Perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most
Forgot how it feels well almost
No one to blame always the same
Open my eyes wake up in flames
It took you to make me realize
It took you to make me realize
It took you to make me realize?
It took you to make me see the light
Smashed up my sanity
Smashed up my integrity
Smashed up what I believed in
Smashed up what's left of me
Smashed up my everything
Smashed up all that was true
Gonna smash myself to pieces
I don't know what else to do
Covered in hope and Vaseline
Still cannot fix this broken machine
Watching the hole it used to be mine
Just watching it burn in my steady systematic decline
Of the trust I will betray
Give it to me I throw it away
After everything I've done I hate myself for what I've become
I tried
I gave up
Throw it away



Lyrics submitted by FireKraken

Track duration: 04:09

"Gave Up" as written by Trent Reznor

Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY

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Gave Up song meanings
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53 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:youtube.com/…

    it carries on the nihilism-meets-anarchopunk theme of the rest of the record, simultaneously ending in submission and disdain.
    Flag dgkfhjlffjfjhlfhjaon May 31, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:What did he realize?:

    1. There is no god, meaning that the song is about religion.
    2. That the record label was screwing him, meaning the song is about the record industry.
    3. That there is no such thing as love/happiness, etc..., meaning the song is about a personal relationship.

    What did he give up?

    1. Belief in god.
    2. Trying to come to an understanding with his record label.
    3. Trying to make his relationship work, finding love/happiness etc....

    Take your pick, it has to be one of these three options, or maybe all three.
    Flag TwoVirgoson May 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song as well as "Only" from With Teeth album talks about a screwed up relationship he's had in the past.
    Flag somewhatdamaged7on January 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:covered with hope and vaseline pretty much means (to have been so optimistic only to be fucked in the ass anyway)
    Flag magusreaveron July 27, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:well that whole album broken is about his relationship with his record company and not with a person..this is why he has his own label called nothing records
    Flag Malycon September 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:One of my favorite NIN songs, and the music video has NIN + My favorite musician in it? Holy shit, that's a lot of awesome.

    And by the way, Marilyn Manson CAN play a guitar, among other instruments. I'm not saying he really did it for the music video, though.
    Flag Scabbed15on May 09, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I think it could definitely be a song about relationships, but does anyone else think it could be a statement about the cult and product of the major labels? around this time he was struggling with that.
    Flag PrincessaGothicaon January 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Love this song :)
    Flag Rhiannaaaon October 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"covered in hope and vaseline
    still cannot fix this broken machine"

    vaseline is a lubricant, he is trying to "fix this broken machine". I dont believe it is sexual in any nature. :p
    Flag Kilaelyaon July 03, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Everyone seems to say that the second verse claims that he will never trust anyone again, I actually read it that he has betrayed someone's trust.

    "of the trust i will betray
    give it to me i throw it away
    after everything i've done i hate myself for what i've become"

    Isn't he saying that he's betrayed someone's trust and he hates himself for that? "give it to me I throw it away" He's been a bit dismissive of the trust people/women have placed in him, and when he looks back he sees how careless he was with that trust. Perhaps?

    Of course it is generally accepted that this EP is directed at TVT, so maybe he means he has betrayed them by making the EP is secret. Considering they screwed him over first, he has no choice, but it really goes against his nature to betray people. Maybe....

    I do think this song is about a woman though. "watching the hole it used to be mine" seems a very possessive sentence, describing how he felt about that person, but he no longer feels that way, he "still cannot fix this broken machine" - him.
    Flag doctorsdolittleon February 27, 2008   Link

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