective of nationality or form of governance. Tyrants in boardrooms and management pale in comparison to tyrants in government. Corporate tyrants can be motivated by profits to buy the media, underpay and abuse their workers (to a degree) and cheat people out of their money; tyrannical governments can (and do) take away your freedom, your rights and your very life to preserve absolute control. Personally, I would rather confine the megalomaniacal tyrants to boardrooms than put them in control of legislation, law enforcement, the military and all the resources needed to create a police state. Big corporations and their antics really dismay me, but big governments are infinitely more dangerous! Corporations want people to make a lot of money so they will buy what the corporations are selling in order to make a profit. They hate unemployment and bad economies. Governments will say they will take care of you, but look at what it always winds up looking like when they do. KGB, gulags, Tiananmen Square, political prisoners, poverty, fear. Capitalism sucks less than anything else, if you ask me.

    I look forward to your comments (not really... if you disagree, I really don't care).

    Flag PinkerFreudon June 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about LSD (blotter, little piece of paper) and breaking routine
    The daily repetition, never really changes untill you do something unique.
    "im writing *on this little piece of paper"
    "I can feel their eyes are watching in case i lose myself again, sometimes I think I'm happy here, sometimes i still pretend.." "can't remember how this got started but I can tell you exactly how it will end" (right back to where you were before the escape) - where every day is the same.
    The reason people do drugs like acid is because they are trying to escape the every day routine, because it gets boring.. and you become so terribly queer if you just stand in line all of your life (it's normal these days to be exactly the same as each other) and this is a song recognizing that
    Trent reznor is an artist.. Artists think outside of the box
    Flag FISCHon April 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song describes depression and restlesness
    Flag ObamaGoesPostalon February 23, 2011   Link

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