Nine Inch Nails – The Warning

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Send "The Warning" Ringtone to Cell

Some say it was a warning
Some say it was a sign
I was standing right there
When it came down from the sky
The way it spoke to us
You felt it from inside
Said it was up to us
Up to us to decide

You've become a virus
That has eaten up its host
We've been watching you with all of our eyes
And what you seem to value most

So much potential
Or so we used to say
Your greed, self importance, and your arrogance
You piss it all away

We heard a cry
We've come to intervene
You will change your ways, and you will make amends
Or we will wipe this place clean

Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Your time is tick-tick-ticking away
Ticking away

Send "The Warning" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by not_for_real

Track duration: 03:39

"The Warning" as written by Michael Trent/harris Robinson

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Warning song meanings
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31 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:Ive got a couple theories about The Prescence...

    1. The Prescence is nothing more that a hallucination brought on by too much Parepin. It's actions are the guilt that the person seeing it has.

    2. It is literally a personification of God's hand, touching the soul of the person witnessing it. God is informing the witness of the inevitable Apocalypse.

    3. Their are many Prescences, and they are extra-terrestrial beings that came down to Earth to wipe out the population. The Prescence is angry with the humans for how they have treated Mother Earth, and are threatening to destroy humanity if they do not change their ways.
    Flag c05micon September 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song word for word follows that newish movie with keanu reeves "the day the earth stood still" to like a T. Its great seeing it and even greater when trent sings about it. I love the songs that make ya think "omg i cant even imagine that". BRILLIANT !!!!!!
    Flag xnowimdowninitxon June 12, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Soon as I heard about the retired NORAD officers predictions, and the UFO sightings over Manhatten. This song came to mind. Maybe it's coming true?
    Flag RoadskiNon October 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:this has 'the day the earth stood still' written all over it.
    Flag coronerin47303on September 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:judsonogram.net/personnel/gantry/casefiles/6455da04/…

    Reading through this it seems that the Presence is not in fact God, but definitely a higher power or some physical manifestation.
    Flag longkayurislongon September 18, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Memory:This song was fucking awesome live!
    Flag bulletproofbrainon July 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"We heard her cry" implies that the earth (the "host") is suffering from human (a "virus" as described in the film "The Matrix") actions. I think of this as a kind of moralistic fantasy where the writer projects his or her personal views onto a superior entity and has this entity justify (aggressively) those views. The main theme of this song seems to be same as in the remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still", which is loosely based on the Gaia hypothesis. The logic of both seem to me questionable if they are taken literally. Human beings may be in danger from ecological change (whether or not we are a primary cause) and because of this we certainly may care about such changes. But the earth has seen many changes in its existence and there is no evidence to suggest that it cares about any of the temporary life which manifests as a result of atmospheric conditions on it surface. The judgement expressed here is that of a species morally questioning itself. And considering the aggressively atheistic and nihilistic nature of lyrical expression in NIN it is hard not to find such overt moralization just as irrational as any religious apology. This is not to say that Trent Reznor is an idiot or that this is a "bad" song. I can relate to much of the despair and frustration in NIN music. But I have to wonder if Mr. Reznor considers himself to be one of the arrogant people his imaginary entities are warning. Cheers, and Godspeed.
    Flag motherengineon April 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I took it more as the a group being warned by The Presence and the cry was the trampled, oppressed masses. And that the tyrant's time is running out before they suffer the sword.
    Flag SamuraiTedon November 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:am i the only one that thinks this is about Bush and lady Liberty?
    Flag sinful_maidenon April 22, 2008   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think its about aliens that came back to rescue mother nature.
    Flag jrmfewingon January 19, 2008   Link

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