This is the first day of my last days
I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down
Real far
No need for me to stay the last thing left I just threw it away
I put my faith in god and my trust in you
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I'm the one without a soul I'm the one with this big fucking hole
No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to hell
Gotta listen to your big time hard line bad luck fist fuck
Don't think you're having all the fun
You know me I hate everyone
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to



Lyrics submitted by gasmask

Track duration: 03:47

"Wish" as written by Paul John Tucker

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

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Wish song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:As far as I know this is about the label and the suited people telling him how to make his music. But also he began to go into that very dark place that not only the label issues but I think everything started there for him. I remember in "Terrible Lie" from Pretty Hate Machine he totally mocked God, for being an illusion and wanted to believe so much but couldn't. I think it's kinda the same here.

    "This is the first day of my last days" - in this label
    "I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down
    real far" - he's the one who made this all outta himself and he's willing to destroy it (so that he can be free probably)
    "I put my faith in god and my trust in you" - obviously he's regretting that what is not really obvious is that he may no longer refer only to his label put to the God and the world and everything all together. He's quite pissed with all of it, he starts with one problem but is so angry at life that he starts to include more and more of his irritations (that last sentence it's just what I think).

    "Wish there was something real wish there was something true"
    "Wish there was something real in this world full of you" - he built up to that anger and now generalize it all. "You" - all of you, the suits, the labels, the people, God, Satan, everything...Also wishing shows a flicker of hope. He wants it to be different but lost all belief in it's possibility.

    "I'm the one without a soul I'm the one with this big fucking hole" - He's still angry but also self-loathing now, he starts to think it's his fault cause he feels empty and shit...Maybe there's a metaphor here for selling his soul to Satan whom of he doesn't care about either but that's just a guess or maybe it was there to be more interesting...But what is more visible is that he feels hollow like he doesn't have soul but an empty hole in it's place.
    "No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to hell" - his whole life was probably until now (his 26th year) was a hell to him and this treachery probably happened a lot and he feels he deserves to have more but he hasn't got it. Also it may refer to the fact that he can't tell us something new about himself cause it's all it occurs is bad and shitty.
    "Don't think you're having all the fun. You know me I hate everyone" - he feels hated but so does he hates all of them (and us). I think he directs his anger to his label again here about the part that "you're having all the fun".

    Umm, generally pissed but starting with the most recent matter of his label. He's fed up with them and everyone and he wishes it wasn't that way but it is: "I want to but I can't turn back"

    Anyway, thinking about meanings of lyrics it can always mean a lot of things and only the writer knows best, so that's as far as I go...
    Flag valkilleron May 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it's about everyone, in general... humanity had failed him
    Flag waitwuton May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:it is about how someone trusted someone, but did something to him that made the first one distrust him really hard

    "the first days of my last days" the day he revealed the truth about that one

    "climbed up real high now fall down real far" every goal requires sacrificing
    sacrifices are the climb and the first part of the fall(while you fear the hit against the ground), means the way to truth, and freeing from that person
    the goal is the freedom sensation while you are falling (going away from falseness), the sacrifice is the climb and the first part of the fall, while you fear the hit against the ground (the introspection that makes a disconection from the world)

    "i put my faith in god and my trust in you"
    putting his faith in god means the way to let happen wahtever has to happen
    he is talking about past when he trusted that one who hurt him

    wish there was something real wish there was something true
    wish there was something real in this world full of you"
    here's the hit against the ground: wherever he look at, he sees someone to untrust (a copy of the same person)

    i agree with sinistercontrivance in the rest of her explanations

    excuse my low level of english language please (i understand so much but telling my ideas is harder than that for me)
    Flag invokadoon June 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:typical of both "Pretty Hate Machine" and "Broken". It seems to me that when Reznor uses the word "You" or any of it's uses, it seems to me that it can be taken one of two ways or to be interchanged with both a woman AND God.When I went through both albums using this, the songs seem to come together and make complete sense. Especially to tjose of us whom have had our hearts broken or strugglede with faith.
    Flag jukejointon May 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:So this is about his label? I can see that... It somehow reminds me of my friend, who thinks his life sucks and shit when he has it pretty good [him being "you"], thinking the world isn't good enough for him when there are people who are seriously fucked up [the speaker "I"].
    Flag DJgifon January 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It is obvious. This song is about how Trent (or someone else, less likely,) trusted someone, but did something to him that made Trent distrust him. This song is a big eff you to that person. Typical angriness
    Flag mimi maliciousxxon May 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Trent Reznor captures the reality of struggling with addiction, at least that's what his music has always done for me. This song is amazing. I honestly find it hard to believe people are on here saying someone is stupid for drug use.
    Flag syllekon May 01, 2008   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:excellent song....linkin park's version reins supreme. awesome stuff!
    Flag vixen666on April 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:@dudes using this as a discussion board for pro/anti-drugs - Jesus Christ stfu. Your useless dribble contributes nothing but wasted space to this website.

    @ikutsu2001 - I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it's because faith plays a large part in life, theist or atheist. The reference to god could be Trent lamenting ever having been a theist or ever giving the notion of god anything but contempt.
    Flag TheOprimeron March 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love [NIN] but for real, i dont get why trent is always talking about god in his music if hes atheist, idk, that tends to baffle me a bit.
    Flag ikutsu2001on November 27, 2007   Link

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