We Explain the Lyrics. You Feel the Music.
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ “Piggy” is the crucial first event of The Downward Spiral narrative. It is the “crisis” that proves the “Mr. Self Destruct” (Track 1) “voice” was…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ titular track, “The Downward Spiral,” is the horrifying and literal climax of the 1994 concept album. It is not a song of reflection but of…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ “Mr. Self Destruct” is the terrifying mission statement for the entire Downward Spiral album. It is not sung by the human narrator, but by the…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ 1992 Grammy-winning song “Wish” is a raw, nihilistic anthem of total and complete disillusionment. It is the narrative pivot point between the external war of…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ song “Reptile” is the dark, rotting, and paranoid “morning after” to the “euphoric” animalistic high of “Closer.” It represents the moment the narrator of The…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ explosive 1990 single “Head Like a Hole” is a furious, timeless anthem of defiance against the all-consuming, dehumanizing power of “God Money.” The song is…
Opening Summary: Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” is a desperate, nihilistic anthem about using a raw, animalistic sexual act as a temporary escape from profound self-loathing. It is not a love…
Songs Discussion