A simplistic track, it is dominated by its quirky beat and staccato plucked string instruments. A busy bassline joins the ascending vocals in the verses, while the nearly spoken choruses are backed by a droning synth. After the second chorus, a sort of coda or bridge featuring a more complicated bassline and staccato baritone saxophone leads directly into "Black Noise". Its call-and-response style verses recall those of "Mr. Self Destruct".
While I'm Still Here
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ticking time is running out
Closest I've ever come
Ticking time is running out
Oh, so tired on my own
Ticking time is running out
Best days I have ever known
Ticking time is running out
Yesterday I found out the world was ending
Yesterday I found out the world was ending
A little more every day
Falls apart and slips away
I don't mind, I'm okay
Wish it didn't
Have to end this way
These four walls are closing in
Ticking time is running out
Oh, all the things that might have been
Ticking time is running out yeah
Watch young lovers walking by
Ticking time is running out yeah
God forgive me if I cry
Ticking time is running out
A little more every day
Falls apart and slips away
I don't mind, I'm okay
Nothing ever stays the same
While we can remember when
Always were, yeah
Even then
Stay with me
Hold me near
While I'm still here
Nine Inch Nails's song While I'm Still Here is a reflection on mortality and time. The repetition of the line "Ticking time is running out" emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and how little time we have to experience it. The singer is contemplating their life and the things they have accomplished, recognizing that they have not done much. The line "These four walls are closing in" suggests a sense of suffocation or being trapped, perhaps feeling limited by their own mortality. The singer is also observing the world around them, watching young lovers walking by and feeling a sense of nostalgia and regret for what could have been.
The line "Yesterday I found out the world was ending" adds a sense of urgency to the song, further emphasizing the idea that time is running out. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea of death and the looming end of everything, which is a common theme in Trent Reznor's music. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the song ends on a hopeful note with the line "And I'm still here," suggesting that there is still time to make the most of what is left.
Line by Line Meaning
Only thing I've ever done
I've accomplished very little in my life
Ticking time is running out
I am running out of time before I die
Closest I've ever come
I haven't come close to achieving anything significant
Oh so tired on my own
I am exhausted from living alone and unsupported
Best days I've ever known
My past is the best I've ever experienced and I miss it
Yesterday I found out the world was ending
I have discovered the idea that the world is coming to an end soon
A little more
Each day that passes
Every day
Every single day
Falls apart and
The world is degrading and breaking down
Slips away
Slowly disappearing
I don't mind
I accept the inevitable
I'm okay
I can handle it
Wish it didn't
I do have regrets
Have to end this way
I wish things could end differently
These four walls are closing in
I feel trapped and like my options are limited
Of all the things that might have been
I regret all the things I could have done with my life but didn't
Watch young lovers walking by
Seeing young love reminds me of a time in my life when I had such passion
God forgive me if I cry
I feel overwhelmed with emotion and might cry
Nothing ever
Things inevitably
Stays the same
Change is constant
While we can
While we still have time
Remember when
Recall the past like it was yesterday
Always running
We are always busy
Even then
Even in the past
Stay with me
Be close to me
Hold me near
Embrace me and never let go
And I'm still here
I'm still alive, despite everything
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Hank Williams Sr., Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stopbunsen
Black noise is such a doomsday ending. I love it. And those vocals by Lisa and Sharlotte are incredible.
@ogey_elise
It literally sounds apocalyptic.
The album version was crushing in and of itself, but this is something else.
@Diogo_CF
The sheer collection of talent up on that stage is astounding
@stopbunsen
@Elise I literally only started listening to the album at the beginning of the pandemic, just as everything was shutting down, so that song will forever remind me of that
@Shabbar3
The outro of this song was one of the most spectacular things I've experienced in a live concert. It's more than a normal gig with nin it's an experience.
@GCarterStokum
Literally EVERY NIN Show is the best show I've ever seen Live, and I've seen enough to FUCKIN AGREE that that was one of the the BEST
@JasonChamberlain
This song is like watching the sun cry.
When the verses seem to build to something that will self-destruct, but then just resolves into a quiet, moody sort of feigned contentment. Oh, magnificent.
@haaather7131
Oh damn, "like watching the Sun cry"... that brought a tear to my eye.
@GCarterStokum
...like watching the sun cry.
You are a poet and a scholar whomever you are
@andresvelasco4530
The build up, the tribal drums, the sax, the melodic guitar, and the soulful voices of the backup singers. This is heaven. Man I cannot wait to see what this band has in store for us in the future. Keep pushing the envelope!