==About=="'''The Becoming'''" is made from many loops of industrial sounds, showcasing the hard sound from ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]].''The main body of the song is in a 13/8 time signature before switching to a 6/8 time signature at the breakdown. A more acoustic version (with [[Trent Reznor]] on pianoIt then goes back to 13/8 before ending in 6/8, leading into "[[Danny LohnerI Do Not Want This]] on guitar, [[Jerome Dillon]] on drums, with drum machine and samples) can be found on'' [[Still]],'' with an accompanying video on [[nin.com]] ([http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaX4Ac2-Fww YouTube upload])."
A more acoustic version (with [[Trent Reznor]] on piano, [[Danny Lohner]] on guitar, [[Jerome Dillon]] on drums, with drum machine and samples) can be found on'' [[Still]],'' with an accompanying video on [[nin.com]] ([http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaX4Ac2-Fww YouTube upload]). === Meaning ===
The lyrics describe a man fighting against himself, trying to avoid his "becoming," transforming him into a machine without human characteristics and feelings.
This is a rare example of [[Trent]] Reznor directly referencing a name ("Annie") in his lyrics. Usually, he uses ambiguous pronouns. This expresses the need for attachment, the need to interact intimately with another human despite the narrator's extreme attempts to detach himself from the world.
The song begins with industrial noises such as those from a drum machine and what appears to be distorted screams. At the 3-minute mark it mellows into swooshy sounds with ''ahh''ing from more emotive voices. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before fading out with the ''ahh''s again. This song structure is indicative of the struggle between the narrator and the noise/machine.