Genre(s): Industrial rock, industrial metal… Read Full Bio ↴Origin Cleveland, Ohio, US
Genre(s): Industrial rock, industrial metal, alternative rock
Years active 1988–present
Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American industrial rock music group, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction.NIN's music straddles a wide range of genres, while retaining a characteristic sound using electronic instruments and processing. After recording a new album, Reznor usually assembles a live band to perform with him. The touring band features a revolving lineup that often rearranges songs to fit a live setting. On stage, NIN often employ spectacular visual elements to accompany performances, which frequently culminate with the band destroying their instruments.
Underground music audiences warmly received Nine Inch Nails in its early years. The band produced several highly influential records in the 1990s that achieved widespread popularity: many Nine Inch Nails songs became radio hits, two NIN recordings won Grammy Awards, and the band has sold over twenty million albums worldwide,with 11 million sales certified in the US alone.In 1997, Reznor appeared in Time magazine's list of the year's most influential people, and Spin magazine described him as "the most vital artist in music.In 2004, Rolling Stone placed Nine Inch Nails at 94 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Despite this acclaim, the band has had several feuds with the corporate side of the recording industry. In 2007, these corporate entanglements resulted in Reznor announcing that Nine Inch Nails would split from its label and release future material independently.
Since 1989, Nine Inch Nails have made eight major studio releases. The most recent releases, Ghosts I–IV and The Slip, both released in 2008, were released under Creative Commons licenses. Both were initially released digitally, with physical releases coming later. The digital release of The Slip was made available completely free of charge. NIN has been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards and won twice for the songs "Wish" and "Happiness in Slavery", in 1992 and 1995 respectively.
Formation (1988–1989)
The NIN logo designed by Reznor and Gary TalpasIn 1987, Trent Reznor played keyboards with a Cleveland band called the Exotic Birds, then managed by John Malm, Jr.. Reznor and Malm became friends, and when Reznor left the Exotic Birds to work on music of his own, Malm informally became his manager.At the time Reznor was employed as an assistant engineer and janitor at Right Track Studios, and asked studio owner Bart Koster for permission to record some demos of his own material for free during unused studio time. Koster agreed, commenting that it cost him "just a little wear on [his] tape heads".While assembling these, the earliest Nine Inch Nails recordings, Reznor was unable to find a band that could articulate the material as he desired. Instead, inspired by Prince, Reznor played all the instruments except drums himself.This role remains Reznor's on most of the band's studio recordings, though he has occasionally involved other musicians and assistants. In 1988, after playing its first shows supporting Skinny Puppy, Reznor's ambitions for Nine Inch Nails were to release one 12-inch single on a small European label.Several labels responded favorably to the demo material, and Reznor signed with TVT Records. Ten selections from the Right Track demos were later released in revised form on the band's first full-length studio release, Pretty Hate Machine in 1989.
Reznor said in 1994 that he coined the name "Nine Inch Nails" because it "abbreviated easily", rather than for "any literal meaning". Other rumored explanations have circulated, alleging that Reznor chose to reference Jesus' crucifixion with nine-inch spikes,or Freddy Krueger's nine-inch fingernails.The Nine Inch Nails' logo, which consists of the letters "NIИ" set inside a border, was designed by Reznor and Gary Talpas. The logo first appeared on NIN's debut, "Down in It", and was inspired by Tibor Kalman's typography on the Talking Heads album Remain in Light.[16] Talpas, a native of Cleveland, would continue to design NIN packaging art until 1997.
Website www.nin.com
Wish
NIN Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of my last days
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
Wish there was something real
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
Wish there was something real
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
This world full of you
This world full of you
This world full of
The song Wish by Nine Inch Nails can be interpreted as a reflection on the emptiness and superficiality of society, with lyrics exploring themes of disillusionment, despair, and the search for something genuine in a world that often appears to be fake or manufactured. The opening lines "This is the first day, of my last days" suggests a sense of finality, as though the singer has accepted their fate and is prepared to face the consequences of their actions. The lines "No need for me to stay, the last thing left, I just threw it away" indicates that the singer has given up on everything and is ready to move on.
The chorus is a plea for something real and true, as the singer feels trapped in a world full of fake people and meaningless activities. In the verse lines "I'm the one without a soul, I'm the one with this big fucking hole" the singer reveals their feelings of emptiness, as though they have lost connection with their own inner self. The line "twenty-six years on my way to hell" indicates a lifetime of struggle, with the singer feeling as though they are headed in the wrong direction.
The song culminates in the repeated plea for something real and true, with the final lines "This world full of you" suggesting that it is the people and society around the singer that are the source of the problem.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the first day
I'm starting a new phase in my life and it feels like it's my last opportunity to make something worthwhile out of it.
Of my last days
I have a feeling that my life is coming to an end soon, like I'm running out of time to achieve my dreams and goals.
Built it up, now I take it apart
I put a lot of effort into creating something, but now I'm destroying it and undoing all the progress I made.
Climbed up real high, now fall down real far
I achieved success and rose to a high position, but now I'm facing a great downfall and losing everything I had.
No need for me to stay
I feel like I'm not wanted or needed by anyone or anything anymore, so there's no reason for me to stick around.
The last thing left, I just threw it away
I got rid of the one thing that meant the most to me, and I regret it now that it's gone.
I put my faith in God and my trust in you
I relied on my religious beliefs and trusted someone important in my life, but they both let me down.
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
I'm at my lowest point and I don't know what else I could do to make things worse for myself.
I'm the one without a soul
I feel like I've lost my sense of purpose or passion for living, like there's nothing inside of me that makes me feel alive.
I'm the one with this big fucking hole
I'm carrying a deep emotional wound that I can't seem to heal or fill, like there's a huge gap in my life that nothing can fix.
No new tale to tell
I feel like I'm stuck in the same old story, like I'm repeating the same mistakes and not making any progress.
Twenty-six years on my way to Hell
I've been living a life of pain and misery for a long time, and it feels like I'm heading towards a terrible fate.
Gotta listen to your big time
I have to endure your arrogance and superiority complex, even though it's damaging to my mental health.
Hard line, bad luck, fist fuck
I'm dealing with a lot of challenges and obstacles that make my life difficult, and it feels like someone is punching me in the face repeatedly.
Don't think you're having all the fun
You might think that you're enjoying my struggles and pain, but I won't let you break me or make me feel worse about myself.
You know me, I hate everyone
I have a deep-seated resentment towards everyone and everything in my life, and it's difficult for me to connect with people or find joy in anything.
I want to but I can't turn back
I wish I could go back in time and change things, but I know that it's impossible and I have to face the consequences of my actions.
Wish there was something real
I desire something genuine and authentic in my life, something that can make me feel alive and happy.
Wish there was something true
I long for something that's not fake or superficial, something that I can trust and rely on.
In this world full of you
I'm surrounded by people who are fake, shallow, or hurtful, and it's difficult for me to find anything real or meaningful.
This world full of you
The world I live in is dominated by people who are selfish, cruel, or fake, and I wish I could escape or find a better place to exist.
Contributed by Juliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hayesnick1556
Especially in these days, you cannot tell anyone how you actually feel.
You will be institutionalized
You are sick, kid
If you have to answer the question ‘have you ever thought about...?’ The answer is ‘No’
Trust me
@rOYmOnster
LYRICS:
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 f*ck
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.....
@waywardwitch6958
★LYRICS★
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
@sams0ncatinio752
Danzig, Al Jourgensen, skinny puppy and others at various times asserted Trent had ‘ ripped off their act’ … I was 22 when TDS was released, following Broken (92) and PHM (89); PHM was first called ‘Purest Feeling’ and some of the lyrics and riffs were different. But we all already loved NIN as the sound was so much more truly industrial and , at times, as light and sensitive as dew on the morning lillies.. it could be brutal and sexy (or brutally sexy) and strong and weak all at the same time. it added devastating emotional turns and expressions of Rage, Love, Hate, sorrow, regret and self hatred/self destruction. As much as I loved the other bands mentioned as well as Tool, who had released Undertow in ‘93 and were gaining serious traction as the best and most original progressive band, beyond even Dream Theater .. none of them were comparable to NIN. Trent took the entire Industrial genre and added emotional and creative depth and brought the sound mainstream. Kinda. But just far enough out that it was too much for most.
The Downward Spiral was / is his Magnum opus, swan song, etc and was the most artistically creative and technically brilliant album since “The Wall”. Curiously, both albums follow similar paths of the despicably selfish hero. The two legendary releases also create their own ‘realm’ of distinctive sound only on those particular albums, respectively.
There was no way to follow TDS other than to change gears again, (Phm, broken and tds all have their own distinct sound throughout). And so did the Fragile. We drove to St Louis to see A Perfect Circle on tour for Met de Noms open for NIN on the Fragility tour.
And the show was fucking surreal. As APC launched into the encore’Judith’ a massive storm hit the Riverport Amphitheater, complete with puple/black skies lit up with huge lightning bolts. The crowd on the lawn began to run but security would not let them under the amphitheater and repulsed their attempts and people were falling, running, etc and even trampling each other. My brother (RIP Nicholas) and I looked at each other and at our youngest brother and my girlfriend and just closed our eyes and threw the horns to the Gods just as Maynard obliterated the storm with that 1 minute bellow at the end of Judith… shortly thereafter… the steely sharp metallic monster licks of Pinion began… it was the single greatest show I have ever seen. And I’ve seen some good ones. The sound quality and perfection were unmatched. I’ve seen NIN 6-7 times, Tool and APC 7-8 times each, Pantera, Metallica and other great bands….and they would rank behind NIN -2-Tool, 3 APC…as the best live act to see. And an honorable mention to the Reverend on the Antichrist tour which was a revel of a screaming orgy of overdrive, drugs, filth, violence and talent :)
Anyway, thanks for reading if you did.
I would sum it this way: Trent / NIN are not a band.. the term does not describe the entity .. Trent Reznor is more an advanced, technologically brilliant composer, much like a Beethoven or Bach…maybe more a Chopin.
@fjjwiKwnhshs
Trent Reznor is the only person on the planet who has written an entire album about BDSM, rape, self-deprecation, and torture that had one of its songs win a grammy, all the while using terminology like "fist fuck", then later win an oscar for the music he made for a kid's movie. I love this man
@garysmith7184
@Frankenstein Addams more likely to be Coil, dude
@coreypeden666
Woah woah
@le_decard
Living legend
@ChiefSmackahoLLC
Not exactly, but fir sure the first to make money from it.
@killerkite333
Love how he was able to turn that lots of negative and self destructive energy to make masterpieces like this and turn his life around. A living legend.
@zackzallie8735
Trent Reznor: "I'm the one without a soul."
Also Trent: composes a score for the movie Soul
@alleygh0st
just a feeling
@zackzallie8735
@ᴇʀᴇɴ ᴊᴀᴇɢᴇʀ I did? Omg
@davidb9596
Didn't have a soul so they gave him one, I guess