The Collector

Album:With Teeth

Length:3:07

Tempo:{{{BPM}}} BPM

Versions:The Collector
The Collector (Live At Rehearsals)

Live:Live: With Teeth through Performance 2007

"The Collector" is the third track on the 2005 release With Teeth. It's in a very odd time signature, with the verses in a 3/4-3/4-3/4-4/4 pattern and the chorus in a 4/4-4/4-6/4 pattern. Lyrically, the song seems to address Trent Reznor's insecurities leading up to writing the With Teeth album in regards to him questioning if he would ever write music again, or be able to write sober.

Song Credits

• Live Drums: Dave Grohl

Appearances

Halos

• With Teeth
• Beside You In Time

Seeds

• The Definitive NIN - Deep Cuts

Video Games

• Rock Band (available for download)

Versions

The Collector

This is the original album version.

The Collector (Live At Rehearsals)

This video appears as additional footage on Beside You In Time. It is set similar to "The Hand That Feeds" video, with Reznor donning a white dress shirt and everyone else wearing dark clothing.

Live

"The Collector" has been played live on the Live: With Teeth tour.

Lyrics

    I pick things up
    I am a collector
    And things, well things
    They tend to accumulate
    I have this net
    It drags behind me
    And it picks up feelings
    For me to feed upon
    
    There are times, plenty of times
    I wish I could let it go
    But they start to breathe
    And they start to grow inside me
    There are times, plenty of times
    I wish I could let it go
    But they start to make me think
    Things I don't want to know
    
    I'm trying to fit it all inside
    I'm trying to open my mouth wide
    I'm trying not to choke and
    Swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    
    I am the plague
    I am the swarm
    All your hurt sticks on me
    And I keep it warm
    They make me stay
    They won't let me leave
    There are so God damned many of them
    It gets hard to breathe
    
    I'm trying to fit it all inside
    I'm trying to open my mouth wide
    I'm trying not to choke inside
    I am a good boy and
    Will swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    Swallow it all
    
    Every last one
    Every last one
    Every last one
    Every last one
    
    Are you listening?
    Yes I am building
    Something bigger than the world
    Something terrible
    With all of this