According to the Filter biography on their official website, former live guitarist Richard Patrick reportedly received the nickname "Piggy" while in Nine Inch Nails. According to Patrick's Filter bandmate Brian Liesegang, Reznor was very upset when Patrick left the band and wrote the song "Piggy" about it shortly thereafter. Patrick gave the story behind his nickname in a 2013 interview: "One evening the day before some studio time with Trent I took a girlfriend to a Skinny Puppy gig. I was watching the sound check and Ogre was on the mic shouting "WHITE PIGGY" over and over, I found it really funny. When I got back to the studio and we were setting up, I keep doing an impersonation of Ogre and after a few minutes Trent shouted to me "Hey Piggy, shut up and play some chords man!", and the name stuck after that."
As well, "Piggies" is a song on The Beatles' 1968 self-titled (or 'white') album, a noted influence on Charles Manson, who scrawled the word "pig" in blood on the front door of the Sharon Tate mansion wherein he and his 'Family' killed Tate and several others on August 8, 1969. The mansion was also where Reznor recorded The Downward Spiral in 1993-4 and Reznor kept the Tate door when he moved to Nothing Studios in New Orleans. However, Reznor debunked rumors of song connections to the Tate murders in an interview:
"I had "Piggy" written long before it was ever known that I would be in that house. "March of the Pigs" has nothing to do with the Tate murders or anything like that, I’m not going to say what it is about, but it’s not about that. Yeah, the name of the studio being "Pig", that was a definite bad taste joke. It was written on the front door at one time, I’ll admit to that."
Characterized by its very simplistic structure and quasi-jazz style, "Piggy" contains a simple set of drum and other percussion loops with only bass and organ accompaniment, joined by piano and noise loops in the latter half. Though heavily debated, the album version of "Piggy" is the first of several songs on The Downward Spiral to incorporate the famous "Downward Spiral Motif." While this version of the motif does not contain the final "five note measure" found on other songs such as "Closer" and "The Downward Spiral", the structure remains relatively the same.
The chaotic, extended drum solo/outro was happenstance. Reznor explained more in a 1994 interview with Keyboard Magazine: "For that part, I had a rigid, weird sixteenth-note pattern going. A kit was set up in the dining room, and I was playing along, fuckin' around, testing out the drums. I'd go in the other room, start the machine, run back in, put the headphones on, and play along. I couldn't hear it very good and I was way out of meter. So I just played as insanely as I could so I could hear how the drums were going to sound on tape. When I listened back, I thought, "Hey, that's pretty cool. Someday I'll come back and fix it." And of course, I never did. That was it. That was the final take. A lot of what I do is accidental. I luck into things. I think that due to laziness---not coming back and fixing things---they end up becoming more interesting. My instinct is to repair, edit. "I'll get to it later". But then I'll get so used to hearing it, I'll end up leaving it alone."
Piggy
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah you
Hey pig piggy pig pig pig
All of my fears came true
Black and blue and broken bones you left me here I'm all alone
My little piggy needed something new
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I just don't care
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I just don't care
Hey pig
Nothing's turning out the way I planned
Hey pig there's a lot of things I hoped you could help me understand
What am I supposed to do I lost my shit because of you
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I just don't care
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now
'Cause I just don't care
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
The lyrics to Nine Inch Nails' "Piggy" seem to be addressing a specific person or entity that the singer refers to as "pig." It's unclear who or what this pig is supposed to represent, but it's clear that they have caused harm to the singer in some way. The use of pig as the object of the singer's ire may be a way of dehumanizing them, reducing them to an animalistic form to highlight their cruelty.
The first verse describes the physical toll that the pig has taken on the singer. They are "black and blue and broken bones," left alone and in pain. The use of the word piggy here may be a way of emphasizing a sense of betrayal, as if someone or something that the singer had relied on has let them down. The piggy "needed something new," perhaps referring to the pig's need for power or control.
The chorus repeats the phrase "nothing can stop me now" multiple times. This may be the singer's way of psyching themselves up or trying to convince themselves that they are invincible. The repeated use of the phrase "I don't care anymore" also suggests a sense of detachment or withdrawal from the world around them.
The second verse is more introspective as the singer questions their own actions and motivations. They ask "what am I supposed to do" in response to the harm that the pig has caused, suggesting a sense of helplessness or confusion. The mention of having "lost my shit because of you" hints at the idea that the pig may have been the cause of a mental breakdown or emotional outburst.
Overall, the lyrics to "Piggy" feel angry, frustrated, and hurt. It's not clear who or what the pig is meant to represent, but it's clear that they have caused significant harm to the singer. The use of detachment and repetition in the chorus suggests a sense of numbness or desensitization to the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey pig
Addressing the person or entity responsible for the singer's distress
Yeah you
Confirmation that the addressee is indeed the pig being referred to
Hey pig piggy pig pig pig
Further emphasis on the addressee's porcine nature and the negative connotations associated with it
All of my fears came true
Implying that the pig has caused great harm to the artist, validating their initial fears regarding the relationship or situation
Black and blue and broken bones you left me here I'm all alone
Describing the physical and emotional damage inflicted by the pig, leaving the artist in a vulnerable state of isolation
My little piggy needed something new
Suggesting the pig's actions were motivated by selfishness or a desire for novelty, further adding to the singer's negative view of them
Nothing can stop me now
A declaration of the singer's newfound resilience and determination
'Cause I don't care anymore
The artist has reached a point where they no longer feel affected or concerned by the pig's actions
Hey pig
Repeating the address to the pig indicates that the artist is still focused on the cause of their distress
Nothing's turning out the way I planned
Acknowledging that the situation has gone awry and the original goal or plan has failed
Hey pig there's a lot of things I hoped you could help me understand
Despite the pig's role in causing the singer's problems, they still feel a desire for clarity and closure
What am I supposed to do I lost my shit because of you
Expressing frustration and helplessness at the situation, placing blame on the pig for pushing the artist to their limit
Nothing can stop me now
Reasserting the earlier declaration of resilience and determination
'Cause I just don't care
Emphasizing the detachment from the pig and their actions, indicating a lack of investment or concern regarding the outcome
Nothing can stop me now
Repeating the earlier declaration once again reinforces the singer's newfound sense of strength and invincibility
Nothing can stop me now
Continuing to repeat the line emphasizes the artist's conviction and determination
Nothing can stop me now
Repeating the line serves as a final proclamation of the artist's state of mind, suggesting that they have moved past the pig's influence and are now firmly in control
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AndresDavid88
Hey, pig
Yeah, you
Hey, pig, piggy, pig, pig, pig
All of my fears came true
Black and blue and broken bones
You left me here, I'm all alone
My little piggy needed something new
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I just don't care
Hey, pig
Nothing's turning out the way I planned
Hey pig, there's a lot of things
I hoped you could help me understand
What am I supposed to do?
I've lost my shit because of you
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I don't care anymore
Nothing can stop me now 'cause I just don't care
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me now
Nothing can stop me
@igunzOsick
He doesn't care, therefore nothing can stop him.
@macdes
lol
@maxvilla5558
Wi
@AllenMZim
Indubitably.
@herelieskittythomas3726
Reached Nirvana
@kiki113813
Perhaps
@TheMightyMiner
The moment Robin's guitar siren kicks in, the drum becomes glitchy and the bassriff keeps on repeating. It's all perfect.
@jessicaamichia9730
That is the one.!????
@earthboundmother205
My whole heart leapt when I was like... Robin!!!!
@ErwinvanAsperen
The drummer really should be praised for his absolutely excellent performance here. So. Goddamn. Powerful.