La Mer (Version)
La Mer (And All That Could Have Been)—DVD/VHS
"La Mer" is the eleventh track from the Left disc of The Fragile. It begins with piano chords accompanied by standup bass and is then accentuated by drums playing a jazz rhythm and e-bow guitar. This is one of the few songs by Nine Inch Nails that is played with almost all acoustic instruments. It consists of a 3/4 time signature superimposed over a 4/4 time signature. Its main melodic elements and bassline are taken in a different direction with "Into The Void."
The lyrics are in Creole French. It is one of the many NIN songs that includes the phrase "Nothing Can Stop Me Now," and one of the few to include a vocalist other than Trent Reznor. In addition, it was the first instrumental written for The Fragile. [1]
Trent Reznor has stated that "Adrift And At Peace" is the conclusion to "La Mer." (Source)
Contents
Influences
It can be argued that the song is heavily infuenced by the Debussy piece of the same name. Both songs build up to create a sonic atmosphere, and both are (obviously) titled the same. It is very similar to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, in that it layers many, many instruments to induce atonality and the said sonic atmosphere.
Song Credits
- Vocals: Denise Milfort
- Drums: Bill Rieflin
- Cello: Willie
Appearances
Versions
La Mer
This is the original album version. On The Fragile vinyl, the introductory piano chords and standup bass are repeated one extra time before the solo begins over top.
La Mer (Version)
An nin.com exclusive from The Fragile era, this remix by Jerome Dillon and Keith Hillebrandt features much more percussion-oriented loops, using atmospheric and base elements from the original.
La Mer (And All That Could Have Been)
This live version is a pure instrumental, with a guitar playing the xylophone part.
Live
On And All That Could Have Been, "La Mer" is performed live against the backdrop of three visual screens that display images of the sea. Towards the end of the song, Reznor presses against the screen on the center and moves his hands across the panel, as the blurry image of a woman appears and the screen fades to black.
Lyrics
Creole French
Et il est un jour arrivé Marteler le ciel Et marteler la mer Et la mer avait embrassé moi Et la délivré moi de ma cellule Rien ne peut m'arrêter maintenant
English Translation
And when the day arrives
I’ll become the sky
And I’ll become the sea
And the sea will come to kiss me
For I am going
Home
Nothing can stop me now
There is an alternate, more literal translation of the lyrics:
And the day has arrived
To thresh the sky
And to thresh the sea
And the sea has embraced me
And it has dispensed me from my cage
Nothing can stop me now