Capital G (song)

Album:Year Zero

Length:3:50

Tempo:106 BPM

Versions:Capital G
Capital G (Edit)
Capital G (Instrumental)
Capital G: Epworth Phones
Capital G: Switch
Capital G: Ladytron
Capital G Phones 666 RPM mix clean
Capital G Phones 666 RPM clean edit

Live:Performance 2007

"Capital G" is the seventh track on the 2007 release Year Zero, and is the second single from that album. Some have compared the beat to Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." Multitracks for this song were released in raw WAV, GarageBand and Ableton Live formats via remix.nin.com.

Song Credits

• Drums: Josh Freese
• Brass/winds musical arrangement: Jeff "Double G" Gallegos
• Baritone sax: Jeff "Double G" Gallegos
• Tenor sax: Matt Demeritt
• Trombone: Elizabeth Lea
• Trumpet: William Artope

Meaning/title

According to Trent Reznor in this interview (German), "Capital G" refers to Greed, but can also be applied to political figures in the present day (President George W. Bush, God, "Green" (Monetary systems)). Before performing the song on May 24, 2007, Reznor said "To my friend George Bush."

Miscellaneous

This article contains speculative material which may be disputed. See the discussion for this page for more details.

• The text 'capital G' can be seen in one of the images linked to from the official NIN Year Zero mini-site. It is edited onto the yellow box (actually a Metasonix 'Butt Probe' effects unit), third from the top in the first of the two columns.
• On Exterminal this song is used as evidence against Inmate A (presumably Reznor). It is in wav format in its entirety.
• One of the Exterminal subpages is a page of notes mentioning "Capital G" at the bottom.
• The multitrack files released for "Capital G" have an extra drum solo at the end of the song.
• The voices heard after the chorus are a crowd screaming and a distorted voice saying, "Greed!"

Appearances

Halos

• Year Zero
• Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D

Other

• Capital G (promo)
• Capital G 9" vinyl single
• The Definitive NIN - The Singles - online playlist(s); not on original Seed release

Video Games

• Rock Band video game (available for download)

Versions

Capital G

This is the original album version.

Capital G (Edit)

This radio edit is on the Capital G promo CD. The words "motherfuckers" and "shit" are deleted.

Capital G (Instrumental)

Running Time: 4:10

Released by Reznor through his remix.nin.com account, this unmastered version is the almost same as the album cut, save the lack of vocals and a different ending, which drops out all of the layers except the drum beat as it repeats for a few bars before stopping. This is also the structure of the multitracks for this song available on the Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D data DVD.

Capital G Phones 666 RPM Main Mix

Running Time: 7:25

This remix is on both the Capital G promo and Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. It has a more dance-oriented beat and a few dub mix elements. The wind instruments used in the original seem to have disappeared entirely in this mix or were manipulated even more, making them sound nothing like the original instruments used. Some of the vocal treatments are reminiscent of the DFA remix of "The Hand That Feeds."

An alternate title for this remix is "Capital G: Epworth Phones 666 Revolutions."

Capital G Phones 666 RPM Mix Clean

Exactly the same as the main mix, but with the words "motherfuckers" and "shit" edited out.

Capital G Phones 666 RPM Clean Edit

Running Time: 5:37

A shorter version of the "Phones 666 RPM clean mix." More information coming soon.

Capital G Switch Remix

Running Time: 5:04

This remix, found on the vinyl edition of Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D and the Capital G promo CD single is very different from the album version. It incorporates a house beat and minimalist lyrics. In addition, the melody is vastly different, sounding somewhat like radio feedback rather than distorted guitars or wind instruments, which were used in the original album version.

Capital G (Ladytron—Finite Climax Mix)

Running Time: 5:04

This remix appears on the vinyl edition of Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D. It begins with a synth melody very different from what is heard on Year Zero, and vocals come in shortly thereafter. At the second verse, the vocals are layered under a bass line that acts as a counter-melody to the initial synth melody.

Live

"Capital G" made its live debut on May 13, 2007 at the Metro Nightclub in Melbourne, Australia. It was played at most shows on the Australia/Japan leg of the Performance 2007 tour, but dropped off the setlist after the first show of the European summer leg and has not been played since.

Lyrics

    I pushed a button and elected him to office and a
    He pushed a button and it dropped a bomb
    You pushed a button and could watch it on the television
    Those motherfuckers didn't last too long ha ha
    I'm sick of hearing 'bout the haves and the have nots
    Have some personal accountability
    The biggest problem with the way that we've been doing things is
    The more we let you have the less that I'll be keeping for me
    
    Well I used to stand for something
    Now I'm on my hands and knees
    Traded in my God for this one
    He signs his name with a Capital G
    
    Don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala
    Don't really see what all the fuss is about
    Ain't gonna worry bout no future generations and a
    I'm sure somebody's gonna figure it out
    Don't try to tell how some power can corrupt a person
    You haven't had enough to know what it's like
    You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position
    Now nod your head because you know that I'm right—all right!
    
    Well I used to stand for something
    But forgot what that could be
    There's a lot of me inside you
    Maybe you're afraid to see
    
    Well I used to stand for something
    Now I'm on my hands and knees
    Traded in my God for this one
    He signs his name with a Capital G

A background chant comes after each of the final two choruses:

    Greed, greed, greed, greed
    Greed, greed, greed, greed
    Greed, greed, greed, greed
    Greed, greed, greed, greed

External Links

Echoing The Sound discussion about "Capital G"

• "Capital G" (Instrumental) at archive.org

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