Only (song)
Only (Richard X Remix)
Only (El-P Remix)
Only (Beside You In Time)
"Only" is the eighth track on the 2005 album With Teeth. It was released as a single in summer 2005, receiving the designation Halo 20 (see Only (halo)). It is known for its upbeat and synthesizer-driven instrumentation, and casual lyric delivery, reminiscent of 1989's "Down In It." It was censored on radio, though it was obvious that the word "fucking" was being cut out.
"Only" was the last song finished for With Teeth.[1] It was the second song that saw the release of its master tracks for fan remixes.
![[1]](http://www.nin.com/access/2_26_05/questions10.gif){kind=link}
Contents
Meaning
Like most NIN songs, the true inspiration for the lyrics has never been revealed. The lyrics suggest that this song is about internal identity struggles, possibly relating to split personalities. Themes in this song are similar to the film Fight Club, which was directed by David Fincher, who directed the music video for this song.
"Down In It"
"Only" contains a verse that is very similar to a verse in the song "Down In It." Both mention a small dot that caught the attention of the singer, who couldn't let go of it.
"Down in It": Just then a tiny little dot caught my eye it was just about too small to see/But I watched it way too long it was pulling me down
"Only": Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye/And it turned out to be a scab/And I had this funny feeling/Like I just knew it's something bad
Song Credits
- Writing and performance: Trent Reznor
- Production: Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder
- Programming and additional production: Atticus Ross
- Mix: Alan Moulder
Appearances
Versions
Only
This is the original album version.
Only (Richard X Remix)
Coming soon
Song Credits
- Remix and additional production: Richard X for blackmelody.com
- Mix: Pete Hofmann for Miloco Management
Only (El-P Remix)
The dance-oriented beat is gone, replaced by a heavier beat and finger-snap percussion.
Song Credits
- Production: El-P
- Mix: Joey Raia, NASA
Only (Richard X Dub)
Coming soon
Only (Richard X Edit)
Coming soon
Only (El-P Instrumental)
Coming soon
Only (Beside You In Time)
This live version is found on the Beside You In Time DVD. It contains a guitar riff intro which also appears in the chorus, not featured on the album version.
Fan Remixes
Because the master tracks were released to facilitate fan remixes, hundreds exist.
Music Video
The video for "Only" was directed by Fincher and was largly created using advanced CGI by visual effects company Digital Domain. It features a desk with a laptop (A 17" Mac PowerBook), speakers, a cup of coffee, a Newton's cradle and a Pin Art desk toy being brought to life and animated by the music.
The video starts with a hand pressing the space bar on the computer, which starts its music program (iTunes with the Visualizer turned on). The Newton's cradle begins to sway to the beat as ripples appear in a cup of coffee. Reznor appears in the Pin Art, singing the song. As it gets to the second verse, the songs builds and the vibrations get more intense. Reznor seems to almost break out of the Pin Art as the balls on the cradle sway almost uncontrollably. The ripples in the coffee also have greater frequency. The climax of the song dislodges the top-most apple in a nearby bowl, after which Reznor's impression walks off and the scene dies down. At the very end, a blurry image of a car can be seen driving away.
The video was almost entirely computer-animated, with Reznor filmed live in front of a green screen and then mapped onto the Pin Art. It is reported that the only parts that were live-action were the hand at the very beginning (that of Fincher) and the bowl of apples at the end.
Credits
- Director: David Fincher
- Production Company: Anonymous Content
- Agency: Interscope Records
- Visual Effects: Digital Domain
- Eric Barba
- Lisa Beroud
- Jay Barton
- Jim Gaczkowski
Awards
- Visual Effects Society 4th Annual VES Awards (2005): Outstanding Visual Effects in a Music Video
Lyrics
I'm becoming less defined
As days go by
Fading away
(Well you might say)
I'm losing focus
Kind of drifting into the abstract
In terms of how I see myself
Sometimes I think I can see right through myself
Less concerned about fitting into the world
Your world, that is
Because it doesn't really matter
Anymore
None of this really matters anymore
Yes I am alone
But then again I always was
As far back as I can tell
I think maybe it's because
Because you were never real to begin with
I just made you up
To hurt myself
And it worked
Yes it did
There is no you
There is only me
There is no fucking you
There is only me
Only
[Pt. 2]
Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye
And it turned out to be a scab
And I had this funny feeling
Like I just knew it's something bad
I just couldn't leave alone
And I kept picking at that scab
Like it was a doorway trying to seal itself shut
But I climbed through
And now I'm somewhere I am not supposed to be
And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see
Now I know why
And now I know why
Things aren't as pretty
On the inside
There is no fucking you
There is only me
Only
External Links
- "Only" on nin.com
- Video link on nin.com
- "Only" on Wikipedia
- Behind-the-scenes video from DigitalDomain (behind-the-scenes portion plays after finished video)