The Great Below

Album:The Fragile (Left)

Length:5:17

Tempo:{{{BPM}}} BPM

Versions:The Great Below
The Great Below (And All That Could Have Been)

Live:Fragility

"The Great Below" is the twelfth and final track on the Left disc of The Fragile.

Song Credits

• End Melodic Guitar: Adrian Belew
• Guitar Ambiences: Danny Lohner
• Atmospheres: Charlie Clouser

Appearances

Halos

• The Fragile
• And All That Could Have Been (CD/DVD/VHS)

Seeds

• Collected
• The Definitive NIN - Quiet Tracks

Versions

The Great Below

This is the original album version. Its vinyl mix has a slightly different crossfade with "La Mer."The climax of the song ("And I descend from grace...") shares a chord progression and melody with "And All That Could have Been."

The Great Below (And All That Could Have Been)

This live version is performed a 1/2-step lower than the album version.

Live

The live performance of "The Great Below" in And All That Could Have Been features Reznor performing the song in front of three large visuals that initially display an ocean shore and then a figure walking through a field of poppies, culminating in images of water and the sea. The images change as the song progresses.

Lyrics

    Staring at the sea
    Will she come?
    Is there hope for me
    After all is said and done
    Anything at any price
    All of this for you
    All the spoils of a wasted life
    All of this for you
    All the world has closed her eyes
    Tired faith all worn and thin
    For all we could have done
    And all that could have been
    
    Ocean pulls me close
    And whispers in my ear
    The destiny I've chose
    All becoming clear
    The currents have their say
    The time is drawing near
    Washes me away
    Makes me disappear
    I descend from grace
    In arms of undertow
    I will take my place
    In the great below
    
    I can still feel you
    Even so far away