Trent Reznor has expressed dissatisfaction with the song, saying in a VIVA 2 Magazine interview, "At that time I was listening to a lot of Drum 'n' Bass and Jungle and stuff. And I think that's the most I've ever seen external influence come out in my own music. And it was a transition period, that's what I want to stress, it was time when I was feeling out what I wanted to do artistically and given the liberation of working within the context of a soundtrack, it's not like a major work. I always treated that as an area to be freer and try things. I'm glad it was in that context. There was never any consideration to include that on [[album artist=Nine Inch Nails]The Fragile]. It really was an area where I was feeling out the landscape to see what I wanted to do."
It features prominent acoustic guitars playing a quick, ascending riff similar to the chorus of "The Wretched". It is backed by frantic and complex drum machine programming commonly associated with the drum 'n' bass genre, which opens up into simpler patterns for the pre-choruses. The drum sound in the pre-chorus is highly reminiscent of that on "Eraser". The chorus features heavy guitars backed by more frantic drums, while the bridge is composed mainly of percussion patterns and percussive synthesizers and guitar riffs, which build in intensity to give way to a slower, simpler, quieter coda which features what is likely a Mellotron.
"The Perfect Drug" was not played live until September 18, 2018 at Red Rocks, Colorado, though it was attempted during rehearsals for a few previous tours. It was widely speculated that the complex drum solo in the song was responsible for this, although it was probably not out of the range of drummers Josh Freese or Ilan Rubin. It is also possible that Reznor did not personally like the song very much, as he concedes that it was produced quickly for the Lost Highway soundtrack.
NIN fan Trollmanen was able to ask ex-drummer Josh Freese about the rehearsal process for the song: "The one question I asked him was about playing The Perfect Drug live, and how the rehearsal process went for that song and why it never worked out. The first thing he said, without hesitation was that the song itself isn't that difficult to play live on the drums. He said something about the programmed beats part was the only thing that was sort of complicated (it was a little hard to hear him at times, crappy connection), but that it worked live with him playing it. The drumming sounded good and everyone was happy with that. He said the problem with the song was the ending. The whole song was really rocking and pushing through, then you get to the ending and it just never seemed to work. He said they tried four or so different endings to the song. They tried it kinda mellow sounding, and that didn't work. They tried a really aggressive ending, and that didn't work either. They did a simple ending, same result. They just couldn't find an ending to the sound that seemed to do it justice. The thing was that the song sounded really good, but to get to the ending and just not sound good, it was kind of a let down. He said [Trent Reznor] just seemed uninterested with it after a while and they just gave up on it."
Reznor answered a question about playing "The Perfect Drug" live directly during a 2017 Q&A in Chicago. He said: "We've tried it. The unsexy answer is it just doesn't sound that good live. And it's hard to sing, and it ends up making me angry, so we don't do it."
Mark Romanek, who also directed "Closer," directed the music video for "The Perfect Drug" in 1997. It was one of the most expensive videos at the time, costing over $850,000 to make. Building the two main sets (a refrigerated set and a rooftop set) and commissioning the giant hand sculpture were some of the larger expenses.
The concept of the video is widely interpreted as Trent Reznor portraying a man mourning the death of a child and detaching himself from reality through absinthe. Charlie Clouser, Danny Lohner, and Chris Vrenna appear in the video, most notably playing string instruments at the beginning of the video. The aesthetics were heavily influenced by the illustrations of 20th-century artist Edward Gorey (1925–2000), the most obvious reference coming from the girl sitting on the cushion in front of the painting.
The entire video was filmed with a blue tint with the exception of the drum breakdown, which uses flashing green light instead, representing Reznor losing himself in the absinthe.
The Perfect Drug
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't keep control, can't keep track of where it's traveling
I've got my heart, but my heart's no good
And you're the only one that's understood
I'd come along, but I don't know where you're taking me
I shouldn't go, but you're reaching, dragging, shaking me
Turn off the sun, pull the stars from the sky
The more I give to you, the more I die
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You make me hard when I'm all soft inside
I see the truth when I'm all stupid-eyed
The arrow goes straight through my heart
Without you, everything just falls apart
My blood wants to say hello to you
My fears want to get inside of you
My soul is so afraid to realize
How very little good is left of me
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug, the perfect drug
Take me with you
Take me with you
Take me with you
Take me with you
(Take me) Without you
(With you) Without you, everything falls apart
(Take me) Without you
(With you) It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me) Without you
(With you) Without you, everything falls apart
(Take me) Without you
(With you) It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me with you) It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me with you) It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
Without you, without you, everything falls apart
Without you, it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
The song "The Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails is about addiction to both drugs and love. The lyrics speak of someone who has lost control of their head, heart, and life due to their addiction. The person acknowledges that they shouldn't go along with this addictive behavior, but they can't resist being dragged and pulled in.
The person feels that the addiction is their perfect drug, the only thing that can make them feel alive even though they recognize that it's destroying them. The lyrics mention the person's blood wanting to say hello to the object of their addiction, their soul being afraid to realize how little good is left in them, and their fears wanting to get inside of the object of their addiction.
Overall, "The Perfect Drug" speaks of the all-consuming nature of addiction and the desperation to hold onto something that brings temporary pleasure, regardless of the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got my head, but my head is unraveling
I'm losing my ability to think clearly and make sense of things
Can't keep control, can't keep track of where it's traveling
I'm struggling to maintain control over my thoughts and emotions
I've got my heart, but my heart's no good
My emotions are all messed up and I can't trust myself to make good decisions
And you're the only one that's understood
You're the only one who seems to understand me and what I'm going through
I'd come along, but I don't know where you're taking me
I want to follow you, but I'm not sure what the consequences will be
I shouldn't go, but you're reaching, dragging, shaking me
You're tempting me and pulling me toward something that I know is risky or dangerous
Turn off the sun, pull the stars from the sky
You have so much power over me that it feels like you could do anything, even control the universe
The more I give to you, the more I die
My attachment to you is draining the life out of me, but I can't seem to stop
And I want you
I'm obsessed with you and can't get enough of you
You are the perfect drug
You are addictive and intoxicating, and I can't resist you
You make me hard when I'm all soft inside
You make me feel strong and powerful when I'm feeling vulnerable
I see the truth when I'm all stupid-eyed
You help me see things clearly even when I'm feeling confused or overwhelmed
The arrow goes straight through my heart
Your words and actions affect me deeply and directly, like a physical wound
Without you, everything just falls apart
You are the center of my world, and without you, nothing else seems to matter
My blood wants to say hello to you
I feel a strong physical urge to be near you and touch you
My fears want to get inside of you
I'm afraid of losing you or being rejected by you, and it consumes me
My soul is so afraid to realize
I'm scared to confront my deepest fears and vulnerabilities
How very little good is left of me
I feel like I've lost a lot of myself to this obsession, and there's not much of me left
Take me with you
I want to be with you and follow you anywhere, even if it's destructive
Without you, everything falls apart
You are my stability and my foundation, and without you, my life crumbles
It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
Dealing with the aftermath of our relationship is painful and exhausting
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charles Clouser, Chris Alan Vrenna, Daniel Patrick Lohner, Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spinglasshydra
People don't ever seem to remember that Trent learned piano from his grandmother as a small child and it has been remarked about him having an "ordinary middle-class childhood"; however, he was considered an introvert. Then worked as an assistant recording engineer and janitor at Right Track Records in Cleveland, OH which is where he taught himself everything about recording, during the studio's down time, as the owner decided to let him work on his own demo's for free. He has earned a BS Degree in Computer Engineering from the distinctive Allegheny College and has a registered IQ score of 170, which is the same score as Einstein. During the making of "The Downward Spiral" album, he rented the Sharon Tate House near Los Angeles, where six people had been murdered by members of The Manson Family in 1969. Reznor lived in what essentially is the master bedroom, where he isolated himself away in the closet, which he converted into a sound recording booth, with a new Apple laptop computer, loaded with some excellent sound engineering software, where he created everything himself, except for the drums. While living in the Tate Murder House he befriended a tall skinny kid, who idolized Reznor and took the residence's reputation as part his stage name ― Marilyn Manson. They remain friends.
He's the consummate perfectionist, who refuses to be dictated too; nor, will he ever compromise his vision. One recording studio found out, as he so infamously mailed them a letter from himself, who had cut his own contract into shreds. Another studio was undercut by Reznor, who had notoriously released his own music for free, so his fan's could copy and redistribute his work, just because he refused to give into studio management's demands regarding his "violent content and liberal use of profanity". Reznor has been a longtime proponent of self-creating, self-orchestrating, self-composing, self-promoting, as well as self-producing your own music, which gave way to the DIY production revolution, now seen on a multitude of online platforms ― So now, you can be your own maverick, due to his many talents.
Reznor wrote this single for the David Lynch film "Lost Highway", which is the reason why he indulged the video's director Mark Romanek, who accurately depicted the Macabre Edwardian Era aesthetic, based on two distinct Gothic-Horror writers.
So, whenever people say Trent Reznor is a music genius ― It's all very, very true ......!!!!
* Side Note: If you require further analysis, as well as an intellectual challenge, then analyze the video's three distinct themes and references by looking into director Mark Romanek. The video's director took inspiration from two distinct American author's: Edward Gorey (1925-2000) who authored ‘‘The Hapless Child’’ (1961) and his abecedarian books ‘‘The Gashlycrumb Tinies’’ (1963) and ‘‘The Chinese Obelisks: Fourth Alphabet’’ (1970). The central figure of Gothic-Horror literature is Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), who's works employ the death of a beautiful woman as a main plot, such as ‘‘Annabel Lee’’ (1849), ‘‘The Raven’’ (1845), ‘‘Berenice’’ (1835), ‘‘Ligeia’’ (1838), ‘‘Morella’’ (1835) and, ‘‘The Fall of the House of Usher’’(1839), but also as the heavy absinthe drinker Edgar Allen Poe was alleged to be, but also ‘‘The Imp of the Perverse’’ (1845) and ‘‘The Tell-Tale Heart’’ (1843) are in comparison to the music video.
@sundaygo1978
I've got my head, but my head is unraveling
Can't keep control; can't keep track of where it's traveling
I've got my heart, but my heart is no good
And you're the only one that's understood
I come along, but I don't know where you're taking me
I shouldn't go, but you're wrenching, dragging, shaking me
Turn off the sun; pull the stars from the sky
The more I give to you, the more I die
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You make me hard when I'm all soft inside
I see the truth when I'm all stupid-eyed
The arrow goes straight through my heart
Without you everything just falls apart
My blood, it wants to say hello to you
My fears, they want to get inside of you
My soul, it's so afraid to realize
How very little there is left of me
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
You are the perfect drug, the perfect drug, the perfect drug
Take me with you
Take me with you
Take me with you
Take me with you
Without you, without you everything falls apart
(Take me with you)
Without you, it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me with you)
Without you, without you everything falls apart
(Take me with you)
Without you, it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me with you)
It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
(Take me with you)
It's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
Without you, without you everything falls apart
Without you, it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
@PuppetMasterIX
Me in 2008 playing Rock Band: "Hey this song's really fun on drums!"
Me 15 years later hearing this song in Hi-Fi Rush: "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
@jmiyabi
So glad I found this song before Hi-Fi Rush came out, because when I heard it in the final boss I was like YOOOO LETS GOOOO!! Makes me more hyped up to fight the boss. Sadly I don't have a Xbox but when I do I'm buying Hi-Fi Rush for sure.
@kue5053
@J Miyabi I mean, if you're buying a Xbox you're probably going to subscribe to gamepass anyway, so unless the game releases DLC until then, you won't need to buy anything
@jmiyabi
@Kue Well I can't get an Xbox rn anyway so I will see if they even do release dlc for it.
@captainchuppachup
My daughter was sitting on my knee when playing and as soon as we got to this bit I threw her off as I knew shit was about to get real.
@readyorgormotti4695
@captainchuppachup everyone knows hot jams and epic gamer moments are more important than your children
@charliefoxtrot3980
Trent may hate this video, but I think it is a sublime work of art.
@qtandem
I didn't know he hated it... :O But... why?! It's one of the best music videos I've ever seen!
@CameronMulder
@Meritxell Riera Prims The wikipedia on the song goes into it but basically, they had limited time to make the song and he wasn't happy with the results. Since it was attached to a major hollywood film they ended up needing to also make a music video fairly quickly and ended up with something "bloated andover-budget".
@DeezyNOT
@Cameron Mulder I believed Trent hated this song/music video because the song is about craving and taking drugs. (especially evident when the music builds up while Trent sings the chorus) and that Trent regretted doing such a personal song in retrospect since he's known for being a former drug addict