Lyrics for Somewhat Damaged as interpreted by gasmask

Somewhat Damaged Lyrics
So impressed with all you do
Tried so hard to be like you
Flew too high and burnt the wing
Lost my faith in everything

Lick around divine debris
Taste the wealth of hate in me
Shedding skin succumb defeat
This machine is obsolete

Made the choice to go away
Drink the fountain of decay
Tear a hole exquisite red
Fuck the rest and stab it dead

Broken bruised forgotten sore
Too fucked up to care anymore
Poisoned to my rotten core
Too fucked up to care anymore

In the back off the side far away is a place where I hide where I
Stay tried to say tried to ask I needed to all alone by myself where
Were you?
How could I ever think it's funny how everything that
Swore it wouldn't change is different now just like you
Would always say we'll make it through then my head fell apart
And where were you?
How could I ever think it's funny how everything you swore would
Never change is different now like you said you and me make it
Through didn't quite fell apart
Where the fuck were you?
---
"Somewhat Damaged" as written by Michael Reznor Daniel Lohner
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
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ToxicFool
05-11-2002

 Rated  0 
NIN songs always give.. me ideas. If its for writting, or making useless things. It broods creation. To me.

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XBlascidX
05-28-2002

 Rated  0 
I think this song is about, an other. Perhaps someone saying "I'm really your friend, and I'll always be there for you." Then letting you down completely!

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TheWretchedOne NIN
05-30-2002

 Rated  0 
i think this song is about what trent went through before releasing the fragile. he was addicted to drugs and alcohol. "too fucked up to care anymore", that lyric explains it

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2 Replies  · 
Closer
06-04-2002

 Rated  0 
quality start to "The Fragile" odd music at the start, took me a while to get used to but after that i was hooked.

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Justin-Tool
06-08-2002

 Rated  +1 
This is the best NIN song ever (right next to hurt). I dont feel that there is really a metaphorical meaning at all. It is simple. How many times have you relied upon someone? SOmeone who you thought would always be there for you and never leave you high and dry? Well the reality of this fucked up world is that, it will happen to you sooner or later. The lyrics are pretty self explanitory. As for the meaning to Trent, it is about his depression henceforth the downward spiral, as well as an accumulative of his entire life.

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7th_Havoc
06-18-2002

 Rated  0 
that song is so angry...i can just imagine screaming the lyrics in the face of somewhat that fucked you over really bad..

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DeathRockBoy
06-22-2002

 Rated  +2 
I don't think it's a coincidence that this song begins The Fragile. It sets the tone from the beginning - abandonement. This theme is carried all the way onto the next disc (Where is Everbody, for starters). Trent had a breakdown, his "head fell apart", and as a result he was abandoned by everyone that promised they'd be there for him. He's completely isolated, dropped out of the public eye after the five years between The Downward Spiral and The Fragile. He's battling intense self-loathing and loneliness and he's at the point where he doesn't care anymore. He's given up. Thus begins The Fragile.

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ObsoleteAbsolution
07-02-2002

 Rated  0 
This song is personally one of my "themes," so to speak- it's one that perfectly captures a part of me.

Like someone else said, it's a very straight forward song. It's about trying to be something to fit in, trying so hard, only to get shot down. It's about thinking that, because of this rejection, you yourself are worthless as an individual and finally choosing to try to leave it all behind.

Because of all of this, you then find yourself alone, isolated, without anyone to care for you.

It's one of my favorite songs, especially off of The Fragile.



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babydeadgirl730
07-07-2002

 Rated  +1 
this song is basically about some one who was trusted and swore that no matter what happened things would never change, But he knew all along that that person would never be there. Like he know when they made the promis that things would fall apart, But needed it. Knowing that when things became there worst that person would bail out.

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nsts_
08-05-2002

 Rated  0 
haha, i simply love this song. i love it SOO much.

i agree that it |is| a quite straightforward song, and that it is about someone being all like: "i'll be there for you! always!" and then 'mysteriously' dissapearing when you need it.

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supermegasteve
08-27-2002

 Rated  0 
This song is most likely my favorite off The Fragile. I gained the utmost respect for it after a breakup, (which, in case none have noticed, Nine Inch Nails are, in my experience, the BEST songs for bad breakups, theres always a song that fits it PERFECTLY, Something I Can Never Have, Thats What I Get, Somewhat Damaged, Terrible Lie, the list goes on...) Actually, most around here absolutely hated The Fragile, but I, being an avid Reznor worshipper, bought it ASAP and followed it through, and I loved it. Most say it "wasn't hard enough", but I'd say this song fits that bill rather well. Not to mention, as DeathRockBoy said, it non-coincidentially heads of the album, and sets the mood flawlessly. Although, if you look at each side individually, as opposed to a whole, it seems like the left tracks, headed with this song, seemingly gets gradually calmer and calmer, perhaps symbolic of Trent's abandonment of infuriation to a hopeless, futile, state of giving up, hence the potential allusion to death, or "the end", joining with the sea and the sky, presented in "La Mer". I used to have a well-thought out theory, I actually researched and wrote my senior paper on Trent Reznor, and gained a lot of respect for him, but it's been almost two years and I can't remember much of it. Ah well, this song still kicks mega ass!

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Fred39
09-22-2002

 Rated  0 
yeah........

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zimp
03-21-2003

 Rated  0 
This song reminds me alot of my life, all fixed up as of now though. I have been having a debate with my friends who are all these love no more songs about, I have heard Tori Amos, is that right?

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jedibiatch
05-01-2003

 Rated  0 
this song (and whole album) is top qual... i take it as being about holding someone on a pedistal, and that person is bound to fall "so impressed with all you do tried so hard to be like you flew too high and burnt the wing lost my faith in everything"... and of course, the song is about that fall -- the anger, abandonment, dissapointment, rejection that comes with it. but i have a question trent, what did that raunchy bitch do to you??

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LittleUrantiaGirl
07-03-2003

 Rated  0 
This song is based on Trent trusting someone. . . he had a perfect relationship (friendship, perhaps) with them, and there were promises made to never end it. . . and it ended anyways. He feels ruined ("broken bruised forgotten sore: poisoned to my rotten core") afterwards and seeks an outlet (the song) for his feelings of betrayl.

"how could i
ever think
it's funny how
everything that swore it wouldn't change
is different now

just like you
would always say
we'll make it through
then my head
fell apart
and where were you?"

--That part makes me just wanna get up and scream along with Trent. It's SO incredibly emotional and meaningful. It makes me wanna curl up and cry, but punch someone in the face at the same time.

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sinistercontrivance
11-22-2004

 Rated  0 
I always scream along with Trent.

I've been to that place before, and it really, captures a lot of what I felt for a long time. Even the title has merit - "somewhat damaged" it applies 100%. I am still coping with probably permanent emotional damage from the time in my life this describes; I'm damaged.

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FaaipDeOaid
12-28-2004

 Rated  0 
Don't you love how this songs blends into The Day the World Went Away? Amazing.

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restin256
01-24-2005

 Rated  0 
Wow.

Just a minute ago, I openned "The Fragile" in hopes of playing one or two songs that have been sticking in my head all day today. The result? This album is fucking genius. I can't skip through songs, needless to say. Somewhat Damaged is amazing, in that it has only four notes, two guitars, and a few synthesisers, but still the very fearsome simplicity of it sends a chill down my spine. Everything in this openning song I can particularly relate to. I've wanted so hard to be like the great people I know, and failled horrifyingly every time - because I found out they were utter horrid fiends like me. Now, I know, this is what it feels like.

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Ms Self Destruct
02-06-2005

 Rated  0 
I too relate dead on with the song. The "In the back, off the side..." portion till the end.

I relied on someone who told me he'd always be there and loved me. Then he left, I broke apart and he was there, watching it happen. "Where the fuck were you?"

This song is an amazing opening to a rather unexpected album. I only hope the new album is beautiful in its own way as The Fragile is.

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duchess_21
03-12-2005

 Rated  0 
this song means alot to me. when ever i listen to it i think of my ex-best friend fucking around with the boy i loved for years and who i was with for a while, but it tragically didnt work.
she let me down more then anyone.

xx

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nogodcjbnet
03-25-2005

 Rated  0 
""made the choice to go away
drink the fountain of decay
tear a hole exquisite red
fuck the rest and stab it dead""


Is this a refernce to shooting up? In Hurt Trent wrote, "The needle tears a hole." Just a thought.

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SomewhatDamaged
04-12-2005

 Rated  0 
Remember this song is on The Fragile, which is about abandonment, and not The Downward Spiral, which is about destroying your own life. This song explains how you get to close to somebody and they end up leaving you, whether it be a friendship, or in my case a relationship.

"flew too high and burnt the wing
lost my faith in everything"

This means that the narrator was too happy that he had found this person, but the person ended up bringing him or her back down, causing that person to go into a depression.

"lick around divine debris
taste the wealth of hate in me"

This line gives me the impression that the narrator's life is a mess, and is bitter and wants the person to know it.

"broken bruised forgotten sore
too fucked up to care anymore
poisoned to my rotten core
too fucked up to care anymore"

This part tells me that the narrator is "broken", and his mind is such a mess he can't be bothered to care about anything.

"in the back
off the side
far away
is a place
where i hide
where i stay"

The narrator is trying to hide from everyone and everything. Trying to get away from it all.

"it's funny how
everything that swore it wouldn't change
is different now"

The narrator laughs at the person for contradicting his or her self.

"just like you
would always say
we'll make it through
then my head
fell apart
and where were you?"

At this point of the song, the narrator's voice gets more agressive and the music picks up. He is telling the person that he or she wasn't there when they were needed the most.

"like you said
you and me
make it through
didn't quite
fell apart
where the fuck were you?"

This part tells how the person once said that they and the narrator would always be together and be there for each other. The narrator tells you that, that didn't happen, and the person was never really there.

There is my take on it.

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som3wh4td4m4g3d
04-14-2005

 Rated  0 
I love this song as ALL other Nine Inch Nails songs with a passion,
I chose to post on this one for no one saw what I thought the lyrics meant;

“so impressed with all you do
tried so hard to be like you
flew too high and burnt the wing
lost my faith in everything”

Sounds a bit like that story In the bible to me. Well the story over all.
Correct me if I’m wrong but an arch angle wanted to be like god, tried to be like him. God got pissed and threw him out, ‘burnt his wing’ and fell. The no longer angle lost his faith…in everything.
The rest of the lyrics follow through I do suppose…
at least how I see it.

Even this part… (referenced to drugs and such)
“broken bruised forgotten sore
too fucked up to care anymore
poisoned to my rotten core
too fucked up to care anymore”

Kicked out left alone
to fucked over to care anymore..
(fucked up might have been another way to say it as well)
rotten being sent to hell, poisoned everything above.

Yeah.. But those are my opinions.. ^_^;
I suppose it could work..
I love Nine Inch Nails never the less...

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fugnar
05-06-2005

 Rated  0 
I think this song has something to do with how the media portrays trent and nin at the time. They are "somewhat damaged", they still have potential but are considered damaged compared to the rest of that eras top selling rock bands (i.e. limp bizkit, korn). Thats kinda what the first paragraph said, the record company wanted him to sell out like those bands. "This machine is obsolete" is like saying that nin is outdated (which they arent). "Made the choice to go away" kinda describes his choice to go away for 5 years instead of realeasing an album in 2 or 3 years. "Broken bruised forgotten sore" kinda him saying how he used to be a "sore" in society but has now been forgotten by the likes of Marilyn Manson and Eminem.

This is just what I think of when I hear it. Everyone one else with the drug and relationship theories are probably more right but I thought I would add my 2 cents in.

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Whosaidwhat
02-15-2006

 Rated  0 
Hands down the best song after a break up, especially a really bad one...................

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