Nine Inch Nails – Only

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  General Comment:"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"
  
  In a rut, possibly (and knowing Reznor, most likely) depression, the protagonist of this song starts to doubt his boring, monotonous, dull and dreary life as it goes on day by day. Due to this depression, he begins to lose focus and grasp on his life. As a result, he begins to turn towards the route of solipsism, the idea that one's world is revolved entirely around your own mind - "In terms of how I see myself, drifting into the abstract". This is because he lost grasp on his hope and began to see more rationale and logic in having the world revolve around himself. What's the point of doing good deeds for others, if it more or less does nothing for you?
  
  "Sometimes I think I can see right through myself
  I think I can see right through myself
  I can see right through myself"
  
  This line begins to delve more into the protagonists mind. When he says "I think I can see right through myself", he *thinks* that. And also when he says "I think I can see right through myself", it is most likely a recount of how he sees the world as a whole. The world is him, in his own mind, and he can see right through himself. However, the last part of this lyric is the most crucial: "I can see right through myself". Notice there is no "think" in this line. The character replaces the "I think" lyric with stark certainty - he can see right through himself, he can see right through the overrated, bloated shield of the world that hides the dull, rotten things beneath it.
  
  "Less concerned
  about fitting in to the world
  your world, that is
  cuz it doesn't really matter no it doesn't really matter
  no it doesn't really matter anymore
  None of this really matters anymore"
  
  Self-explanatory, to an extent. As a result of his loss of focus as described in the first verse, he begins to lose hope and falls into a nihilistic state (which more or less corresponds with his solipsistic views). "Less concerned about fitting in to the world, your world, that is". As a result of being a solipsist, he believes that there is no such thing as a "you" (and we'll get to that later in the chorus). It is only him, and he realizes that he doesn't need to care about what other's think or do or say anymore, because he's come to his own selfish realization that there is no such thing as others. It's all in his head, a holographic vision.
  
  "Yes, I am alone, but then again I always was
  But maybe that's because you were never really real to begin with
  I just made you up to hurt myself, and it worked
  Yes it did"
  
  Another crucial spot in the lyrics. The protagonist realizes that he is alone, and knows this with stark certainty. However, what he does not realize is that he is bringing this upon himself, as he is the one who chose personally to abandon the idea of "YOU" and as a result, he begins to grow solitary and bitter. "I just made you up to hurt myself, and it worked, yes it did". This stanza is self-explanatory - by "hurt myself" he believes that he created all of those people around him - the unfaithful lovers, the government, the church, or anyone who ever defied him - were made up PERSONALLY by himself to damage his self. He loves the feeling of being hurt, because he has no other choice - he would rather feel hurt than feel like a complete nothing. There's something inside him that wants to fight off the growing nihilsm - but that part of him is just absent for the time being.
  
  "There is no you
  There is only me
  There is no fuckin' you
  There is only me"
  
  Again, this one in context with the above interpretation is self-explanatory. In an arrogant fashion, the protagonist continues to wrap himself up in his own little bubble, isolated from the world. He removes the idea of "YOU" - again, there is no "think" - and stamps it with one-hundred percent solid certainty. This world is revolved around HIM and it will work how HE wants it. He made it all up to continue to drive himself into the ground.
  
  "Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye and it turned out to be a scab
  and I had this funny feelin' like I just knew it was somethin' 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"
  
  The protagonist, again, *knew* that his choices would drive him into the dirt. Knowing full-well, he took this route instead of anything more positive in the option box. The "doorway", which refers to his step into the path of neglect and isolation, was trying to prevent him from making the poor choice. But he climbed through, never heeding the warnings. The "scab" I'm not 100% sure about, however the "dot" was mentioned in their previous song "Down in It" so it's something to look upon.
  
  "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, things aren't as pretty on the inside"
  
  Compare with the above interpretation. He shouldn't have taken this path, but he did to fulfill his own selfish cravings. As a result, his isolation persists, and the idea that "things aren't as pretty on the inside" begin to shroud out his thoughts even more than they already were. He is trapped now - and he trapped himself.

  Flag CheeseLordon April 30, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:It can be taken as being told from three points of view. One POV is what you might call the narrator's "good side", and a second is what you might call his "bad side". One one level, the song plays out like a sort of battle between these two "sides", and the story could be taken as being told from either's perspective, with each side accusing the other of not being real. The narrator is wondering whether, deep down, he is truly a good person or a bad person. Sometimes, he thinks he is truly good. Sometimes, he thinks he is truly bad. Sometimes, he realises that neither side is real, and he is neither truly good nor truly bad. Ultimately, I think the song is about trying to see yourself as one complete person, even though it is easy to see your self as a collection of archetypes. I believe the song is about accepting that character is too complex to be thought of in absolute terms, that we are all flawed, and that your dark side does not exist in opposition to any good qualities that you might have.

  Flag matrixcaton March 18, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:Finally have been listening to more of NIN's after having listened to only a handful of songs over the years. I believe this one is about feeling a loss of identity or worrying about possibly losing an identity. Some people have very strong personalties or just incredible personalities that it's easy to envy or want to emulate. (Not sure if I spelled that one correctly:-()
  
  The person needed to break free to feel good about himself. There's anger in the song and then a stanza that sounds as though the person left or broke free, and is now with someone new. ("It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut. But I climbed through. Now I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be.")
  
  Who knows. I believe that's close. And just maybe the person is exactly where he needs to be...with someone new who doesn't threaten him. Trent is a talented artist. He's one of a handful I would love to spend an evening with just pickin' his brain.

  Flag IllToast2Thaton February 16, 2013   Link

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  My Interpretation:I think it is a message to the Mr. Self Destruct complex seen in The Downward Spiral. This could be another alternate album ending (After Big Man With A Gun), where after attempting suicide in "Hurt", the protagonist managed to survive, and managed to clear his head and expel Mr. Self Destruct, and this is his last interaction with that construct.

  Flag UnjlyIrishon December 06, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:My interpretation:
  
  The protagonist is becoming an individual (or someone unique) and getting out of the mold society made for him.
  
  He begins to see all the other people and realizes that they still live their lives in conformity in "their world" and how most of them fail to realize or understand how they were limited by the system. That's why he feels alone. He's the only "real" one, the only one that sees that. He doesn't want to fit into this world and have his creativity and potencial limited and live a life how the system wants him to. We're all part of the system, we created the rules in our society, that's why he calls it "your world" by the way.
  
  He kinda gets solipsistic for a moment there ("there is only me"), because it kinda looks like everything but him is fabricated, perhaps not by his mind, but by someone. So by getting out of the mold and realizing that, he sees himself as the only real one.
  
  The last part makes me think of someone picking at a scab that is actually a doorway, entering this doorway and getting inside of himself. And by doing so, seeing himself like he really is and realizing it's not that pretty.

  Flag pedromitoon September 07, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:He's saying his self-worth is not based on what other people think of him (there is no fuckin' you, there's only me).
  
  And that any concept of what other people are thinking, are imaginary to him (I just made you up to hurt myself).
  
  And his realization of this is strange, something that he shouldn't know (Now I'm somewhere,I am not supposed to be, And I can see things I know, I really shouldn't see).
  
  Thus,
  
  "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"

  Flag intricaticon August 01, 2012   Link

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• -2
  General Comment:Here we go - He's cleary saying that we are just an illusion to ourselves and God is the only thing thats real. He's telling how everything we say and feel isn't even real but just a form of a virtual imitation like a computer program. We are the ones living in the software program while God is the controller of the game playing it. Besides, everything that we precieve that's real is nothing more than an electrical impulse, from seeing to hearing and feeling. All are just electrical impulses. So ask yourself, how real would you feel or seem if you realized that all things that exist are only electrical impulses that are within your "mind"? Keep picking at the scab and you will find out what's really lying beneath and the questions you pose might hand you answers you may not be able to handle is what he's saying. Imagine finding out that all that you are is an illusion? All of the laws of reality can be broken just like a computer program hence, since this world is nothing but a 3 dimensional video game then how human would you feel? REally think about it, the only reason you see these words on the screen is because there is an electrical impulse that is telling your mind that this is an i or an e or and f. Get it? We are frequencies and vibrations is what the video speaks. Very much like a tune or sound we are just pieces to a composition like a musical. He's saying that whoever god is, he is in control of the editing program of life and it seems that he is upset at God maybe for letting bad things occur in what he is in charge of and the sadness of Trent feeling heartbroken by the truth and emptiness of realities hidden secrets..Very artistic and amazing song and video. Awesome to say the least. Please give it all of the respect it deserves...

  Flagged awakenedblood88on June 13, 2012   Link

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    You are a moron, I mean the bulk of what you said was reasonable even if its barely GCSE philosophy but Trent (and his lyrical personas) are consistently and clearly nihilistic and athiestic, not only denying god but also ridiculing the very concept. Don't bring him into this equation.

    Flag Slikereon July 14, 2012  

    +1

    @Slikere well said
    @awakenedblood88 next time you listen to this song and trent screams "there is no fucking you there is only me" try imagining him directing that statement at God.

    Flag johnnyblueyeon July 16, 2012  

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    To the contrary, if you want to interpret this song through the scope of religion, he is not angry at god, he has just realized that there is no god.
    
    Humans created religion for several reasons, and one of those reasons is control (i just made you up to hurt myself).
    
    I definitely recognize this isn't the forum for a religion debate, so lets not go there, but this song makes perfect sense when you interpret "ME" as humanity and "YOU" as religion, and a "scab" as damage caused by religion. Everything else fits my interpretation, and it makes more sense than yours.... I think

    Flag keh61991on November 27, 2012  
• 0
  General Comment:You lost

  Flag UseSomeoneElseon May 07, 2012   Link

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• +1
  General Comment:This is a great song...maybe not the best depth lyrically, but just a fun song.
  
  My take: it's the rightfully selfish point of view someone takes after recovering from the inevitably traumatic ending of a relationship. There is no you (fuck you bitch/dick)...I'm the only one who matters cuz I gotta look out for number one.
  
  The scab thing is the best...to me it's a clear metaphor. You see the scab there, know you should leave it alone and just keep picking at that little fucker anyway...and what happens? You just reinjure yourself and scar yourself. But it's so fucking tempting that you do it anyway...but at least you (kind of) learn from your fuck up.

  Flag vikesfan953on December 27, 2011   Link

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    you clearly were upset about a break-up when you first heard this song :)

    Flag keh61991on November 27, 2012  
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  General Comment:It is funny how some do not realize what it is that they are doing all day. Realizing it is what helps you stay abob. Helps you see other people too. The flow beneath the daily motions. Lays sleeping there. We allmost start out as sleepers. Isolation can and does lead to conflation. You are not this ideal you is something you have to realize if you were ever being downcast toward anyone. Open tide, we're all gliding, some skimming, braking, blazing through the trail of time, is my way of being an acidace about it.

  Flag hehkateon December 26, 2011   Link

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