The Hand That Feeds (song)

Album:With Teeth

Length:3:31

Tempo:128 BPM

Versions:The Hand That Feeds
The Hand That Feeds (Instrumental)
The Hand That Feeds (DFA Mix)
The Hand That Feeds (DFA Mix Instrumental)
The Hand That Dubs (DFA Version I)
The Hand That Dubs (DFA Version II)
The Hand That Feeds (Photek Dub)
The Hand That Feeds (Photek Straight Mix)
The Hand That Feeds (Ruff Mix)
The Hand That Feeds (Beside You In Time)

Live:Live: With Teeth through present

"The Hand That Feeds" is the fourth track and first single from With Teeth, and it has received the designation of Halo 18. It began playing on Nine Inch Nails' official MySpace page before its radio release, and leaked in February of 2005 along with "Getting Smaller" and "The Line Begins To Blur". The multitracks for this song were released via nin.com.

Song Credits

• Writing and performance: Trent Reznor
• Production: Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder
• Programming: Atticus Ross
• Mix: Alan Moulder

Meaning

"The Hand That Feeds" is a verbal attack on the United States Government, specifically the Bush Administration and its foreign policy, but can be interpreted as speaking out against abusive authority in general.

2005 MTV Movie Awards

Nine Inch Nails was scheduled to perform this song live at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, but MTV denied Trent Reznor's request to perform in front of a large image of President George W. Bush's face. As a result, Reznor decided to cancel the performance. NIN was replaced by the Foo Fighters.

Reznor responded on the Official NIN Website:

We were set to perform "The Hand That Feeds" with an unmolested, straightforward image of George W. Bush as the backdrop. Apparently, the image of our President is as offensive to MTV as it is to me. See you on tour this fall when we return to play in America.

Appearances

Halos

• With Teeth
• The Hand That Feeds
• Beside You In Time
• Every Day Is Exactly The Same

Seeds

• Collected
• The Definitive NIN - The Singles

Video games

• Rock Band
• Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
• Fortnite (available as in-game purchase)

Versions

The Hand That Feeds

This is the album version and is the first track on The Hand That Feeds single. It opens with bass notes and beats put through what sounds like low-pass filtering, giving it an intentional muffled sound that becomes clearer just as the vocal and additional instruments kick in. It has a straightforward pop song structure and a somewhat garage rock sound. The outro has a layered buildup, with the instrumentation getting louder and the vocal refrain repeating with more aggression and more harmonies as it proceeds. In the album version, the intro of the song is heard at the end of the previous song, "The Collector". In the single version, the intro is incorporated into the track.

The Hand That Feeds (Instrumental)

Running Time: 3:40

Released exclusively through Apple Music.

The Hand That Feeds (DFA Mix)

Running Time: 9:03

This remix was available as an iTunes exclusive until it was released as the second track on the Every Day Is Exactly The Same EP.

Song Credits

• Remix by the DFA
• Assistance: Eric Broucek

The Hand That Feeds (DFA Mix Instrumental)

Running Time: 9:01

Instrumental version of the original DFA mix.

The Hand That Dubs (DFA Version I)

Running Time: 14:12

Extended, instrumental variation on the original DFA mix, with additional elements not present in the original.

The Hand That Dubs (DFA Version II)

Running Time: 13:59

Extended, instrumental variation on the original DFA mix, with additional elements not present in the original.

The Hand That Feeds (Photek Dub)

Running Time: 7:52

The third track on The Hand That Feeds single. Also known as "The Hand That Feeds" (Dub Mix) or "The Hand That Feeds" (Dub Instrumental).

Song Credits

• Remix and additional production: Photek

The Hand That Feeds (Photek Straight Mix)

Running Time: 7:47

The second track on The Hand That Feeds single and the third track on the Every Day Is Exactly The Same EP. Also known as "The Hand That Feeds" (Straight Mix).

Song Credits

• Remix and additional production: Photek

The Hand That Feeds (Ruff Mix)

Running Time: 3:58

Featured on the Japanese release of With Teeth as track 16. It was also available to download at remix.nin.com.

The Hand That Feeds (Beside You In Time)

A live version featured on the Beside You In Time DVD.

Music Video

Screenshot from the "The Hand That Feeds" video

The music video for this song was directed by Rob Sheridan and Reznor, debuting at NIN.com on March 17, 2005. It's a basic performance video, filmed with a digital camera in the band's rehearsal space. The film has been tinted blue and some distortion does occur, due to the nature of the camera and how it responds to fast movements. The video also features a digital zoom—the image appears so pixelated and interlaced because Sheridan used key-framing to create digital camera movements and zooms in post, giving the visuals an even grittier feel.

The video caused quite a stir throughout the NIN community. Some didn't like the song, whereas others weren't even sure that this was the official video as it didn't look "done" to them. Still others were quick to note a noticeable change in Reznor's physical appearance.

Initially, there were plans to create an animated video using GNN, the same company that created Eminem's "Mosh" video.[1] The plans were scrapped sometime during pre-production, after a synopsis of the plot and a casting sheet were leaked to the internet, and because the end result was poorly received by Reznor and Sheridan.

Live

"The Hand That Feeds" has been played live regularly since its debut on March 23, 2005.

During the September 6th, 2008 performance of the song at the Forum in Inglewood, California, a photo of George W. Bush was displayed behind the band, and as the band played the photo gradually morphed into John McCain.

Lyrics

    You're keeping in step
    In the line
    Got your chin held high and you feel just fine
    Because you do
    What you're told
    But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow
    And it's cold
    
    Just how deep do you believe?
    Will you bite the hand that feeds?
    Will you chew until it bleeds?
    Can you get up off your knees?
    Are you brave enough to see
    Do you want to change it?
    
    What if this whole crusade's
    A charade
    And behind it all there's a price to be paid
    For the blood
    On which we dine
    Justified in the name of the holy and the divine
    
    Just how deep do you believe?
    Will you bite the hand that feeds?
    Will you chew until it bleeds?
    Can you get up off your knees?
    Are you brave enough to see?
    Do you want to change it?
    
    So naïve
    To keep holding on to what I want to believe
    And I can see
    But I keep
    Holding on and on and on and on
    
    Will you bite the hand that feeds you or will you stay down on your knees?

External Links

• "The Hand That Feeds" Multitracks at archive.org
• "The Hand That Feeds" music video (album version)
• "The Hand That Feeds" live from Beside You In Time
• "The Hand That Feeds" (Photek Ruff Mix) at archive.org

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