The Pretty Hate Machine version begins with the decending pitch drone that segues in from "Sanctified" as the piano that dominates for most of the song creeps in. The song is notable for its ambient backing, including conflicting sounds of machinery and nature such as the buzzes, hisses and door slams that accompany the music as well as the ambience of wind and chirping birds buried far behind the "industrial noises." The song itself is fairly straightforward and gets louder as it progresses; notably, Reznor's vocals seem to grow in volume and emotion as the song progresses, the song surging up as it enters the last chorus. After it, the ambience suddenly drops out on the last few lines, draining away and only leaving the chirping birds in the background. The "atmospheric keyboards" in the song are sampled from an unused This Mortal Coil session. On the 2010 remastered vinyl edition, the song begins the second side; as such, it lacks the drone guitar at the beginning, simply starting with the lone piano motif before the bass synth joins in and the song proceeds as usual.
The Still stripped-down reworking consists of Reznor on piano and vocals, and Jerome Dillon on guitar. It is the first track on Still and follows the general arrangement of the song, though it completely lacks any of the "industrial ambience" of the original version save for an odd guitar whine during the latter half of the song. It is also nearly a minute longer than its Pretty Hate Machine counterpart.
Something I Can Never Have
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Echoing your voice just like the ringing in my ears
My favorite dreams of you still wash ashore
Scraping through my head 'till I don't want to sleep anymore
You make this all go away
You make this all go away
I'm down to just one thing, and I'm starting to scare myself
You make this all go away
I just want something
I just want something I can never have
You always were the one to show me how
Back then I couldn't do the things that I can do now
This thing is slowly take me apart
Grey would be the color if I had a heart
Come on and tell me, you make this all go away
You make this all go away
I'm down to just one thing, and I'm starting to scare myself
You make this all go away
You make this all go away
I just want something
I just want something I can never have
In this place it seems like such a shame
Though it all looks different now,
I know it's still the same
Everywhere I look you're all I see
Just a fading fucking reminder of who I used to be
Come on tell me you make this all go away
You make this all go away
I'm down to just one thing, and I'm starting to scare myself
You make this all go away
You make it all go away
I just want something,
I just want something I can never have
I just want something I can never have
The lyrics to Nine Inch Nails's song Something I Can Never Have are a powerful expression of longing and unrequited love. The singer appears to be haunted by memories of a past relationship and unable to move on. The first verse sets the tone for the song, describing how the taste of the tears shed during the breakup still linger in his mouth and how the sound of the ex's voice echoes in his ears. He then goes on to describe how he still dreams of her and how these dreams are both comforting and distressing - they give him a momentary escape from reality, but ultimately serve as a reminder of what he's lost.
The chorus of the song is a plea for the ex to come back and make everything better, to "make this all go away". What is particularly poignant about these lyrics is the admission that the singer is down to just one thing - presumably this person - and that he's starting to scare himself with how much power she holds over him. It's clear that he knows that he's never going to get what he wants, that he's just desperate for something he can never have.
In the second verse, the singer admits that his ex was the one who taught him how to be a better person, and how he feels like he's slowly being taken apart without her. He describes himself as heartless and colorless, as if he's lost all sense of vibrancy and meaning without her. The final verse of the song is perhaps the most poignant, as the singer describes how he sees his ex everywhere he looks. She is a constant reminder of who he used to be, and of all the things he's lost. It's a powerful expression of grief and longing, and an unforgettable depiction of how it feels to want something you can never have.
Line by Line Meaning
I still recall the taste of your tears
I remember the feeling of sadness and heartbreak that you brought upon me in the past
Echoing your voice just like the ringing in my ears
Your voice and the memories of our past keep haunting me like a disturbing sound that won't go away
My favorite dreams of you still wash ashore
Even in my dreams, I am unable to escape the thoughts of you, and they continue to haunt me
Scraping through my head 'till I don't want to sleep anymore
Your memories continue to invade my brain to the point where I don't even want to sleep anymore
You make this all go away
Your presence has the power to make me forget the pain and the memories of our past
I'm down to just one thing, and I'm starting to scare myself
I have become so obsessed with you that it has taken over my entire being and I am afraid of the person I have become
I just want something
My desire for you and the love that we shared is all that I want in life
I just want something I can never have
Unfortunately, my desire for you can never be fulfilled because you are no longer mine and can never be mine again
You always were the one to show me how
You were the one who taught me how to love and to trust, and I will always be grateful to you for that
Back then I couldn't do the things that I can do now
Since our separation, I have learned from my mistakes and now I am a better person who is capable of loving you even more
This thing is slowly take me apart
My yearning for you is destroying me from the inside and slowly breaking me into pieces
Grey would be the color if I had a heart
My heart is numb and unable to feel anything other than sadness and pain, hence the color grey represents its emptiness
In this place it seems like such a shame
When I look around me, everything seems pointless without you and it is a shame that we cannot be together
Though it all looks different now, I know it's still the same
Everything around me may have changed, but my feelings for you remain constant and unchanged
Everywhere I look you're all I see
No matter where I go, you are always on my mind and I cannot escape the longing I have for you
Just a fading fucking reminder of who I used to be
You remind me of a time when I was happy and fulfilled, and without you, I am just a shell of the person I used to be
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Antoinette Alvarez
This song is sooo beautiful ♡
@Dani101st
This song was oftentimes my only comfort in the deepest parts of chronic depression that started in the early 2000s. If you can relate, I'm glad you're here to read this.
@brandonlordbaltimore5182
I truly can.
And I'm glad you're here to write that.
🤘
@michaeljamesona6994
Why can't you just enjoy the song without feeling bad it's just Hideous
@kipkipPatrick
@@michaeljamesona6994 because the songs were written to pull emotion out of us. There's certain music that's uplifting and there's certain music that makes you want to write your ex-girlfriend's name on your arm in blood. It's just the way it is.
@michaeljamesona6994
That's not true. None of what you said is true about Songs or Music
@kipkipPatrick
@@michaeljamesona6994 didn't realize I was talking to the god emperor of music creation 🥴
@vamperus
After my fiancee died from a heroin overdose, I was spiraling into addiction myself. This song touched my heart so much I decided I needed to change. 2 years sober now and glad I chose to live.
@Eladat456
Back then you couldn't do the things you can do now. Believe in yourself.
@TREZZOTH
You kick ass mam