Non-Entity
"Non-Entity" is a With Teeth outtake that Trent Reznor debuted on the MTV program ReAct Now in an effort to support people displaced by Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005.
This song was first played in the aforementioned program, and later became part of the set list on the Live: With Teeth tours. The tours also included "Not So Pretty Now," another With Teeth outtake. During a chat with fans in the official NIN fan club, The Spiral, Reznor stated that these songs were outtakes from the With Teeth sessions, and studio recordings of them might one day surface. A live recording of "Non-Entity" appears on Beside You In Time.
On March 20, 2009, Reznor released the studio version of "Non-Entity" for free, as well as "Not So Pretty Now", as part of the NINJA 2009 Summer Tour EP via ninja2009.com.
Contents
Song Credits
- Production: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Alan Moulder
- Mix: Alan Moulder
- Drums: Dave Grohl
- Mastering: Tom Baker
Appearances
Halos
- Beside You In Time (bonus footage)
Seeds
- NINJA 2009 Summer Tour EP
Versions
Non-Entity
This studio-recorded version finally saw the light of day on March 20, 2009, when it was included on the NINJA 2009 Summer Tour Sampler EP. Slow and groove-oriented, its instrumentation is simple, maintaining use of live drums, bass, guitar and vocals. It features a prominent whine similar to the one used in "Home," and is structured much like "The Line Begins To Blur," though Reznor does not yell during the verses. Its original recording dates back to the With Teeth sessions.
Non-Entity (Acoustic)
Performed at the ReAct Now benefit, this was the first version of the song to be publicly performed. It features Reznor on piano and vocals with a drum machine backing him. It was made available for purchase via the now defunct Sony Connect service as an encrypted OMA download with proceeds going toward charities aiding those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Non-Entity (Beside You In Time)
This live version is among the bonus footage contained on Beside You In Time.
Live
"Non-Entity" has been performed live on the Live: With Teeth tour. For the 2006 summer leg, a cage of LED lights was lowered in front of the stage, with purple lights behaving like tentacles responding to the music. At the Bridge School Benefit concert in October of 2006, Reznor performed the song backed by a string quartet. It was brought back to the setlist in the NIN/JA Tour.
Lyrics
The sky is not the same shade of blue
Every single thing
I believe isn't true
Missing in a maze of monochrome
How did I get here
How can I go home?
The echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
The ashes and debris
And all that's left of me
Non-entity
Try to stand in line
Try to obey
The ghosts of what I was keep getting in the way
Staring at the sun
Blinded by the light
Now I'm afraid I'm fading out of sight
The echoes in my eyes
Of all they used to see
Burning down the world
Ashes and debris
And all that's left of you
And all that's left of me
All have washed away
Non-entity
The word "echoes" appears misspelled as "echos" in the lyrics contained in the official download file.