In an interview with U. Magazine published April 1994, Trent Reznor spoke about the meaning behind the lyrics of this song: "I was trying to explore some of the paranoia I have as a sexually active person in the age of AIDS. I guess I feel cheated for not growing up in a more liberated era. At the same time, what gets me mad is the way the right wing has used the 'convenience' of this epidemic in helping to promote their own agenda."
Best described lyrically as a scathing attack on religion (particularly Western Christianity), "Heresy" contains synthesized bass, simple and powerful drum loops, and distorted guitar riffs backing aggressive vocals and moody atmospherics. The lyrics are ripe with Nietzschean concepts and allude to the infamous "God Is Dead" statement. Like many other songs on the album, the song's bridge contrasts heavily with the verses and choruses by being considerably quieter. This is also the second song on the album to contain "The Downward Spiral Motif" and is played (in power chords at Drop D tuning) by the guitars during the chorus.
Heresy
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He tries to tell me what I put inside of me
He got the answers to ease my curiosity
He dreamed up a god and called it Christianity
God is dead and no one cares
If there is a hell, I'll see you there
He flexed his muscles to keep his flock of sheep in line
He made a virus that would kill off all the swine
His perfect kingdom of killing, suffering and pain
Demands devotion atrocities done in his name
God is dead and no one cares
If there is a hell, I'll see you there
Your god is dead and no one cares
If there is a hell, I'll see you there
God is dead and no one cares
If there is a hell, I'll see you there
(Your god is dead) God is dead and no one cares (and no one cares)
(Drowning in his own hypocrisy) If there is a hell, I'll see you there
The lyrics to Nine Inch Nails's song Heresy are powerful and thought-provoking. The song deals with the conflict between religious beliefs and the dark realities of the world we live in. The opening line, "He sewed his eyes shut because he is afraid to see," suggests that the singer is so afraid of the truth that they are willing to blind themselves to it. The next line, "He tries to tell me what I put inside of me," implies that someone else is trying to tell the singer what they should believe, rather than allowing them to make their own decisions.
The song goes on to address the concept of God, and how it has been used to oppress people throughout history. The line, "He dreamed up a god and called it Christianity," suggests that religion has been created by humans rather than being a real force in the universe. The chorus, "God is dead and no one cares, if there is a hell, I'll see you there," is a powerful indictment of religious hypocrisy, and suggests that those who claim to follow God are actually doing more harm than good.
The second verse of the song continues this theme, portraying God as a tyrant who demands blind obedience and is responsible for unspeakable atrocities committed in his name. The final lines of the song, "Your god is dead and no one cares, if there is a hell, I'll see you there, drowning in his own hypocrisy," is a warning to those who claim to follow God but fail to live up to his teachings.
Overall, Heresy is a powerful critique of religious dogma and hypocrisy. It questions the existence of God and the role of religion in our lives, suggesting that blind faith is often used to justify oppression and cruelty.
Line by Line Meaning
He sewed his eyes shut because he is afraid to see
He refuses to acknowledge reality because it scares him.
He tries to tell me what I put inside of me
He attempts to govern and control my thoughts and actions.
He got the answers to ease my curiosity
He claims to have the answers to everything, but they're just temporary fixes to satisfy my curiosity.
He dreamed up a god and called it Christianity
He created a religion to justify his own beliefs and actions, and labeled it Christianity.
God is dead and no one cares
The concept of God has lost its meaning and relevance to society.
If there is a hell, I'll see you there
If eternal damnation is real, then we'll both suffer the consequences.
He flexed his muscles to keep his flock of sheep in line
He used his power and influence to maintain authority over his followers.
He made a virus that would kill off all the swine
He purposely created something destructive that would harm innocent beings.
His perfect kingdom of killing, suffering and pain
He envisions a society that thrives on violence, misery, and agony.
Demands devotion atrocities done in his name
He requires unwavering devotion, even if it means committing horrific acts in his name.
Your god is dead and no one cares
Your belief system is meaningless and insignificant to society.
(Your god is dead) God is dead and no one cares (and no one cares)
The idea of God has become meaningless and irrelevant to most people.
(Drowning in his own hypocrisy) If there is a hell, I'll see you there
If eternal damnation does exist, he will suffer the same fate due to his hypocrisy and misdeeds.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJKintobor
I'm really resisting the urge to make a Warhammer 40k joke.
@starscreamdakmo
Clint Corsi ok sorry but this is a little bit long Ever herd of the Nation Reform Association? They did a lot more than try to pass an amendment, 12 protestant ministers that formed National reform association
they went to lincoln and proposed an amendment to change the consitution to recognized Jesus Christ as god over this nation and of coarse they were not counting
Catholics or mormons as christians,they told Lincoln that the constitution was at fault because it was an atheist document, but they did other things too fought
against womens right to vote, the largest supporter of prohibition, fought mormons every step of the way going as far as to make it legal to kill a mormon, a
missouri governor declared a war of genocide on them thats when they left the state of missouri, they are always seemed left out on any documentary on womens
suffrage prohibition the civil war lincoln civil rights movement of that time, they pushed to have in god we trust on the 2 cent coin, prayer in school,
for a long time people blamed them for almost destroying christianity in the united states but have noticed they are always forgotten about especially when it
comes to those big events in history.?
How about the Christian social depression period after the signing of the constitution, right wing christians spent the 19th century blaming all our national
problems on the constitution like the nation reform assocation did. The fact that 9 out of the 13 colony's was made up mostly of none religious,deist atheist and
agnostics, Even information on the Free Religious Association the first secular group to fight for religious freedom against the early 19th century christian right,
made up of liberal jew liberal christians and the non-religious, same with the liberal League,and secular union. or how about When Christian use to get upset about
some sickness got cured and it was mentioned in the bible and they tried to make it illegal to for that cure to be made because prayer was required, or the comstock
and basphemy laws and people being put on tril in public courts and wrongful sent to prison
Ever herd of the Luddites we had a similar group here but they were christian, they would purposely sabotage new inventions,kill inventors and traveling sale men
that went from town to town showing off a new invention?,or, like how the mormons was pissed off during the 60s when JFK got Elected and both the klan and nazi
party in the USA allowed open membership for them, or that the lutheran and catholic churchs in the USA would sue each other of which denomination Hitler was
because they went back and forth saying he was apart the others church before they started saying Hitler was an atheist. how about when christians was opposed to
like chains stores walmart sears and personal computers for home use was all considered marks of the beast. When i was in college back in 2000 majoring in history
i came across 3 sets of encyclopedias i was looking up Hitler, one said he was catholic another said he was a Lutheran and another said he was and atheist, i took
them to the desk at the library and asked which one was correct, the fat old bitch said the atheist one and I said ok and she got up and removed the other
encyclopedias off the shelf, scared the fuck out of me,
Or when Christians can not pray for someone unless they ask that person permission, b4 the great depression of the 1930s a Christian would say can we pray for you
may we pray for you, we offer you our prayers,todays christians forcibly pray, they tell people they are going to pray for them without asking, a tradition they
gave up.Know what the quiverfull movement is? its where christian women have a lot of kids,there use to be a left wing version where women would never get married
and never have children, My great Grand father sister was in it, or the fact that when it came to fundamentalism and philosophical approach to christianity that it
was interchangeable between both conservative and liberal Christians, that there was a fundi liberal christian groups, or that Jonestown members was the last
left-wing fundamentalist communist christian cult, Or that right wing philosophical christians accepted evolution, and tried to set up small camp towns and tried
to practice eugenics here in the USA, and no eugenics it has nothing to do with abortion, that's new propaganda from the past 20 years its about two adults who
are in perfect health mating to make a more perfect child, or that Christians was opposed to breast implants and surgery because GOD made them have that cancer and
those women needed a reminder of their sins? alot of that is left out in documentarys books and films on White conservative christian Americans, when it comes to
Lincoln prohibition civil rights an womens right to vote and the 19th century in general.
I have so much information stored in my head on 19 century conservative christianity I almost can not find enough of it online or none at all that and most of the
information both online and in public library are is gone, so no refernce material and information online is hard to find I use to go to librarys and ask for older
out of date encyclopedias So yeah I take history seriously i use to want to work in the history field but people like Glenn Becks litle boyfriend buttfuck buddy
David Barton and other fundies has fucked it up for me so, something I loved since I was a child is practically ruined I started going to other library's near my
home town when i was 19 and asking for older encyclopedias, and older book stores and i found more things in them than anything printed today
or after 1982?, everything is being converted to online information, I am worried how much history is lost.? I can tell you a lot most of what I know comes from
old encyclopedias printed between 1968 and 1982 Christians do their best to cover up their history
@darrenmcgown1939
The perfect song to play for my next visit to Church.
@Leonidasthe2nd
fr
@jacobsamson257
🍝🦆
@undine117
Haha, when I listened to Danny Phantom's intro/ opening Heresy's intro came to my mind. Then I remember Sam has a NIN poster in her room. So it may be a small tribute to NIN.
Awesome song, legendary artist our beloved Trent is.
@X4PP3D
Some might say the lyrics are too edgy for them, but I think the song carries a lot of feeling. If nothing else, the beat that drops at 8 seconds alone is worth it, but Reznor goes all out with this one. My favorites are his angry music like this song, The Wretched and March of the Pigs. Life doesn't turn out the way you expect, and sometimes we're just angry at ourselves, angry at others, even angry at God. You've got to feel the pain buried under these words.
@blimawormtong6045
Trεnt Яeznør is dhe greatest geńius of all times ænd peoples
@fartytowels8409
For the briefest of moments, I thought you were quoting Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
@jacqueminot7224
@@SunlessComa4614 A similar rationalization to your faith in Christ, this is absolutely a denoucment of God and everything he represents. Not sure how more clear the lyrics can get. But if you like good music, that's still cool. Just know what the message actually is and don't project your own meaning onto the words like you Christians are world renown for.
@jacqueminot7224
Recognizing that there is no "God", no higher holy power responsible for your abuse, but simply the world and evil men, actually helps me and most people to heal, to let go of that revential blame and fury. But that anger presists when people proletyze themselves to us, as if our suffering was SUPPOSED to happen and there is a God to blame and thank for it.