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.
Wish
Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I built it up, now I take it apart
Climbed up real high, now fall down real far
No need for me to stay
The last thing left, I just threw it away
I put my faith in god and my trust in you
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
I'm the one without a soul
I'm the one with this big fucking hole
No new tale to tell
Twenty-six years, on my way to hell
Gotta listen to your big-time, hard-line, bad-luck, fist fuck
Don't think you're having all the fun
You know me, I hate everyone
Wish there was something real
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to, but I can't turn back
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to, but I can't turn back
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to, but I can't turn back
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to
Wish there was something real
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
Wish there was something real
Wish there was something true
Wish there was something real
In this world full of you
This world full of you
This world full of you
This world full
The lyrics of Nine Inch Nails's song Wish present a powerful expression of disillusionment, anger, and despair. Trent Reznor, the songwriter and frontman of the band, describes his feelings of self-destruction and disconnection from the world around him. He starts by acknowledging that it is his first day of the last days, implying that he knows he is on a path to destruction. He recognizes that he had built up something only to tear it apart again, and now he has fallen from a great height. He does not see any reason to stay and throws away the last thing he had left. He had put his faith in God and his trust in someone else, but now he realizes that there isn't anything more messed up than that.
In the chorus, he expresses his longing for something real and true in this world that is full of lies and fake emotions. He repeats this phrase a few times to emphasize the desire for authentic experiences. The second verse reveals an even more profound feeling of emptiness and despair. He feels like he is the one without a soul and has a big hole that can't be filled. He has been on his way to hell for 26 years now, and things are not getting any better. He criticizes the people who have power and control in society, calling them hard-line, bad-luck, fist fuck, and saying they are not the only ones having fun. He hates everyone, and he knows that he is not alone in his misery. The song finishes with a repetition of the chorus and the sentence "This world full of you," which leaves the listener with a sense of the overwhelming presence of fake emotions and lack of authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the first day of my last days
Today marks the beginning of my inevitable descent towards my own end.
I built it up, now I take it apart
I have created something out of nothing, only to destroy it myself.
Climbed up real high, now fall down real far
I have achieved great heights, but my downfall will be just as steep.
No need for me to stay
I have nothing left to hold onto, no reason to continue living.
The last thing left, I just threw it away
I have let go of everything that once mattered to me, even the last remaining shred of hope.
I put my faith in god and my trust in you
I have placed my hope in the divine and in someone else, only to ultimately be let down and disappointed.
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
Having lost everything and everyone that mattered to me, I have no more options to make things worse.
Wish there was something real
I long for something genuine and authentic in a world that seems full of deception and falsity.
Wish there was something true
I desire something with real, lasting value - something that won't let me down or prove to be a facade.
I'm the one without a soul
I am empty and hollow, lacking any sense of meaning or purpose.
I'm the one with this big fucking hole
My emptiness is vast and overwhelming, like a cavernous void in the core of my being.
No new tale to tell
My story is one of despair, tragedy, and loss - there is nothing novel or exciting about my existence.
Twenty-six years, on my way to hell
My life has been a slow descent into a personal hell that I have been unable to escape from.
Gotta listen to your big-time, hard-line, bad-luck, fist fuck
I am forced to endure the harsh, cruel realities of life that are beyond my control - like being repeatedly struck by a powerful, unyielding force.
Don't think you're having all the fun
Despite appearances, no one is really enjoying life - we are all struggling, suffering, and barely holding on.
You know me, I hate everyone
I am filled with anger and bitterness towards everyone and everything around me - I have become incapable of feeling any other emotion.
I want to but I can't turn back
I am consumed by regret and longing for what could have been, but I know that it is impossible to go back and make things right.
Wish there was something real
Despite my cynicism and despair, I still cling to the hope that there is something genuine and true in this world.
Wish there was something true
I am desperate for something that can provide meaning and purpose to my life, something that is not simply an illusion or facade.
This world full of you
The world is populated by people who are just as lost and broken as I am, who cannot offer me the solace or redemption I am seeking.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Trent Reznor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hayesnick1556
Especially in these days, you cannot tell anyone how you actually feel.
You will be institutionalized
You are sick, kid
If you have to answer the question ‘have you ever thought about...?’ The answer is ‘No’
Trust me
@rOYmOnster
LYRICS:
This is the first day of my last days
I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down real far
No need for me to stay the last thing left I just threw it away
I put my faith in god and my trust in you
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I'm the one without a soul I'm the one with this big fucking hole
No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to hell
Gotta listen to your big time hard line bad luck fist f*ck
Don't think you're having all the fun
You know me I hate everyone
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to.....
@waywardwitch6958
★LYRICS★
This is the first day of my last days
I built it up now I take it apart climbed up real high now fall down
Real far
No need for me to stay the last thing left I just threw it away
I put my faith in god and my trust in you
Now there's nothing more fucked up I could do
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I'm the one without a soul I'm the one with this big fucking hole
No new tale to tell twenty-six years on my way to hell
Gotta listen to your big time hard line bad luck fist fuck
Don't think you're having all the fun
You know me I hate everyone
Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I want to but I can't turn back
But I want to
@sams0ncatinio752
Danzig, Al Jourgensen, skinny puppy and others at various times asserted Trent had ‘ ripped off their act’ … I was 22 when TDS was released, following Broken (92) and PHM (89); PHM was first called ‘Purest Feeling’ and some of the lyrics and riffs were different. But we all already loved NIN as the sound was so much more truly industrial and , at times, as light and sensitive as dew on the morning lillies.. it could be brutal and sexy (or brutally sexy) and strong and weak all at the same time. it added devastating emotional turns and expressions of Rage, Love, Hate, sorrow, regret and self hatred/self destruction. As much as I loved the other bands mentioned as well as Tool, who had released Undertow in ‘93 and were gaining serious traction as the best and most original progressive band, beyond even Dream Theater .. none of them were comparable to NIN. Trent took the entire Industrial genre and added emotional and creative depth and brought the sound mainstream. Kinda. But just far enough out that it was too much for most.
The Downward Spiral was / is his Magnum opus, swan song, etc and was the most artistically creative and technically brilliant album since “The Wall”. Curiously, both albums follow similar paths of the despicably selfish hero. The two legendary releases also create their own ‘realm’ of distinctive sound only on those particular albums, respectively.
There was no way to follow TDS other than to change gears again, (Phm, broken and tds all have their own distinct sound throughout). And so did the Fragile. We drove to St Louis to see A Perfect Circle on tour for Met de Noms open for NIN on the Fragility tour.
And the show was fucking surreal. As APC launched into the encore’Judith’ a massive storm hit the Riverport Amphitheater, complete with puple/black skies lit up with huge lightning bolts. The crowd on the lawn began to run but security would not let them under the amphitheater and repulsed their attempts and people were falling, running, etc and even trampling each other. My brother (RIP Nicholas) and I looked at each other and at our youngest brother and my girlfriend and just closed our eyes and threw the horns to the Gods just as Maynard obliterated the storm with that 1 minute bellow at the end of Judith… shortly thereafter… the steely sharp metallic monster licks of Pinion began… it was the single greatest show I have ever seen. And I’ve seen some good ones. The sound quality and perfection were unmatched. I’ve seen NIN 6-7 times, Tool and APC 7-8 times each, Pantera, Metallica and other great bands….and they would rank behind NIN -2-Tool, 3 APC…as the best live act to see. And an honorable mention to the Reverend on the Antichrist tour which was a revel of a screaming orgy of overdrive, drugs, filth, violence and talent :)
Anyway, thanks for reading if you did.
I would sum it this way: Trent / NIN are not a band.. the term does not describe the entity .. Trent Reznor is more an advanced, technologically brilliant composer, much like a Beethoven or Bach…maybe more a Chopin.
@fjjwiKwnhshs
Trent Reznor is the only person on the planet who has written an entire album about BDSM, rape, self-deprecation, and torture that had one of its songs win a grammy, all the while using terminology like "fist fuck", then later win an oscar for the music he made for a kid's movie. I love this man
@garysmith7184
@Frankenstein Addams more likely to be Coil, dude
@coreypeden666
Woah woah
@le_decard
Living legend
@ChiefSmackahoLLC
Not exactly, but fir sure the first to make money from it.
@killerkite333
Love how he was able to turn that lots of negative and self destructive energy to make masterpieces like this and turn his life around. A living legend.
@zackzallie8735
Trent Reznor: "I'm the one without a soul."
Also Trent: composes a score for the movie Soul
@alleygh0st
just a feeling
@zackzallie8735
@ᴇʀᴇɴ ᴊᴀᴇɢᴇʀ I did? Omg
@davidb9596
Didn't have a soul so they gave him one, I guess