Reznor recorded the band's debut album, Pretty Hate Machine (1989), while working overnight as a janitor at a Cleveland recording studio. After feuding with the label TVT Records about promotion, Reznor signed with Interscope Records and released the EP Broken (1992). The following albums, The Downward Spiral (1994) and The Fragile (1999), were released to critical acclaim and commercial success.
Reznor chose 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 English letters NIN are also noted for their resemblance to the modern Hebrew characters of the Tetragrammaton. The Nine Inch Nails logo first appeared on the music video for their debut single, "Down in It". The logo was designed by Reznor and Gary Talpas, inspired by Tibor Kalman's typography on the Talking Heads album Remain in Light. Talpas, a native of Cleveland, continued to design Nine Inch Nails packaging until 1997.
Following a hiatus, Nine Inch Nails resumed touring in 2005 and released their fourth album, With Teeth (2005). Following the release of Year Zero (2007), Reznor left Interscope after a feud. Nine Inch Nails continued touring and independently released Ghosts I–IV (2008) and The Slip (2008) before a second hiatus. Their eighth album, Hesitation Marks (2013), was followed by a trilogy consisting of the EPs Not the Actual Events (2016) and Add Violence (2017) and their ninth album Bad Witch (2018). In 2020, Nine Inch Nails released two further installments in the Ghosts series, Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts.
Reznor and Ross typically assemble a live band to perform with them. Not including sporadic band hiatuses, the band has varied over the decades, with the most recent lineup consisting of Robin Finck (initially joined in 1994), Alessandro Cortini (initially joined in 2005), and Ilan Rubin (initially joined in 2009). Nine Inch Nails concerts since 2005 often employ thematic visual elements, extensive use of special effects, and elaborate light shows; songs are often rearranged for performance, and elements of songs that are not scheduled to be performed in their entirety are occasionally assimilated into other songs.
Nine Inch Nails have sold over 20 million records and have been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning for the songs "Wish" (1992) and "Happiness in Slavery" (1996). In 1997, Time named Reznor one of the most influential people, and Spin has described him as "the most vital artist in music". In 2004, Rolling Stone placed Nine Inch Nails at No. 94 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. They were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 (their first year of eligibility), nominated again in 2015, and were inducted in 2020.
Nine Inch Nails has issued eight major albums, which have generally received both critical and commercial acclaim. Historically, NIN releases have been assigned a "Halo" index number. For example, the album 'With Teeth' is also known as Halo 19. With the inclusion of the 'Broken' EP, the band's primary releases are:
1. 'Pretty Hate Machine' (1989)
2. 'Broken' EP (1992)
3. 'The Downward Spiral' (1994)
4. 'The Fragile (Left)' / ''The Fragile (Right)' (1999)
5. 'With Teeth' (2005)
6. 'Year Zero' (2007)
7. 'Ghosts I-IV' (2008)
8. 'The Slip' (2008)
9. 'Hesitation Marks' (2013)
10. 'Not the Actual Events' EP (2016)
11. 'Add Violence' EP (2017)
12. 'Bad Witch' (2018)
13. 'Ghosts V: Together' (2020)
14. 'Ghosts VI: Locusts' (2020)
Nine Inch Nails has also produced a number of EP's, remixes, and provided contributions to various movie soundtracks, including 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider', 'The Crow', 'Natural Born Killers', 'Lost Highway', and 'Tetsuo: The Bullet Man'. Trent Reznor additionally provided the soundtrack for the massively popular id Software game Quake, a release inspired by ambient music. His team up with Atticus Ross resulted in the critically praised soundtrack to the film 'The Social Network', with the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross duo winning an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 83rd Academy Awards
In 2002, a live album (their second live release, the first being the video 'Closure Documentary') entitled 'And All That Could Have Been' was released on DVD & CD. The Deluxe version of the CD came packaged with a mini album called 'Still'. That release featured several previously released songs in a stripped down, near-acoustic format along with several other new compositions.
Nine Inch Nails as a live band is generally understood to be a separate entity from its recording studio-based component. Occasionally, past band members are invited to participate in the process when not directly involved with recording new material, Nine Inch Nails' lineup tends to change drastically between major tours. Aside from Trent Reznor remaining on lead vocals, nothing about the live band has remained constant since its inception. Reznor cited the long gestation period between studio albums as part of the reason for these frequent personnel changes.
Beginning in late 2005, the live band featured Aaron North on guitar, Jeordie White on bass guitar, Alessandro Cortini on keyboards, and Josh Freese on drums, though all occasionally performed with different instruments. This lineup toured Europe, Asia, Australia, and America through 2007. Trent Reznor reported that he would disband the "rock band configuration" of his touring lineup after their concert in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 18, 2007, and would explore other means to perform Nine Inch Nails material on subsequent tours. Despite this claim he has regained the rock group lineup for the 'Lights In The Sky Over...' tours with Robin Finck returning on guitar and Justin Meldal-Johnsen of Beck and other projects accompanying Cortini and Freese.
Past live band members include (listed chronologically):
* Ron Musarra: Drums, Samplers
* Chris Vrenna: Keyboards, Samplers, Drums
* Richard Patrick: Guitar
* Jeff Ward: Drums
* David Haymes: Keyboards
* Nick Rushe: Keyboards
* Lee Mars: Keyboards
* James Woolley: Keyboards
* Robin Finck: Guitar, Synthesizer
* Danny Lohner: Bass, Guitar, Synthesizer
* Charlie Clouser: Synthesizer, Drums on 5 songs during the Dissonance side of David Bowie's Outside tour, Theremin
* Sean Beavan: Soundboard, Backing vocals on 5 songs
* Jerome Dillon: Drums
* Alex Carapetis: Drums
* Ilan Rubin: Drums
The September 14, 2007 edition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported that the September 18 show in Honolulu, Hawaii would be the last performance of the current incarnation of the Nine Inch Nails live band. Trent Reznor was quoted as stating, "at this point, I want to switch things around a bit. Nine Inch Nails as a rock band configuration, we've done it and we've done it again. I see other ways I can present the material in concert, more challenging, something new. I don't want it to go stale."
A DVD/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD of live material from the 2006 With Teeth tour was released in late February 2007 entitled Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You In Time. All three formats include 24 songs from the summer and winter 2006 tours, plus bonus material.
Information about Nine Inch Nails concerts can be found on the NIN website.
Ghosts I-IV was released on March 2, 2008. It contains 36 instrumental tracks and was recorded in ten weeks of fall 2007. Initially intended to be a five-track EP, the album is presented in the form of four nine-track EPs. The tracks do not have names, and are only identified by their track listing and position on the EPs. Ghosts I-IV also adds to the recent experimentation with digital distribution; the album is available in many different ways, including a digital download, for purchase or (partially) free, a CD set, and a deluxe edition set.
The eighth album called "The Slip" was officially released on May 5, 2008. The whole album can be downloaded for free from this website: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
On February 16th 2009, Trent announced that he would begin his last tour. Nine Inch Nails would indefinitely end. However, it is not likely that this is the end of his music career. In his letter, he hinted that he may do something with Jane's Addiction. In addition, Reznor has said outright in an interview on the official website that he is not done making music as Nine Inch Nails, but that he is done touring.
Trivia:
* Trent Reznor has worked with several big names in musical collaboration outside of NIN in recent years, including time rocker artist David Bowie, Maynard James Keenan of Tool, Zach de La Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, Josh Wink, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, slam poet Saul Williams, hip-hop producer Puff Daddy & The Family, Peter Gabriel, Henry Rollins and more recently, hip-hop producer El-P and Queens of the Stone Age.
* Contrary to popular belief, Suck is technically a cover and not an original. The song was originally performed by the band Pigface on the album Gub (1991), a band which Trent worked with in the past. Trent is given vocal and writing credits and the song was later re-recorded for the Broken EP (1992) as a hidden track .
* Legendary country star Johnny Cash covered Hurt on the album The Man Comes Around.
* NIN along with Marilyn Manson, Maynard James Keenan, Phil Anselmo and other artists worked together to produce the Tapeworm Project, a side project that existed from the mid-1990s through to 2004.
The Only Time
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And right now I'm so in love with you
And I don't want to think too much about what we should or shouldn't do
Lay my hands on heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars
While the devil wants to fuck me in the back of his car
Nothing quite like the feel of something new
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
Maybe I'm all messed up
This is the only time I really feel alive
This is the only time I really feel alive
I swear
I just found everything I need
The sweat in your eyes the blood in your veins are listening to me
Well I want to wrap it up and swim in it until I drown
My moral standing is lying down
Nothing quite like the feel of something new
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
Maybe I'm all messed up
This is the only time I really feel alive
This is the only time I really feel alive
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
(This is the only time I really feel alive)
In "The Only Time," Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor sings about being completely enraptured by a new love interest, to the point where he is intoxicated both literally and figuratively. The opening lines, "I'm drunk / And right now I'm so in love with you," express his state of mind. He doesn't want to overthink the situation, but rather wants to revel in the passion of the moment. He even goes so far as to suggest that he could touch heaven and the celestial bodies of the universe, while the devil himself desires him sexually.
The lyrics in the chorus, "Maybe I'm all messed up / Maybe I'm all messed up / Maybe I'm all messed up in you / Maybe I'm all messed up / This is the only time I really feel alive," echo the idea of being consumed by a new relationship. Reznor acknowledges that he may be "messed up" emotionally, but he feels complete and alive when he is with this person. He goes on to describe wanting to experience this connection fully, to the point of drowning in it. His moral compass may be compromised, but he cannot resist the pull of his desire.
Overall, "The Only Time" has a raw and intense quality to it, reflecting the passion and urgency of being deeply infatuated with someone new. The lyrics express a willingness to cast aside caution and self-preservation in favor of pure sensation and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm drunk
I am currently under the influence of alcohol.
And right now I'm so in love with you
At this moment, I have strong feelings of affection towards you.
And I don't want to think too much about what we should or shouldn't do
I wish to avoid overthinking our actions and their consequences.
Lay my hands on heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars
Expressing a desire to achieve or obtain something grand or incredible.
While the devil wants to fuck me in the back of his car
Although there may be obstacles in my path, I am determined to persevere.
Nothing quite like the feel of something new
Experiencing novelty can be a unique and exciting sensation.
Maybe I'm all messed up
Perhaps I am struggling with personal issues or conflicts.
This is the only time I really feel alive
The present moment is the only instance in which I feel truly alive.
I swear
I am seriously asserting the truth of my statement.
I just found everything I need
I have discovered everything that is necessary to me.
The sweat in your eyes the blood in your veins are listening to me
Suggesting a strong emotional and physical connection between two individuals.
Well I want to wrap it up and swim in it until I drown
Desiring to immerse oneself fully in an experience or sensation, even if it may be overwhelming.
My moral standing is lying down
Perhaps feeling guilty or conflicted about one's actions or behavior.
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
Acknowledging a sense of confusion, turmoil, or emotional attachment directed towards another person.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealBizWiz
My parents were very conservative and I was just a kid who believed in all things liberal. From legalizing marijuana, abortion rights, women’s rights, lgbt rights and healthcare for all. He used to beat me to a pulp. Quite literally I can recall more of those days than others.
My dad died a hard core Trump fan, and never changed. Today, I treat my son with compassion and support him in his art and his music.
I am still a Liberal. I am a more sophisticated version of who I was. My dad hated this music and the Liberal stances of the artists who created the music.
I still believe EVERYTHING I believed in at that time. My dad said I would change when I got older.
At 45 the only thing that has changed is that I own a small business. Yes I only employ 6 people, but I do my part in society.
I still support those things, and can contribute to the causes.
Despite my upbringing, I am thankful for my father and I love him. I absolutely love the music too; and Trent Reznor is a lovely person as well who has been one of my customers on several occasions.
@aidensinclairw.29
This entire album has a very homoerotic feel to it, especially this song.
@lynnpehrson8826
I'm convinced trent is bi, or was maybe experimenting at the time.
@aidensinclairw.29
@@lynnpehrson8826 yea
@jeremiahthefanboy4324
@@lynnpehrson8826 yeah i definitely thought he was bi when i first heard this song
@lynnpehrson8826
@@jeremiahthefanboy4324 i have literally know idea what else it could about. i heard it's about drugs, but even so, he's personifying a drug as a guy and then sexualizing it, which would still be telling.
@jeremiahthefanboy4324
@@lynnpehrson8826 yeah!! to me the song sounds pretty fucking gay lmao
@leylinehowell3640
This whole album is pure drugs to my ears
@linorow2835
Try it on drugs my love.
@torivega1135
I love that pic of Lana so much ohmygod
@drummaboi5879
hard beautiful drugs