"Demon Seed" is the tenth and final song on the Nine Inch Nails album The Slip. It contains the same lyrical style as "The Greater Good" and "The New Flesh," and uses the same drum loops as "38 Ghosts." Its time signature is 6/4, as Trent Reznor can be heard indicating in the song.
The image associated with this song appears to be a four part image of a square becoming more complete or "growing," much like the lyrics portray something growing inside of the narrator. It should also be noted that the red lines seen in the previous pictures are all over, as if they have exploded out of control.
This is the only song from the album that has the different sections of the song numbered, perhaps pointing out cycles or phases. Also, similar to "The Greater Good", there are lyrics provided that are not included in the album version, these lyrics being section 3.
Appearances
Halos
Seeds
Versions
Demon Seed
This is the original album version. Very similar in structure to the preceding piece, "The Four Of Us Are Dying," it begins with drum loops, building with layers of synthesized bass and guitar. Reznor's vocals are scattered and manipulated throughout the song, which transitions suddenly into a quieter, ambient bridge. Distant echoes of vocals, riffs, and drums from the first section are manipulated in brief, eventually leading into a final section with Reznor's count-in. Climaxing with the return of the drum loops and layers of distorted synthesizers, it soon strips layers away piece by piece, ending itself and the album suddenly following the repeated whispers of "There is a seed/Inside of me."
Live
This song has never been played live.
Lyrics
1. It keeps growing And I can feel it breathe I have been trying To behave myself It keeps growing And I can feel it breathe I have been trying To tolerate you 2. Well I am reaching the point Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah 3. I thought maybe I thought this would go away But it continues The only constant Every day Stronger 4. I will use my voice And I will use my fist To destroy Everything I can 5. Now I know What this is all about Now I know Exactly what I am 6. There is a seed Inside of me That makes me
In the final studio cut, verse 4 is repeated 3 times, followed by a count of "1, 2, 3, 4" just before verse 5 kicks in, and all of verse 3, plis the last line of verse 6, weren't included.
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