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Difference between revisions of "The Greater Good"

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Revision as of 13:27, 4 April 2007 (view source)
Chroipahtz (talk | contribs)
(→‎Lyrics)
← Older edit
Latest revision as of 05:18, 31 January 2025 (view source)
Piggy (talk | contribs)
(→‎Theories)
 
(42 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown)
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| title = The Greater Good
 
| title = The Greater Good
 
| album = ''[[Year Zero]]''
 
| album = ''[[Year Zero]]''
−
| length = N/A
+
| length = 4:52
 +
| BPM = 83
 
| versions =The Greater Good<br>The Greater Good (Instrumental)
 
| versions =The Greater Good<br>The Greater Good (Instrumental)
−
| live = N/A
+
| live = [[Lights In The Sky Tour]]
−
}}
+
}}'''"The Greater Good"''' is the twelfth track on the 2007 release ''[[Year Zero]]''.
  
−
"'''The Greater Good'''" is the twelfth track on the 2007 release ''[[Year Zero]]''.
+
==Theories==
 +
In the album's [[Year_Zero#Alternate_Reality_Game|alternate reality game]], the song tells the assimilation of people into believing and following the government of Year Zero. They are now part of the "Greater Good."
  
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
Line 16: Line 18:
 
==Versions==
 
==Versions==
 
===The Greater Good===
 
===The Greater Good===
−
This is the original album version.
+
This is the original album version. Its introductory string sample beginning as "[[Meet Your Master]]" fades out, the track index begins this song when its beat begins, which is looped throughout most of the track. Various layers of samples and percussive loops ebb and flow around [[Trent Reznor]]'s whispered and effects-ridden vocals. Its most prominent melody is played with a bell-like synthesizer and is played a couple of different times during the song. A prominent ringing synthesizer tone fades in through the last lyric section, which is then left as the sole accompaniment to Reznor's final mantra, "breathe us in slowly." The song's structure on the whole resembles that of "[[The Great Collapse]]," while its lyrical composition is remarkably similar to "[[The New Flesh]]," including the repeating, overlapping lyrics.
  
 
===The Greater Good (Instrumental)===
 
===The Greater Good (Instrumental)===
−
This instrumental is on the ''Survivalism'' single.
+
'''''Running Time: 5:06'''''
 +
 
 +
This instrumental version is on the ''Survivalism'' single. The only significant differences between this and the original are the lack of vocals and an additional 10 seconds of the opening sample that begins during the last few seconds of "[[Meet Your Master]]" on'' Year Zero''. An unmastered instrumental was also available on [[remix.nin.com]].
 +
 
 +
==Live==
 +
"The Greater Good" made its live debut at a [[2008/07/19 Los Angeles, CA|dress rehearsal performance]] in Los Angeles, California, on July 19, 2008. The instrumental accompaniment is simply the instrumental mix of the studio version, though Reznor's vocals are live. The lyrics of the second section are changed live sometimes, with "persuasion" becoming "temptation." It was performed on the [[Lights In The Sky Tour]] as a segue into the third part of the performance, with a screen dropped down on the stage featuring textures responding to the beat of the music as Reznor's image appeared on it, filmed with a hand-held camera.
 +
 
 +
"The Greater Good" has not been performed since 2008.
  
 
==Lyrics==
 
==Lyrics==
−
     Breathe -- a sin...
+
    1
−
     Slowly, slowly...
+
     Breathe us in
 +
    Slowly
 +
     Slowly
 
      
 
      
−
     Everything you do, everywhere you go
+
     2
−
    Anything we want, anything
 
−
 
 
 
     Persuasion
 
     Persuasion
 
     Coercion
 
     Coercion
 
     Submission
 
     Submission
 
     Assimilation
 
     Assimilation
 +
   
 +
    3
 +
    Welcome to your new point of view
 +
    We have disappeared into you
 +
   
 +
    4
 +
    Everything you do
 +
    Everywhere you go
 +
    Anything we want
 +
    Anything
 +
   
 +
    5
 +
    Now it's all just a matter of time
 +
 +
Sections 1, 2, and 4 are clearly audible in the song. Sections 3 and 5 may not have made it onto the final recording.
 +
 +
==External Links==
 +
*[https://archive.org/details/remix-nin-com-audio-00095 "The Greater Good" (Instrumental) at archive.org]
 +
 +
<BR>
 +
{{succession box
 +
| title=[[Year Zero#Track Listing|Year Zero]]
 +
| before= [[Meet Your Master]]
 +
| after= [[The Great Destroyer]]
 +
| track= 12
 +
}}
  
−
[[Category:NIN Songs]][[Category:NIN Songs Never Played Live]]
+
[[Category:NIN Songs]][[Category:NIN Songs Released as Multitracks]][[Category:Songs With Unused Lyrics]]

Latest revision as of 05:18, 31 January 2025

Album:Year Zero
Length:4:52
Tempo:83 BPM
Versions:The Greater Good
The Greater Good (Instrumental)
Live:Lights In The Sky Tour

"The Greater Good" is the twelfth track on the 2007 release Year Zero.

Contents

  • 1 Theories
  • 2 Appearances
    • 2.1 Halos
  • 3 Versions
    • 3.1 The Greater Good
    • 3.2 The Greater Good (Instrumental)
  • 4 Live
  • 5 Lyrics
  • 6 External Links

Theories

In the album's alternate reality game, the song tells the assimilation of people into believing and following the government of Year Zero. They are now part of the "Greater Good."

Appearances

Halos

  • Survivalism
  • Year Zero

Versions

The Greater Good

This is the original album version. Its introductory string sample beginning as "Meet Your Master" fades out, the track index begins this song when its beat begins, which is looped throughout most of the track. Various layers of samples and percussive loops ebb and flow around Trent Reznor's whispered and effects-ridden vocals. Its most prominent melody is played with a bell-like synthesizer and is played a couple of different times during the song. A prominent ringing synthesizer tone fades in through the last lyric section, which is then left as the sole accompaniment to Reznor's final mantra, "breathe us in slowly." The song's structure on the whole resembles that of "The Great Collapse," while its lyrical composition is remarkably similar to "The New Flesh," including the repeating, overlapping lyrics.

The Greater Good (Instrumental)

Running Time: 5:06

This instrumental version is on the Survivalism single. The only significant differences between this and the original are the lack of vocals and an additional 10 seconds of the opening sample that begins during the last few seconds of "Meet Your Master" on Year Zero. An unmastered instrumental was also available on remix.nin.com.

Live

"The Greater Good" made its live debut at a dress rehearsal performance in Los Angeles, California, on July 19, 2008. The instrumental accompaniment is simply the instrumental mix of the studio version, though Reznor's vocals are live. The lyrics of the second section are changed live sometimes, with "persuasion" becoming "temptation." It was performed on the Lights In The Sky Tour as a segue into the third part of the performance, with a screen dropped down on the stage featuring textures responding to the beat of the music as Reznor's image appeared on it, filmed with a hand-held camera.

"The Greater Good" has not been performed since 2008.

Lyrics

    1
    Breathe us in
    Slowly
    Slowly
    
    2
    Persuasion
    Coercion
    Submission
    Assimilation
    
    3
    Welcome to your new point of view
    We have disappeared into you
    
    4
    Everything you do
    Everywhere you go
    Anything we want
    Anything
    
    5
    Now it's all just a matter of time

Sections 1, 2, and 4 are clearly audible in the song. Sections 3 and 5 may not have made it onto the final recording.

External Links

  • "The Greater Good" (Instrumental) at archive.org


Previous track - "Meet Your Master" Track 12 from Year Zero Next track - "The Great Destroyer"
Retrieved from "https://www.nin.wiki/index.php?title=The_Greater_Good&oldid=62727"
Last edited 4 months ago by Piggy
  • This page was last edited on 31 January 2025, at 05:18.
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