Changes

A very simplistic instrumental in two parts, "The Frail" shares its progression with the guitar solo in "[[The Fragile (song)|The Fragile]]," and was apparently inspired by the form of [[Keith Hillebrandt]]'s remix of that track (available on per its description when it was posted to [[ninremix.com|nin.com]] during The Fragile era). This half-note progression and background chorus synthesizers that appear to be based on samples of Reznor's voice (heard from the end of "[[The Day The World Went Away (song)|The Day The World Went Away]]") are the sole elements of this song. The piece seems to have been recorded free of a specific tempo. A new, deeper progression and chorus pads seemingly based on (or in tribute to) David Bowie's "[[Subterraneans]]" slowly build to a synthesized vocal harmony, leading into "The Wretched."