@@TheBLGL this is about a man turning to sex and drugs to try to feel something. As well as a sense of sexual frustration. Its part of the downward spiral. Of course a bunch of trents songs are at least partially about H.
I remember when this video came out, it was huge! They had to censor it for TV, but the way they did it was brilliant: instead of blurring certain scenes or part of the images, they inserted a "Scene Missing" title card in the same grainy antique film; it looked completely organic and even planned, which IMO gave an even more disturbing effect because your mind had to fill in the blanks and, given the tone of the video and the song and the band, your imagination just went to really dark places to figure out what those images could possibly be. I've been looking for that cut for TV video and can't seem to find it anywhere, it's a great example of the video director's creativity!
@@freezingcathedral if your mind went to Sunshine, meadows and Sparrows chirping during the 'scene missing' bits of that video, you're definitely much more of a weirdo
all media, in a way, bc Fincher used this vibe on Se7en, and Se7en was ripped off by Saw, and... Well, Saw made a lot of shit IDK if you knew that lmao
This video is a masterpiece of horror. It's like the director took everything that makes people uncomfortable and crushed it up all together into a lumpy, oozing and pulsating abomination of screaming disgust.
that director is Mark Romanek, and he's responsible for so many ICONIC videos from the 90s. This dude also did Michael Jackson's-Scream, Madonna-Bedtime Stories and so many more
hard to explain how groundbreaking this was at the time...as a 14 year old kid, seeing this on MTV...not only had I never heard anything like this, but the imagery was even more powerful. nightmare fuel, but also incredibly intriguing. still stands up
I was also 14 when this album & video came out. Raddest shit I'd seen....had all the creepy, sexy feels. Plus Trent tied up....totally warped my fragile little mind. 😂
When you successfully put the lotion on your skin, and Billy actually allowed you to leave without subjecting you to his buffalo sauce, because he realized how important your mom is😅
The instrumental gives such a perfect sense of instinctual fear, cause it's basically a tune you would hear in a club, but the tone that they use is so gooey and feels like pulsating ooze and the beat is like your heart beat. Then the chorus hits and it sounds almost carnival like.
4:20 - The keys were PERFECT. Do you know what the hidden message is behind those keys? Listen to them again and think about this: "Time's up. Show's over. Good-Bye. See You In Hell."
Just to clarify, the monkey in the video was not at all harmed, they gave him lots of bananas and love during the filming, the ASPCA was present during filming of the music video. The pig carcass was real, but it was purchased from a slaughterhouse and Trent Reznor regretted it because it smelled very bad.
Oh I'm glad you mentioned this thank you :) I wasn't too worried bc from what I hear it sounds like Trent is a good guy but it's also nice to specially know they were nice to the monkey and gave him treats lol
This song is what I imagine it could have happened if Depeche Mode and David Bowie ever composed a song together. I can't believe this song is already 30 years old and it still sounds so contemporary. Thanks for creating this masterpiece Nine Inch Nails.
30 years later and this song STILL slaps. Still as brilliant. Still a masterpiece. Still disturbing yet oddly erotic. Reznor is an absolute artistic genius.
LOL, my point was more that I find it astonishing that the director (Mark Romanek) of something as original and striking as this and who also directed the Johnny Cash "Hurt" video, would go on to do a cutesy-cutesy Taylor Swift clip.
I love the twist between disgust and sex and procreation and life and just this ensemble of what is reality but just in the most raw fashion. Not done in a way to pretty up anything but also not to dilute anything either. The creativity itself in this one is...remarkable. 100/10.
Yea but people get so perverted with this song though 🙄. This is not the side of sexuality that I appreciate. And im a Scorpio lol. This is dark. This is just not an accurate representation of sexuality as its meant to be. I do like the sound of this song a lot though! Heck, ill even listen to the instrumental version of it bc its just sooo good! Ngl, it is fire 🔥
I remember sending this to my ex husband. He was just a crush then. But I just now remembered this. Yeah, I remember how I used to lust after him too. 🤦🏻♀️ I mean, it was funny at the time. I would send this to him. I heard this was actually supposed to be some spiritual thing tho. It's not really all that deep for me tho. Also, I'm not Trent Reznor. So I don't think like him. He knew wth he was doing behind these lyrics & it worked. I think u need to simma down now
The song is not about sex, procreation, or life. It's about self-hatred, depression, and obsession. Listen to the whole album in one sitting, it will make sense. Especially the ending melody is important.
@@osiris4457 I've heard TDS countless times. I was referring to the imagery in the video. It's symbolism within the context of the song- within the context of the album. Closer is effectively the formative and culminative release the protagonist of the album feels, the only time that he really feels alive. And what it means after; without. It's a specific form of descent into madness. One that is all about escaping who somebody is- to become somebody or something they're not. There's a reason The Ruiner is the next track on the list. It's the aftermath of this abstract notion taken to it's decay through the personification of the other- within the self. An inner representative entity that embodies the worst aspects of human nature. The ruiner is a collector he's an infector serving his sh*t to his flies. You want what the Ruiner is giving you but you know it's wrong, you know it's apart of you, and you know fighting it won't win. The moral is It's about coming to terms with your human nature, not fighting it. From thereon the album takes a psychotic dive into depersonalization and a dissociative inhumane drive towards self destruction as the concept itself. The protagonist does not "make it". Whether physically or psychologically is audibly left to the listener.
I had a friend who's 60+ year old mother loved this song, and would sing it whenever it came on, not fully understanding the lyrics... until she finally explained them her mother, and told her that she wasn't allowed to sing this (around her) anymore.
Disney: So you're responsible for making some of the most bleak and at times, vulgar songs? Trent Reznor: Yes. Disney: Go make music for a Pixar movie! Trent: Ok.
That’s what I love about Trent. He can write some of the dirtiest, most obscene and masochistic songs I’ve ever heard and then do a full 180 and compose music for a kids’ movie
this song means a lot to me. as sad as it is the theme of self-hatred resulting in hypersexuality really resonates with me. I would even say that it became comforting since I haven't seen this topic being covered by other artists
I haven’t heard or thought about this song in probably 2 years. My late bf and I listened to it and I told him how my parents would blast it when it was released to embarrass me… I was young and prude. This morning I saw a TikTok of a woman recreating the video and ran here to watch the original. The visceral reaction I had from the combination of the lyrics w/these visuals was 10000/10
@@legushach1ajabka I’m glad. 🙂The more I reflect on lyrics & the repetitive tones, the more I realize we were casted on to feel this negative way & act on it.
im sorry but if you don't think this is music you're just wrong. if you think this is "transcendning what music is" then i'd love to see your reaction to avant-garde music
Winter 1996, Great Lakes, IL I was 19 yo, going through training in the Navy center there. This place had a bar/club called "Nitro", for the enlisted folks. This place doesn't exist anymore. But, in that winter, I went to this place and dance the night away with this gorgeous girl who basically did a routine on me with this song playing in the background. Amazing the things our memory does
I like it a lot. To me it represents how giving in to sexual urges can leave us disoriented and spinning out of control. Without self control we just run around in circles. Kind of reminds me of the 2nd circle in Dante's Inferno, where the punishment for Lust was beating you back and forth in an endless, violent wind symbolizing how we can be carried away by our passions.
The version they put on MTV to be quite honest was creepier because the REALLY questionable parts were replaced with "Scene missing" giving it an even more old film feeling and the curiosity of how bad it actually was.
That's why horror writers will tell you to hold off revealing the monster for as long as you can; give little glimpses of it, and let the readers' minds fill in the blanks, and it's guaranteed to be scarier than whatever the actual monster turns out to be
I created a rhythmic gymnastics routine (rope) with this song as final assignment in high school. My teacher expected piano music and was very surprised/shocked. 😀Still got an A+ for the routine though. It was so worth it.
@@jasondean88888 because its the first thing everyone noticed. but also just so relatively tame. Its like the word "ass" in the midst of an erotic shock horror novel.
My sister put me onto NIN back in 2004; I was 12years old. This was the perfect coming of age band for a strange child. R.I.P. to the dopest sister in this whole fuckin realm
rajvader awwwww, were you triggered by the mean old music video? Poor little snowflake, just show me on the doll where it touched you, then you can go to your safe space, complete with puppies and coloring books.
I showed this to my cousin and she se said "the black haired guy who's singing looks like Snape from Harry Potter" and then "this little girl in the chair looks like Hermione, they're all connected" LOL
Marilyn was shocking before he even met Reznor. I think Trent has had more of an influence over the production of Marilyn’s music than anything. They both are extremely talented in their own rights.
@@polinam9546 Couldn't agree more. I've tried repeatedly to get into Manson, but his songs almost feel like he's trying too hard to be edgy. The guy definitely has musical talent, but it's just too up front and in your face in that almost silly, haunted house attraction kind of way.
This song gives me so much nostalgia. I was a little boy, back in the late 1990s, listening to this. Made around the time I was born in '95, yes, but listened to later on in the latter half of that time. Nostalgia and love forever. ❤❤
why do people hate this? this is pure art, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s terrifying, it turns you on, it turns me on, it makes you sleep easy, it’s good music and it’s art. they don’t make music videos or music like this anymore. this is fucking art. but apparently small minds have huge ass mouths.
Pushing the boundaries of madness, sorrow, lust, hate, guilt, depression, atheism, innocence and beauty. Embracing his demons and watching the beauty of the world he knew fade into nothing is just mesmerizing. The industrial decay is matched only by his mental deterioration. This is the downward spiral, this is a masterpiece!
Whoops! I mean The last supper or that new one they found, with that perfect crystal ball that they thought was impossible n they called the new painting they found a fraud cut in it it's not reversed ( what u see in that crystal ball. I once had one that was that way also. Duh . Someone stole it n I just turned the other cheek. Rather than defend myself cuz that gets me in trouble. Divinche, I bet he art's in Heaven now!
I have NO idea how they got away with this in the 90's...but it was BRILLIANT and I love it. They don't make em' like they used to. This song is legendary. I can listen to this all day and still be happy.
I'm 56, and this is why I LOVE 90's grunge/rock. The genre turned self-loathing and depression on its head, acknowledged darkness in thought in all its sadness/horror, and then spit it out with sarcasm, wit, and defiance. And yes, there is hope in the music too. That is the essence of 90's grunge.
My mom let me pick the music when we were driving recently and that song played and by the look she gave me I think she wondered if an abortion 18 years after giving birth is an option
I can imagine hearing this for the first time in 1994. According to my dad, this song was unlike anything he had ever heard before and he was completely blown away by the musical composition that Trent Reznor had going on. He is truly a genius.
I was in jr high when this came out, and the whole album was so different than anything I'd ever heard. Far beyond hearing Nirvana for the first time during the hair band days, or even Metallica when they came around. Nothing came close to NIN back in the day. Manson kind of took some of that angst and ran with it, but a lot of what made him good was directly handed down from Trent or an effort to emulate him.
I was sixteen when I heard this was the first time I listen to NIN and boy I felt things next thing you know I convinced my parents to buy me tickets and my aunt came to keep and eye on me and her face when she heard this song and saw me sing the lyrics I was grounded for a year and a half
The director of this video, Mark Romanek, is a certified genius. Watch some of his other music videos - like Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" or Jay Z's "99 Problems" - and you see how versatile he is at matching the tone of the song and the artist while always being high quality and interesting.
And also, I would highly recommend checking out the film One Hour Photo, starring Robin Williams. Not only did Williams deliver one of his most intense dramatic performances, but Romanek directed the film, and the cinematography definitely bears many of the hallmarks of his music videos.
@@chevand8 Yes! One Hour Photo is an incredible movie! Disturbing, sad, and AMAZINGLY well done all around. Such a great movie, and Robin Williams gave a stellar performance... I wish it had more recognition, it definitely deserves more than it's received.
I love that this shit was mainstream, even in the video’s edited/censored form. There was still a little bit of adventure in the music industry back then.
I saw this video so many times on TV back then. It was just something that you watched because what else was going on? Took it for granted. Music hasn't been as good since...
This song was a cultural phenomenon. It was so different than anything else mainstream, grunge was on the way out and before techno got big Trent came along and blew people's minds. It was literally everywhere.
This is my first time seeing the unedited verson ever. 30 years, it took! Im celebrating entertainment from 1984 and 1994 this year. I was 15 and 25. Great times, the 80's and 90's. Better than today.
I absolutely love nine inch nails! I was first introduced to their music when I was 16 yrs old, in my car, with my very new boyfriend, who played me a song on a cassette tape. My car didn’t have a CD player at the time. It was transforming to hear. I have loved them ever since and never get enough! As uber crazy as their videos are, I’ve always loved their music. It’s not my typical genre of music, but has always been one of my favorites.
@@carmette1 You do realize that Johnny Cash opened the door and allowed for a lot of artists, Nine Inch Nails included, to become mainstream don't you?
@The Dude You are far from the only one who makes music. I do as well, along with playing 7 different instruments since I don't have vocals. Yes, artists like Johnny Cash did open doors for other artist that came along after he did. Regardless of what you might like to think.
That was the best thing about music videos from the 90s and 2000s: they made being a musician seem like a kind of superpower and the musicians themselves were like superheroes!
He definitely deserves his flowers while he's still here a lot of people don't know NIN technically wasn't a band Trent played all the instruments for the all the records dude is a genius a white version of Prince 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I love the symbolism and art style of not only the music, but the music videos of NIN, it’s just down right beautiful. It really scratches that vulgar artistic itch in my brain that not many bands can
Watching this in high school: This is creepy and hot. Watching this as an adult after studying art: I see the influence of Francis Bacon, Joel Peter Witkin, the Brothers Quay, David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, Man Ray's An Object to be Destroyed is actually in the video... so many art references and influences!
I felt this had Bacon's and Ray's references. The video is too much to not to have lots of influences. I actually like finding these things in music videos, so thanks for sharing
Ok. Enough of your pretentious crap.Perhaps too uncomfortable to actually just sit and really LISTEN and get a natural, visceral reaction to things we know aren't good for us, yet can't/don't want to stop doing. The song is obviously about chocolate!
You got an audible chuckle outta me. I always wondered if Snape's hair was *supposed* to look like Trent's late 90's hairstyle (after the god-awful dreads and before the bowl-cut). It's practically identical 🤷🏻♀️
everyone was harmed in the making of this video
Especially vegans like me..........=l
And they liked it lol
Lol no they weren't they even have a behind scenes of this video😂 your a sore person for reals
@@ntdlll7707 Just went right over your head didn’t it?
@@1CrispyCracker lol I know, what a maroon, for reals
it's a miracle this is still on youtube
I know right!
Why do you think so?
@@NoxernPL well, naked people, a crucified monkey, pig heads..
@@NoxernPLbecause there soft
@@NoxernPL cause talks about sex and rape and triggers many people. Personally I find it ridiculous, but is the world we live now.
Trent Reznor is the only person who could write songs about some of the most vile shit ever and then go on to make the soundtrack for a pixar movie
which song?
@@itzcarmenlol you literally just listened to it
@@skoorb132 i meant which pixar movie 😅
@@itzcarmenlol soul
And win a oscar for said movie
*30 years later this song still sounds like it's from the future*
Peace Among Worlds time travellers smfrs~
shows how much innovation has happened in popular music over the past few decades...
@@greatBLTi just appreciate the raw tallent it takes to make something this, scratchy in me feels and brain
Definitely the album, i still can’t believe it released in 1994
It’s been 35 years what do you mean
record company: Trent we need a love song
Trent: here ya go dude
Scooter: Maria, I like it....
ha ha ha ha
Uh, it’s about H but go off...
some things look like tools, like Werkzeug
@@TheBLGL this is about a man turning to sex and drugs to try to feel something. As well as a sense of sexual frustration. Its part of the downward spiral. Of course a bunch of trents songs are at least partially about H.
I remember when this video came out, it was huge! They had to censor it for TV, but the way they did it was brilliant: instead of blurring certain scenes or part of the images, they inserted a "Scene Missing" title card in the same grainy antique film; it looked completely organic and even planned, which IMO gave an even more disturbing effect because your mind had to fill in the blanks and, given the tone of the video and the song and the band, your imagination just went to really dark places to figure out what those images could possibly be. I've been looking for that cut for TV video and can't seem to find it anywhere, it's a great example of the video director's creativity!
your imagination did.
yours.
don't project onto others, weirdo.
@@freezingcathedral if your mind went to Sunshine, meadows and Sparrows chirping during the 'scene missing' bits of that video, you're definitely much more of a weirdo
awesomw D
I also remember when this song came out. I was pretty turned off by 90s music until I hear this song.
Yeah I forgot about that! Cool
American Horror Story intro creators: We’re just gonna take a few notes that’s all…nothing more than that 😅
oh my god totally. I knew that I recognized that intro thematically from someplace!!!!
The guy (Charlie Clouser) who made the intro music for AHS was in Nine Inch Nails for some time ;)
animal docs know highlights...
all media, in a way, bc Fincher used this vibe on Se7en, and Se7en was ripped off by Saw, and... Well, Saw made a lot of shit IDK if you knew that lmao
And the rusty lake game creators too
I was 9 when I first saw this on MTV. Seeing Trent lick that perfectly shaped microphone sent me straight into puberty 😂
You just killed me🤣
The same x me hahaha and send me to check about alt guys
you little monster...energy dextrose T U rin is not alollowed in that age...Keanu
Puberty at 9?!?!
@@SamanthaGJones well I started my period at 10… so that’s not really so far fetched 🤷🏻♀️ LOL
this was my grandmother's favorite song, we played it at her funeral two weeks and the chorus had me in tears. Love you Gma.
Is this real or are you making fun of those stereotype comments??
uhhh
I guess that bass really dropped
Blursed
What?
This video is a masterpiece of horror. It's like the director took everything that makes people uncomfortable and crushed it up all together into a lumpy, oozing and pulsating abomination of screaming disgust.
Not sure why not enough people don't comment about how horrific this music video actually is apart from it being "sexy".
that director is Mark Romanek, and he's responsible for so many ICONIC videos from the 90s. This dude also did Michael Jackson's-Scream, Madonna-Bedtime Stories and so many more
also the asthethic is heavily inspired on the work of Joel-Peter witkin, you might want to check it up ;)
Try "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin for some creepy stuff.........
About to watch it now. Love shit like that.
Whoever decided to tie Trent up for this deserves a raise. I know it's been a million years, but still.
❤ I agree 💯 percent!¡!
He's so hot!¡! Even in his 50's today!! ❤
I melt every time. He's hot af.
Immaculate
Hell to the yeah on that! Tied or un-tied (but preferably tied)...he made me feel some kinda way at 14....and still does at 43! 😄
hard to explain how groundbreaking this was at the time...as a 14 year old kid, seeing this on MTV...not only had I never heard anything like this, but the imagery was even more powerful. nightmare fuel, but also incredibly intriguing. still stands up
I was also 14 when this album & video came out. Raddest shit I'd seen....had all the creepy, sexy feels. Plus Trent tied up....totally warped my fragile little mind. 😂
@@jamieperkins5323 I think we were 12 or 13. We were all agog.
I was 12. I took in everything. Changed my life. Set my course. I thought to myself, "Finally, someone who speaks to me!"
Imagine being like oh yeah my child was in a music video and people ask which one lol
💀👍🏽
My thoughts exactly
I'd be proud.
Or your grandparents lol
When you successfully put the lotion on your skin, and Billy actually allowed you to leave without subjecting you to his buffalo sauce, because he realized how important your mom is😅
The instrumental gives such a perfect sense of instinctual fear, cause it's basically a tune you would hear in a club, but the tone that they use is so gooey and feels like pulsating ooze and the beat is like your heart beat. Then the chorus hits and it sounds almost carnival like.
I said the same thing it's a very catchy beat it's just a great song irrespective of the lyrics
4:20 - The keys were PERFECT. Do you know what the hidden message is behind those keys? Listen to them again and think about this:
"Time's up. Show's over. Good-Bye. See You In Hell."
Great synth modulation. It’s superb mesmerising sound.
Just say it gets you bricked up dude, that's okay now.
❤
Imagine being 12 and watching this debut on MTV....it was EPIC. They aired it again at midnight that night "minorly" censored. The good ol days....
I don't have to imagine. THAT WAS MY LIFE! AND IT WAS EPIC!
HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY! RELEASED 08 MARCH 1994.
i still haven’t found a song that makes me feel how this song does, it’s just incredible
How does it make you feel? Interested to hear a women's perspective
Listen to Desire by Meg Myers. Different in many ways but similar in the dark lust feel
yeah its the thor and odin vision perhaps...they even have an animal....
Same
Try soft cell - sex dwarf. Closer is inspired by it
The unironically sexy undertone is what really sends the creepy factor over the edge.
That's kind of the point.
102.1 the edge used to play this song
Undertone? It is the tone
@@wyattc.4455 Point.
😂😂😂 Undertone
It's crazy that this song is 30 years old now.
ah, Magneisium and arteria
Seeing this at Woodstock 94' was one of my favorite concert experiences.
You bastard😂
living the dream
Just to clarify, the monkey in the video was not at all harmed, they gave him lots of bananas and love during the filming, the ASPCA was present during filming of the music video. The pig carcass was real, but it was purchased from a slaughterhouse and Trent Reznor regretted it because it smelled very bad.
I know he has a heart, but it’s lovely to know the band helped him grow into a better person.
One of the monkey trainers was arrested on false charges tho. You can find his comment on a behind the scenes video here on YT.
Oh I'm glad you mentioned this thank you :) I wasn't too worried bc from what I hear it sounds like Trent is a good guy but it's also nice to specially know they were nice to the monkey and gave him treats lol
Thank you
thank you ive always wondered about that monkey and you just gave me sm peace 😅
100% sex
100% nudity
100% talent
Lol
Love the curtains
Pure art..
420 Likes. Be proud.
Not 100%. No full frontal.
This song is what I imagine it could have happened if Depeche Mode and David Bowie ever composed a song together. I can't believe this song is already 30 years old and it still sounds so contemporary. Thanks for creating this masterpiece Nine Inch Nails.
30 years later and this song STILL slaps. Still as brilliant. Still a masterpiece. Still disturbing yet oddly erotic. Reznor is an absolute artistic genius.
I'm trying to get my head around the fact that the director of this video also directed Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off".
She was Born in the year of This vídeo clip
Closer came out in 94
R.A.s Reviews so she was five then :)
LOL, my point was more that I find it astonishing that the director (Mark Romanek) of something as original and striking as this and who also directed the Johnny Cash "Hurt" video, would go on to do a cutesy-cutesy Taylor Swift clip.
Manning Bartlett Holy shit, that's really fucking disturbing and on my list of stuff i didn't want to know
I love the twist between disgust and sex and procreation and life and just this ensemble of what is reality but just in the most raw fashion. Not done in a way to pretty up anything but also not to dilute anything either. The creativity itself in this one is...remarkable. 100/10.
Yea but people get so perverted with this song though 🙄. This is not the side of sexuality that I appreciate. And im a Scorpio lol. This is dark. This is just not an accurate representation of sexuality as its meant to be. I do like the sound of this song a lot though! Heck, ill even listen to the instrumental version of it bc its just sooo good! Ngl, it is fire 🔥
I remember sending this to my ex husband. He was just a crush then. But I just now remembered this. Yeah, I remember how I used to lust after him too. 🤦🏻♀️ I mean, it was funny at the time. I would send this to him.
I heard this was actually supposed to be some spiritual thing tho. It's not really all that deep for me tho. Also, I'm not Trent Reznor. So I don't think like him. He knew wth he was doing behind these lyrics & it worked. I think u need to simma down now
thanks ugandan knuckles, very cool!
The song is not about sex, procreation, or life. It's about self-hatred, depression, and obsession. Listen to the whole album in one sitting, it will make sense. Especially the ending melody is important.
@@osiris4457 I've heard TDS countless times.
I was referring to the imagery in the video.
It's symbolism within the context of the song- within the context of the album.
Closer is effectively the formative and culminative release the protagonist of the album feels, the only time that he really feels alive.
And what it means after; without.
It's a specific form of descent into madness. One that is all about escaping who somebody is- to become somebody or something they're not.
There's a reason The Ruiner is the next track on the list. It's the aftermath of this abstract notion taken to it's decay through the personification of the other- within the self. An inner representative entity that embodies the worst aspects of human nature. The ruiner is a collector he's an infector serving his sh*t to his flies.
You want what the Ruiner is giving you but you know it's wrong, you know it's apart of you, and you know fighting it won't win.
The moral is It's about coming to terms with your human nature, not fighting it.
From thereon the album takes a psychotic dive into depersonalization and a dissociative inhumane drive towards self destruction as the concept itself. The protagonist does not "make it". Whether physically or psychologically is audibly left to the listener.
Reznor is a genius. Kids - they don't make videos like this anymore.
This song deserves to be played inside a church service.
Thank god my mom doesn't understand English so I can play this at full volume
My mom was the one they kinda showed me NIN
@@bloody.halloween you have a cool mom
same
I had a friend who's 60+ year old mother loved this song, and would sing it whenever it came on, not fully understanding the lyrics... until she finally explained them her mother, and told her that she wasn't allowed to sing this (around her) anymore.
Same
Ladies and gentlemen, an Oscar nominated composer for a children’s movie
A two time Oscar winner.
Wow! Did not know he worked on the Soul OST 0.0 I love that movie
And the only Grammy winner for a song with the words "fist fuck"
You do realise he doesn’t F and blind in it right 🤣
It isn’t a children’s movie, by the by.
One of the best music videos of all time. Trent is a one of a kind genius.
30 years of one of my favorite music videos of all time. It's so dark, so weird, so transgressive, so disturbing. I LOVE IT.
Me and my girl were paid to dance in cages to this song in the underground after hour clubs. Best time of my life.
Woah! Sounds exciting
I wish I were you-
Limelight?
Not underground or after hours, but I ask cuz people were always dancing in cages to this at Limelight.
czcams.com/video/di4xRc0xyhw/video.html
Your club straight up played a song about a rapists obsession with there victim
This guy did the score for Pixar's Soul
Disney: So you're responsible for making some of the most bleak and at times, vulgar songs?
Trent Reznor: Yes.
Disney: Go make music for a Pixar movie!
Trent: Ok.
That’s what I love about Trent. He can write some of the dirtiest, most obscene and masochistic songs I’ve ever heard and then do a full 180 and compose music for a kids’ movie
@@MichelleZhou do a full 360°?
@@jordanboyd5587 Well Disney did get Panic! at the Disco and Weezer to work on the Frozen 2 soundtrack so
@@TheMark1999 it wasn't a complaint my guy, just a funny observation
The G Force scene at 4:11 is one of the most perfect pieces of cinematography history
Man, this song brings back nostalgic feelings of my teenage years.
this song means a lot to me. as sad as it is the theme of self-hatred resulting in hypersexuality really resonates with me. I would even say that it became comforting since I haven't seen this topic being covered by other artists
I haven’t heard or thought about this song in probably 2 years. My late bf and I listened to it and I told him how my parents would blast it when it was released to embarrass me… I was young and prude. This morning I saw a TikTok of a woman recreating the video and ran here to watch the original. The visceral reaction I had from the combination of the lyrics w/these visuals was 10000/10
I used to play this song when me and my late ex gf were together. Like together together and I just love the darkness and eccentricity of it.
That was on purpose. Do you still hate yourself?
@@ItsavileEarth I'm doing much better honestly. it's not easy to fight those thoughts buf I'm getting better at it. thank you for asking❤️
@@legushach1ajabka I’m glad. 🙂The more I reflect on lyrics & the repetitive tones, the more I realize we were casted on to feel this negative way & act on it.
This isn't a music video; it's a horror movie short documentary with an amazing sound track. It transcends the music video genre.
im sorry but if you don't think this is music you're just wrong. if you think this is "transcendning what music is" then i'd love to see your reaction to avant-garde music
@@marley0615 I said "music video." This is brilliant music!
@@PeteRoyJackson oh fair enough, then i agree
Even without the video it's a great song the beat is very catchy
~
For anyone who's watching this for the first time - enjoy it. You only get to experience it for the first time once.
Winter 1996, Great Lakes, IL
I was 19 yo, going through training in the Navy center there. This place had a bar/club called "Nitro", for the enlisted folks. This place doesn't exist anymore.
But, in that winter, I went to this place and dance the night away with this gorgeous girl who basically did a routine on me with this song playing in the background.
Amazing the things our memory does
My favorite part in the video is when he’s just floating there and spinning
It's really cool... to say the least.
Hi I'm Trash super trippy and just fucking creepy
Looks pretty neat
I like it a lot. To me it represents how giving in to sexual urges can leave us disoriented and spinning out of control. Without self control we just run around in circles. Kind of reminds me of the 2nd circle in Dante's Inferno, where the punishment for Lust was beating you back and forth in an endless, violent wind symbolizing how we can be carried away by our passions.
DancesWithMetroids
That’s a really nice interpretation
1:12 - when you make eye contact with the dude at the urinal beside you.
😂💀
when you just nutted and take a peek to the other side of the glory hole
Hahahahahahaha
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
balls and wieners lmao can’t relate but that’s funny
2:56 "Choose your Character"
Reznor will forever be the sexiest man alive. ❤
"how much symbolism can we cram into a 5 minute long music video"
Actshually 🤓 its 4 minutes and 42 seconds long 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
Thank you for NOT ending that comment with "Yes". 🙏🏾
Yes
YES
@@YaoEspirito
no
The version they put on MTV to be quite honest was creepier because the REALLY questionable parts were replaced with "Scene missing" giving it an even more old film feeling and the curiosity of how bad it actually was.
they blurred out some stuff too, which was also creepy
That's why horror writers will tell you to hold off revealing the monster for as long as you can; give little glimpses of it, and let the readers' minds fill in the blanks, and it's guaranteed to be scarier than whatever the actual monster turns out to be
For the longest time, I thought Scene Missing was an intentional part of the video....I didn't know they were actual scenes cut!
I created a rhythmic gymnastics routine (rope) with this song as final assignment in high school. My teacher expected piano music and was very surprised/shocked. 😀Still got an A+ for the routine though. It was so worth it.
Ровно 30 лет назад ,8 марта 1994 года, поступил в продажу альбом группы "Downward Spiral". С юбилеем, великое произведение,гениальных музыкантов. ❤😊
30 лет с падения в спираль саморазрушения одним челом.
Да после Perfect drag закончилась золотая эра группы. Downward spiral это их вершина!!
Может успех крылся в David Ogilve сложно сказать …
This song is almost 30 years old and it still has an effect of shock and awe !
I find it odd...
the lack of comments on how the mic had a nipple shadow.
Math, mohterfukcer... do you know it!?
I recently heard it again on Netflix’s fall of the house of Usher, brilliant scene and picking this song for it was the chef’s kiss!
I think that nowadays it's easier to get shocked. Everything can get someone offended lol
@@jasondean88888 because its the first thing everyone noticed. but also just so relatively tame.
Its like the word "ass" in the midst of an erotic shock horror novel.
Sex shop worker: "Wow you got a lot. Fun night planned?"
Trent Reznor: "Yeah making a music video."
Sex shop: "We got some kinky shit up in here."
Trent Reznor: *_I'LL TAKE YOUR WHOLE STOCK_*
thats hilarious dude
@@crystaleunoia3974 Trent five minutes later ''That all?''
This is nothing compared to Happiness in Slavery
ok , THATS funny
Once upon dirty time, lots of girls wished they were that microphone.
Whoever directed this video needs to take the makers of the American Horror Story intros to court.
My sister put me onto NIN back in 2004; I was 12years old. This was the perfect coming of age band for a strange child. R.I.P. to the dopest sister in this whole fuckin realm
I'm sorry for your loss. My mother passed recently, so I know it's not easy to deal with.
@@Briannasaystransrights omg im so sorry for u loss :(
@@paulcaravello thank you. I'm just taking it one day at a time. She would want me to keep going on with my life, so I'll do just that.
2004! You should have been there 1989 when NIN hit the mainstream. The 90s kicked ASS!!!
@@HollywoodColt read the room
Trent was probably like... "Okay... Did we offend absolutely everyone? Don't want to leave anyone out. That would be rude!"
rajvader awwwww, were you triggered by the mean old music video? Poor little snowflake, just show me on the doll where it touched you, then you can go to your safe space, complete with puppies and coloring books.
Ha! I was just impressed that they did such a thorough job.
Guy raking you over the coals for thinking you were offended is offended.
there's a difference between trying to offend and challenging the status quo
Rasetsunyo
He was obviously joking, you fuck.
My whole existence is not flawed...but yours is
I showed this to my cousin and she se said "the black haired guy who's singing looks like Snape from Harry Potter" and then "this little girl in the chair looks like Hermione, they're all connected" LOL
You can tell the influence Trent had on Marilyn Manson, he practically taught him how to use shock to sell records.
I've always found Trent's brand of shock so much more... tasteful.
@@polinam9546 manson is just grotesque purely for shock.
Marilyn was shocking before he even met Reznor. I think Trent has had more of an influence over the production of Marilyn’s music than anything. They both are extremely talented in their own rights.
Not just that, the level of grime and filth on the frame seems to have really influenced Fincher (hence it being in the opening credits).
@@polinam9546 Couldn't agree more. I've tried repeatedly to get into Manson, but his songs almost feel like he's trying too hard to be edgy. The guy definitely has musical talent, but it's just too up front and in your face in that almost silly, haunted house attraction kind of way.
This guy Is so talented. He should do the music to a Disney movie someday.
Edit: Yall bitches gave me over 700 likes. Yall need a therapist
This is a great one for the kids, I played it at chuck e cheese, and they liked it so much they told me to never come back
♥ Soul ♥
if he ever does do the music for a disney film, he should definitely get an oscar for it
@@DerLiesl yes that's what we were all hinting at
I love the fact that I know he did!! ❤️🖤♥️#ReznorForever
This song gives me so much nostalgia. I was a little boy, back in the late 1990s, listening to this. Made around the time I was born in '95, yes, but listened to later on in the latter half of that time. Nostalgia and love forever. ❤❤
why do people hate this? this is pure art, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s terrifying, it turns you on, it turns me on, it makes you sleep easy, it’s good music and it’s art. they don’t make music videos or music like this anymore. this is fucking art. but apparently small minds have huge ass mouths.
Pushing the boundaries of madness, sorrow, lust, hate, guilt, depression, atheism, innocence and beauty. Embracing his demons and watching the beauty of the world he knew fade into nothing is just mesmerizing. The industrial decay is matched only by his mental deterioration. This is the downward spiral, this is a masterpiece!
A Masterpiece that rivals The Divinche Code
Whoops! I mean The last supper or that new one they found, with that perfect crystal ball that they thought was impossible n they called the new painting they found a fraud cut in it it's not reversed ( what u see in that crystal ball. I once had one that was that way also. Duh . Someone stole it n I just turned the other cheek. Rather than defend myself cuz that gets me in trouble. Divinche, I bet he art's in Heaven now!
Your words should be copywritten 💯👿🔥👅🤘🏼🫦
I want to know you, like friends or something
@@melissaciko824 in time.....
"F" to those children who decide to get deep into discography of "Soul" composer.
Never expected to see ya here bud! Awesome content
Quite a surprise to see your here
man, i was watching soul and then out of the blue i felt the need to listen to some NIN after years. i had no idea it was him ahah
I hope they will watch Broken movie
yo te conozco
This is Nine Inch Nails masterpiece.
Exotic dancers all over agree
I have NO idea how they got away with this in the 90's...but it was BRILLIANT and I love it. They don't make em' like they used to. This song is legendary. I can listen to this all day and still be happy.
Ah yes, some good old christian music I can play at the church.
@Satanisious this song does get you closer to god lol
Hail Satan!
😂
I hate y’all 😂😂😂 (I’m a Christian but this is too much 😂)
perfect alternative to Antwoord....I fink you freeky
I'm 56, and this is why I LOVE 90's grunge/rock.
The genre turned self-loathing and depression on its head, acknowledged darkness in thought in all its sadness/horror, and then spit it out with sarcasm, wit, and defiance. And yes, there is hope in the music too.
That is the essence of 90's grunge.
Fantastic assessment!
lol, this is not grunge music
@@3VAudioVideoI think NIN are industrial rock? But i agree they aren’t grunge lol
this isnt even close to grunge, NIN is industrial rock and this song is like funk and electronic but the other stuff you said is true
Reminds me of..."God was here, but he left early..."🎉❤
I don't know what's heavier, listening to this song in front of your parents, or delving into this album...
Happy 30th birthiversary to this brilliant masterpiece! May 30, 1994.
My mom let me pick the music when we were driving recently and that song played and by the look she gave me I think she wondered if an abortion 18 years after giving birth is an option
Don't ever let her read "Unwind" by Neal Schusterman. If you haven't heard of it, you should google it and even read it. There were three books.
@@brittanybutts6521 Omg so random but I am glad someone else appreciates the book it's so underrated
Good thing she didn't see the video. 🤣😂
No biggie. I grew up on this and have a kid your age. Lol if they play this that's good music!
Your mom is lame. My mom got me hooked on NIN
I can imagine hearing this for the first time in 1994. According to my dad, this song was unlike anything he had ever heard before and he was completely blown away by the musical composition that Trent Reznor had going on. He is truly a genius.
Hey I remember it. It wasn't just this. It was every mind blowing album released then! This just fit right in....
Chaotix4516 I was there
I was in jr high when this came out, and the whole album was so different than anything I'd ever heard. Far beyond hearing Nirvana for the first time during the hair band days, or even Metallica when they came around.
Nothing came close to NIN back in the day. Manson kind of took some of that angst and ran with it, but a lot of what made him good was directly handed down from Trent or an effort to emulate him.
You have no idea, man. This whole record is stunning and it was like a bomb went off in my brain the first time I listened to it as a teenager.
You really can't imagine. This was a world breaker.
In 1999 we screened this video in [art school] because this is art.
Art is BS, yet it’s not.
Masterpieces last forever!
Sometimes I sing to my cat: "I want to pet you like an animal. I want to feel you from the OUT SIDE."
😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎
🤣😂🤣
😂 you could add "In ancient Egypt you were a God!"
Oh how cute ☺️
whatever floats your boat
I wonder how 1994 Trent Reznor would react if someone told him then that he would be doing soundtracks for Disney movies?
he was already a sellout by 94 so he'd be like 'sweet'
@@maryandchild what does that even mean lol
@@xxxYouTunesxxx he was on a major label, MTV, licensing music, etc already so he would be excited to take Disney's money.
@@maryandchild success equals selling out I guess
@@xxxYouTunesxxx yeah you gotta love people lmao
30 years of getting “Closer” to God.
i love how youtube didn't turn clown
and CENSOR this piece of LIVING ART.
very good.
I was sixteen when I heard this was the first time I listen to NIN and boy I felt things next thing you know I convinced my parents to buy me tickets and my aunt came to keep and eye on me and her face when she heard this song and saw me sing the lyrics I was grounded for a year and a half
Oops
But it was epic 😌
That is so awesome
Classic!
The director of this video, Mark Romanek, is a certified genius. Watch some of his other music videos - like Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" or Jay Z's "99 Problems" - and you see how versatile he is at matching the tone of the song and the artist while always being high quality and interesting.
And also, I would highly recommend checking out the film One Hour Photo, starring Robin Williams. Not only did Williams deliver one of his most intense dramatic performances, but Romanek directed the film, and the cinematography definitely bears many of the hallmarks of his music videos.
Beck’s “Devil’s Haircut” was also a Romanek video…..awesome stuff
The fact that he did this video and those two definitely shows how versatile he is
Agreed
@@chevand8 Yes! One Hour Photo is an incredible movie! Disturbing, sad, and AMAZINGLY well done all around. Such a great movie, and Robin Williams gave a stellar performance... I wish it had more recognition, it definitely deserves more than it's received.
I remember seeing this in MTV when it first came out.
happy mothers day to this 30 year old video and my first introduction to nine inch nails
Billie Eilish: My videos are weird and creepy.
NIN: Hold my boob-shaped microphone.
I reckon it's where jonathan Davis' got the inspiration for the mic shots on here to stay
Awesome! Lol!
HAHAHAHHA❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hold my pig head!
😆😆🤘🤘🤘🤘
I love that this shit was mainstream, even in the video’s edited/censored form. There was still a little bit of adventure in the music industry back then.
I saw this video so many times on TV back then. It was just something that you watched because what else was going on? Took it for granted. Music hasn't been as good since...
We done life so much better back then 😏
This is the most morbid and primal way to describe the urge to breed.. I love it.
One of those classic love ballads that lead to many children being born.
Trent looks so young in this he is forever immortalized in this song
Trent looks like a mix of Snape from Harry Potter and Kylo Ren from Star Wars. He's pretty handsome, not gonna lie.
He now looks like an older version of Pablo Schreiber, the lead actor in the "Halo" tv series (based on the computer game).
This song was a cultural phenomenon. It was so different than anything else mainstream, grunge was on the way out and before techno got big Trent came along and blew people's minds. It was literally everywhere.
This is my first time seeing the unedited verson ever. 30 years, it took! Im celebrating entertainment from 1984 and 1994 this year. I was 15 and 25. Great times, the 80's and 90's. Better than today.
hello, how are you doing? it is nice meeting you here and i hope you never stop listening.
I absolutely love nine inch nails! I was first introduced to their music when I was 16 yrs old, in my car, with my very new boyfriend, who played me a song on a cassette tape. My car didn’t have a CD player at the time. It was transforming to hear. I have loved them ever since and never get enough! As uber crazy as their videos are, I’ve always loved their music. It’s not my typical genre of music, but has always been one of my favorites.
My parents danced to this song at their wedding...
So that's how you were born, huh
💜💜💜
I like your parents.
Tús Papás son la onda
So your parents are into heroin, good for them.
2:47 Scrolling through the character selection screen
"A new challenger has entered the fight."
It more looks like a Smash Bros trophy collection to me.
Or cars in every car game
I'd like to choose jim crow
@@cedieleoncio1181 *Hot wheels game nostalgia*
30 years today!
After 30 years it is still one of the most beautiful videos ever!
I can see why Johnny Cash chose to cover Hurt over this...
Don't give a shit about Cash.
why?
@@carmette1 You do realize that Johnny Cash opened the door and allowed for a lot of artists, Nine Inch Nails included, to become mainstream don't you?
@The Dude I never said they weren't, but Johnny Cash was famous far before Trent Reznor was born. I've been listening to NIN since 95.
@The Dude You are far from the only one who makes music. I do as well, along with playing 7 different instruments since I don't have vocals. Yes, artists like Johnny Cash did open doors for other artist that came along after he did. Regardless of what you might like to think.
Trent floating and spinning in the air and when he plays the piano at the end always impressed me so much since 1994.
Ahead of his time.
Mk ultra
That was the best thing about music videos from the 90s and 2000s: they made being a musician seem like a kind of superpower and the musicians themselves were like superheroes!
He definitely deserves his flowers while he's still here a lot of people don't know NIN technically wasn't a band Trent played all the instruments for the all the records dude is a genius a white version of Prince 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I love the symbolism and art style of not only the music, but the music videos of NIN, it’s just down right beautiful. It really scratches that vulgar artistic itch in my brain that not many bands can
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRENT 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Watching this in high school: This is creepy and hot.
Watching this as an adult after studying art: I see the influence of Francis Bacon, Joel Peter Witkin, the Brothers Quay, David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, Man Ray's An Object to be Destroyed is actually in the video... so many art references and influences!
Did you also catch the George Tooker reference?
I felt this had Bacon's and Ray's references. The video is too much to not to have lots of influences.
I actually like finding these things in music videos, so thanks for sharing
Ok. Enough of your pretentious crap.Perhaps too uncomfortable to actually just sit and really LISTEN and get a natural, visceral reaction to things we know aren't good for us, yet can't/don't want to stop doing. The song is obviously about chocolate!
No William Blake in there somewhere?
@@marinskyjones1108 So shut up and listen.
Didn't know Snape was into BDSM but go off
Best comment
JAHSJAHJAJJA
You got an audible chuckle outta me.
I always wondered if Snape's hair was *supposed* to look like Trent's late 90's hairstyle (after the god-awful dreads and before the bowl-cut). It's practically identical 🤷🏻♀️
He was obsessful by Woldemort and Grindelwald, trying to superate Harry Potter Mother's lost;)
The range of these comments are killing me.
In this day, 30 years ago, sex was invented
This is still one of my favorite songs