The Becoming (Still)
Performance 2007
"The Becoming" is made from many loops of industrial sounds, showcasing the hard sound from The Downward Spiral. The main body of the song is in a 13/8 time signature before switching to a 6/8 time signature at the breakdown. It then goes back to 13/8 before ending in 6/8, leading into "I Do Not Want This."
A more acoustic version (with Trent Reznor on piano, Danny Lohner on guitar, Jerome Dillon on drums, with drum machine and samples) can be found on Still, with an accompanying video on www.nin.com.
Contents
Meaning
The lyrics describe a man fighting against himself, trying to avoid his "becoming," transforming him into a machine without human characteristics and feelings.
This is a rare example of Reznor directly referencing a name ("Annie") in his lyrics. Usually, he uses ambiguous pronouns. This expresses the need for attachment, the need to interact intimately with another human despite the narrator's extreme attempts to detach himself from the world.
The song begins with industrial noises such as those from a drum machine and what appears to be distorted screams. At the 3-minute mark it mellows into swooshy sounds with ahhing from more emotive voices. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before fading out with the ahhs again. This song structure is indicative of the struggle between the narrator and the noise/machine.
Song Credits
- Production: Flood and Trent Reznor
- Mixing Engineer: Alan Moulder
- Ring Mod Guitar: Adrian Belew
- ARP2600: Flood
Appearances
Versions
The Becoming
This is the original album version.
The Becoming (Still)
This version appears on the Still CD, which was Disc 2 of the Deluxe Edition CD of And All That Could Have Been and is currently available through NIN.com.
Song Credits
- Performance: Trent Reznor, Jerome Dillon
- Mix engineering: Alan Moulder
- Engineering: Alan Moulder
- Second Engineering: Leo Herrera
- Programming: Keith Hillebrandt
Lyrics
I beat my machine it's a part of me it's inside of me
I'm stuck in this dream it's changing me I am becoming
The me that you know had some second thoughts
He's covered with scabs he is broken and sore
The me that you know doesn't come around much
That part of me isn’t here anymore
All pain disappears it's the nature of my circuitry
Drowns out all I hear no escape from this my new consciousness
The me that you know used to have feelings
But the blood has stopped pumping and he's left to decay
The me that you know is now made up of wires
And even when I'm right with you I'm so far away
I can try to get away but I've strapped myself in
I can try to scratch away the sound in my ears
I can see it killing away all my bad parts
I don't want to listen but it's all too clear
Hiding backwards inside of me I feel so unafraid
Annie, hold a little tighter I might just slip away
It won't give up it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
External Links
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