Trent Reznor has stated in various interviews some of the ideas and inspiration behind the album:
"The idea behind the album is of someone who sheds everything around them to a potential nothingness, but through career, religion, relationship, belief and so on. It's less muscle-flexing, though when I started it I didn't know what I wanted it to sound like. I knew I didn't want to be a full metal album, so I tried to address the issue of restraint. It was a long process.
Thematically I wanted to explore the idea of somebody who systematically throws or uncovers every layer of what he's surrounded with, comfort-wise, from personal relationships to religion to questioning the whole situation. Someone dissecting his own ability to relate to other people or to have anything to believe in...With 'The Downward Spiral' I tried to make a record that had full range, rather than a real guitar-based record or a real synth-based record. I tried to make it something that opened the palate for NIN, so we don't get pigeon-holed. It was a conscious effort to focus more on texture and space, rather than bludgeoning you over the head for an hour with a guitar.
I was really into electronic music at the time. David Bowie's 'Low' was probably the single greatest influence on 'The Downward Spiral' for me. I got into Bowie in the 'Scary Monsters' era, then I picked up 'Low' and instantly fell for it. I related to it on a song-writing level, a mood level, and on a song-structure level...I like working within the framework of accessibility, and songs of course, but I also like things that are more experimental and instrumental, maybe."
Pink Floyd's The Wall was also heavy in Reznor's rotation during the making of the album. In a Q+A session before the 2017 Riot Fest show, it was revealed that David Lynch's use of sound in his films was an inspiration for the sound design of The Downward Spiral.
Reznor set out to make an album that was a departure from the Broken EP ("when I went into the studio, I knew that I didn't want to make Broken again"), which he described as "a real hard-sounding record that was just one big blast of anger." Instead, Reznor wanted to create an album "that went in 10 different directions, but that was all united somehow." Reznor brought in a number of guest performers to record, including Stephen Perkins and Adrian Belew. Perkins played a number of drum parts that were recorded live in the studio; these tracks were then turned into sample loops. Reznor took a similar approach to recording guitar parts. Reznor would record 20 to 25-minute long sessions of himself playing guitar on a hard disc recorder with a Studio Vision sequencer, then would cut out parts of the recording he found interesting for later use. Reznor said, "99 percent of the stuff we do–even vocals–is recorded into the computer first. We get an arrangement together and then dump it to tape." For "Mr. Self Destruct", Reznor ran the entire mix through the mic pre-amps of several modules plundered from an old Neve board.
Like other NIN releases, some songs never made it to the final album. In this case, some songs were "The Beauty Of The Drug", which was a general out take, and "Just Do It", which was a track prompting the album's protagonist to kill himself. The latter was axed at the request of Flood, who refused to have anything to do with it.
There are numerous layers of metaphors that are present throughout the album, which leaves it open to wide interpretation. As a whole, The Downward Spiral is defined by Nietzschean concepts and a prominent theme of existentialism. It is a concept album in which the overarching plot follows the protagonist moving through his own "downward spiral", dealing with religion, dehumanization, violence, disease, society, drugs, sex, and finally suicide. Reznor has stated that the character is a representation of himself: "...it was during that tour (Self Destruct) that problems started to arise. Prior to that I would have considered myself pretty normal. With the Downward Spiral, I can remember where I was in my head, what I was thinking, and I can remember writing that record, and the mindset. This record that was about an extension of me, became the truth fulfilling itself."
Most fans seem to agree that "Closer" (noted for its "I want to fuck you like an animal" lyric) has meaning deeper than its surface lyrics (note the desperate dependency expressed by the final line, "you are the reason I stay alive.") The narrator was not exactly modeled after Reznor's previous life, though he would later go through his own sort of "downward spiral" during the Fragility tour, battling issues such as drug abuse.
Mr. Self Destruct
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the lover in your bed (and I control you)
I am the sex that you provide (and I control you)
I am the hate you try to hide (and I control you)
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down, I use you up
Mr. Self Destruct
I speak religion's message clear (and I control you)
I am denial guilt and fear (and I control you)
I am the prayers of the naive (and I control you)
I am the lie that you believe (and I control you)
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down I use you up
Mr. Self Destruct
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
I am the needle in your vein
I am the high you can't sustain
I am the pusher, I'm a whore
I am the need you have for more
I am the bullet in the gun (and I control you)
I am the truth from which you run (and I control you)
I am the silencing machine (and I control you)
I am the end of all your dreams (and I control you)
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down, I use you up
Mr. Self Destruct
I take you where you want to go
I give you all you need to know
I drag you down, I use you up
Mr. Self Destruct
The lyrics of Nine Inch Nails's song "Mr. Self Destruct" describe a figure that seems to be in control of the singer. This figure is depicted as a manipulative and harmful force that guides the singer towards destructive behaviors and thought patterns. The repetition of "and I control you" throughout the song reinforces this sense of domination and control.
The figure is described in various ways throughout the song, such as "the voice inside your head," "the lover in your bed," and "the needle in your vein." These different personas suggest that the figure is present in all aspects of the singer's life, from their thoughts to their relationships to their addictions. The lyrics also touch on themes of religion, guilt, fear, and denial, suggesting that the figure is able to manipulate these concepts in order to further control the singer.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mr. Self Destruct" paint a picture of a person who is struggling with addiction and self-destructive tendencies, while also acknowledging the role that external forces can play in exacerbating these issues. The lyrics suggest that there is a constant battle between the singer and this controlling figure, with the outcome uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the voice inside your head (and I control you)
I am the controlling force in your mind, manipulating your thoughts and actions.
I am the lover in your bed (and I control you)
I am your desire, and I exert control over your physical and emotional experiences.
I am the sex that you provide (and I control you)
I am the source of your sexual desires and cravings, and I have power over you as a result.
I am the hate you try to hide (and I control you)
I am your hidden feelings of anger and negativity, and I have control over your emotions.
I take you where you want to go
I lead you to the places and experiences that you crave.
I give you all you need to know
I provide you with the information and knowledge that you require to pursue your desires.
I drag you down, I use you up
I bring you down and exhaust you with my control over your life.
I speak religion's message clear (and I control you)
I communicate clear religious messages to you, and I have power over your spiritual beliefs.
I am denial guilt and fear (and I control you)
I am the emotions of denial, guilt, and fear that you experience, and I manipulate them to my advantage.
I am the prayers of the naive (and I control you)
I am the prayers of those who are ignorant and inexperienced, and I exploit them for my own purposes.
I am the lie that you believe (and I control you)
I am the falsehood that you believe to be true, and I use it to maintain control over you.
You let me do this to you (I am the exit)
You allow me to have this level of control over you, and I am the way out of your current experience.
I am the needle in your vein
I am the source of your addiction, and I control your need for more.
I am the high you can't sustain
I am the temporary pleasure that you cannot maintain or sustain in your life.
I am the pusher, I'm a whore
I am the one who manipulates you for my own gain, and I am a seller of false pleasures.
I am the need you have for more
I am the unsatisfiable need that you have for more pleasure, and I exploit this for my own gain.
I am the bullet in the gun (and I control you)
I am a dangerous force in your life, and I have control over your experiences of danger and violence.
I am the truth from which you run (and I control you)
I am the reality that you are avoiding, and I have power over your decisions and actions as a result.
I am the silencing machine (and I control you)
I am the force that silences you, and I control your ability to express yourself.
I am the end of all your dreams (and I control you)
I am the force that destroys your dreams, and I have power over your hopes for the future.
I take you where you want to go
I lead you to the places and experiences that you crave.
I give you all you need to know
I provide you with the information and knowledge that you require to pursue your desires.
I drag you down, I use you up
I bring you down and exhaust you with my control over your life.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJKintobor
This song reminds me of Fleetway Super Sonic (if you don't know, the Fleetway Sonic Comics have Super Sonic as an evil split personality of Sonic)