Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
The sky is not the same shade of blue
Every single thing I believe isn't true
Missing in a maze of monochrome
How did I get here? How can I go home?
The echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
the ashes and debris
and all thats left of me
Non Entity
Tried to stand in line
Tried to obey
The ghosts of what I was
Keep getting in the way
Staring at the sun
blinded by the light
Now I'm afraid I'm fading out of site
The Echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
The ashes and Debris
And all thats left of you
And all thats left of me
All have washed away
Non entity
Every single thing I believe isn't true
Missing in a maze of monochrome
How did I get here? How can I go home?
The echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
the ashes and debris
and all thats left of me
Non Entity
Tried to stand in line
Tried to obey
The ghosts of what I was
Keep getting in the way
Staring at the sun
blinded by the light
Now I'm afraid I'm fading out of site
The Echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
The ashes and Debris
And all thats left of you
And all thats left of me
All have washed away
Non entity
Lyrics submitted by Twisted-gamer
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
"All have washed away" -The damage caused by Katrina
"Missing in the maze of monochrome"- The "debris" of the aftermath of Katrina.
"How did I get here, How can I go home"- Being left homeless from the storm
"Non-Entity"- New Orleans as it was known, will never be the same again. The past is no longer present.
Just some thoughts, but on the personal side of things....
It's about a man who is reflecting on his life and remembering all the things he's seen "the echoes in my eyes..." He remembers how destructive he was "burning down the world...." His previous relationship(s) that he destroyed "All that's left of you and all that's left of me." "Non-Entity" He is not the same person. He has changed, but he cannot change his past. He cannot repair all that has been destroyed and broken, including himself. He has changed in that depression and remorse and despair are now the thoughts that occupy his life, not anger, hate, love, destruction as it was before.
The two separate ideas actually fit nicely together, at least in my mind.
Pink Floyd – Goodbye Blue Sky
The first line struck me first. I know from an interview that the Wall had a big influence to Trent and according to the Wall 'blue' means innocence. I think that line means that Trent sees innocence in a different skew from before.
non-entity = non existant? not real?
it simply means memories
Every single thing I believe isn't true"
I think this refers to having just come out of a relationship, and realising the fact she/he's not there anymore, and how shit life is.
"Missing in a maze of monochrome
How did I get here? How can I go home?"
Everythings now monochrome and dull, and all he wants is to escape back into his old world with the other person
"The echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
the ashes and debris"
Now everything is just an echo of what it used to be, the world is a barren place
"and all thats left of me
Non Entity"
He doesn't feel like a person or a human being anymore
"Tried to stand in line
Tried to obey
The ghosts of what I was
Keep getting in the way"
I think this refers to the reason for the break-up, he tried to adhere to his ex's rules or just be a normal partner, but who he was before keeps coming back to haunt him, and he makes mistakes
"Staring at the sun
blinded by the light
Now I'm afraid I'm fading out of *sight*"
he's doing things without thinking of the consequences (like staring into the sun) and is afraid now she's gone, no-one will care for him
The Echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
The ashes and Debris
(see above)
"And all thats left of you
And all thats left of me
All have washed away
Non entity"
I think he thought of them as one thing, on entity, and now they've split, there's no entity where there was, it's been washed away like a sandcastle or something..
Thats what i think, but it was written around the with teeth era, so it could be about drugs, and the lack of drugs in his life, and how he's not coping.
Only Trent knows
I have listened to Nine Inch Nails for close to twenty years (starting when I was an adolescent and found Broken in my cousin's CD cabinet), and have been able to track (whether I wanted to or not) trends in Trent Reznor's music. Because he has become more open to disclosing personal information, his song lyrics have taken on a new shape for me.
This song, like nearly all of his songs, is one that I relate to from personal experience. Clearly, he's talking about personal change. As a former drug user (and unofficial addict), I can state from experience the impact certain behaviors can have on an individual. I grew up in a loving household but wasn't shaped to be a moral person. Consequently, I turned to drugs and alcohol and, in my case, violence. I recently got married and now have a nine-month old son. This turn of events in my life (marriage and having a child) forced me to re-evaluate my beliefs and actions which I feel is at the heart of this song. Anybody can fall victim to the allure of substance abuse, even the most intelligent and creative people of our society - what you don't realize is how much your actions shape your beliefs and shape you as a person. In Non-Entity, I think that the narrator (Trent I'm assuming) is having a sort of crisis in the sense that he doesn't (or didn't) know which way was up. Take it from there and you'll understand the song. . . very well written. Trent is a true master at containing so many complex human emotions in a few simple bars - the mark of a true artist.
"The sky is not the same shade of blue
Everything I believed isn't true."
I don't take "love's labors lost" from this. There isn't any indication that a woman is even involved here. He's saying that his outlook has changed and he feels lost, as you get older you realize how important your beliefs are and (like in my case) when you come to a point where you realize everything you've believed that has shaped you isn't appropriate or healthy, it's shocking.
"Missing in a maze of monochrome
How did I get here? How can I go home?"
He remembers where he came from, and he remembers all of the positive things associated with "Home." A heartbreaking realization when you wake up one day and see that you've strayed so far from it. What do we think of when we say "Home?" Childhood, mom and dad, safety. Without stability we would all go "missing in a maze of monochrome."
"The echoes in my eyes of all they used to see
Burning down the world the ashes and debris."
This is one of my favorite lines, emphasizing the importance of experience. When you're young you don't understand that experiences (good and bad) will be with you forever. When the bad experiences outweigh the good experiences it shapes who you are for the worst. He's come to realize that he isn't the same person and he wants to change but he will always have those negative experiences. I think ashes and debris is particularly interesting for me because it suggests destruction, destructive behavior, violence, etc. which speaks to my own experiences.
"Tried to stand in line tried to obey
The ghosts of what I was keep getting in the way."
Once again, negative experience and memory will be with you forever and if you really want to change your life and the way you think about things you have to keep those negative influences in their place. The influences keep coming back, something I can sympathize with. This really is an incredible fucking song.
"Staring at the sun blinded by the light
Now I'm afraid I'm fading out of sight."
Another awesome line. What do we think of when we think of the sun? Energy, warmth, light. The sun is a metaphor for the positive behaviors and elements of our existence that the narrator has neglected for so long. Now he wants to turn back to them but they blind him, like staying in the dark for years and finally seeing the sun. The way he sings "now I'm afraid I'm fading out of sight" in the latest shows is awesome, it makes me really believe what he's saying. Think about it, he doesn't want to go back to the dark elements that he thought defined him but he can't stand the brilliance of the sun, he has nowhere to go so he's fading out of sight.
Finally, I think that the "all that's left of you and all that's left of me" is the narrator talking to his former self. There isn't actually another person here, he's addressing that negative part of his personality or "the ghosts of what I was" that he can't seem to get away from.
BRILLIANT song, very touching for me personally as are all of his songs. Hope you guys enjoy.
ALSO! For those of you who think the solo performance of this song pales in comparison to the live version, I would say that you should take a closer look at the breadth of Trent Reznor's work before you pop off and ooh and ahh over his spectacular live light show which has no doubt distracted your proper judgement. How typical of us that we shit our britches over fireworks but when the actual material is there, raw and uncut we can't stand it. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AND RE-EVALUATE YOURSELF (the message of this song).
Not too sure what it means. I just love the imagery it gives me. (Like all NIN songs.)