Reptile
Reptilian
Underneath The Skin
Reptile (And All That Could Have Been) DVD
Liar (Reptile Demo)
"Reptile" is the twelfth track on 1994's The Downward Spiral. This song is characteristic of the band's early 90s "industrial" sound, as it opens with an eerie, quiet machine-like sound collage that transitions into a nearly identical-sounding musical composition. Allegedly, it is a sample of a machine that slaughters pigs, though no sources have been found that indicate this.
Contents
Song Credits
- Production: Trent Reznor
- Mixing Engineer: Alan Moulder
Appearances
Versions
Reptile
This is the original album version.
Reptilian
This version has more layering, no intro, and instrumental choruses after the regular choruses.
Underneath The Skin
This version is an almost-instrumental mix that has modified instrumentals.
Liar (Reptile Demo)
Relatively the same as the version that found its way onto The Downward Spiral throughout the intro and verses, however the chorus is somewhat altered featuring a dancier beat and different vocals layered over. The song's "transition" happens at 1:00 instead of 0:57.
Reptile (And All That Could Have Been)
This live version is an Easter Egg on the DVD version of And All That Could Have Been.
Live
The song has always been performed with the beeps as an introduction. During the breakdown, Reznor sings "please don't hurt me" followed by a desperate cry. Recently on the Year Zero Warm-Up Tour, the intro is further extended with a more articulate sound and Reznor whispering over it.
This song was also featured in the Boston, MA radio performance, (Peter Murphy, Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jeordie White) on June 23, 2006.
Lyrics
She spreads herself wide open to let the insects in
She leaves a trail of honey to show me where she’s been
She has the blood of reptile just underneath her skin
Seeds from a thousand lovers drip down from within
Oh my beautiful liar
Oh my precious whore
My disease my infection
I am so impure
Devils speak of the ways in which she'll manifest
Angels bleed from the tainted touch of my caress
Need to contaminate to alleviate this loneliness
I now know the depths I reach are limitless
Oh my beautiful liar
Oh my precious whore
My disease my infection
I am so impure
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