Tr(n)igger
"Tr(n)igger" was produced and co-arranged by Trent Reznor for Saul Williams' third studio album, The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of NiggyTardust!.
Song Credits
- Music by Saul Williams (Punk Rock of Gibraltar/EMI)
- Add. Programing by Trent Reznor
- Words by Saul Williams (Punk Rock of Gibraltar/EMI)
- Vox: Saul Williams
This track contains a sample of the recording "Welcome to the Terrordome" as performed by Public Enemy. Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group under license from Universal Music Enterprises. Used by permission. All rights reserved. This composition embodies a sample of "Welcome to the Terrordome", written by K. Boxley and C. Ridenhour, published by Reach Global Songs(BMI)/Songs of Universal Inc. (BMI).
Appearances
Versions
Tr(n)igger
This version is heard on The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of NiggyTardust!.
Tr(n)igger (Instrumental)
This version was leaked on a internal industry promo CD.
Saul Williams on "Tr(n)igger"
This is the last song I wrote before going into the studio to mix the album. Welcome to the Terrordome is easily my fave PE track. The line that I sampled actually comes before my favorite part of the song, the little break with the high pitched James Brown guitar riff. When I made that loop it scared the shit out of me. I danced to it for hours, too excited to even write to it. When I did, the lyrics and chorus came immediately. The 2nd verse has my favorite line of the album, "would Jesus Christ come back American? What if he's Iraqi and here again?". Then came the break, which I immediately attributed to the fact that I had been working with Trent for a year and he had made me a better song writer. I remember being very scared of the power of this song. I knew how it made me feel as a black man. I tried to pay special attention to how I crafted it musically and lyrically so that it would invoke dancing rather than violence. But seriously, to me, this song is hard as hell. I cry everytime I get to that breakdown. And then I bounce back and feel like I can fly.
Trent Reznor on "Tr(n)igger"
This track arrived on my doorstep while we were mixing the record. Saul had been working on this and when I heard it I knew it needed to be included. We had two rooms set up at Chalice where we mixed the record. Alan was mixing in the control room while I was set up with another rig in the small "live" room finessing various tracks and whatnot. The relationship between Saul and myself had grown to a place by this time where we trusted each other's sensibilities and could get things accomplished without second-guessing everything too much. And by the way, for those wondering how much Saul did vs myself in terms of the music - every track so far on the record is virtually unchanged from the way I first heard them aside from some finessing.
Lyrics
So you don’t like the way we’re running things?
And you don’t like the way the chisel glang?
You want to blame it on the government on why you got no money for your rent?
You want to start a revolution? And blame it on the institutions?
You know there’s only one solution. Now tell me what you’re gonna do son?
The trigger is you. The nigger is you. (2x) So what you gonna do?
You wanna blame them boys in Lebanon and act like you don’t know where they get it from?
You wanna project all your problems and murder every hope to solve them?
Would Jesus Christ come back American? What if he’s Iraqi and here again?
You’d have to finally face your fears, my friend? Who’s gonna hold your hand when that happens?
The trigger is you. The nigger is you. (2x) So what you gonna do?
What do u teach your children about me? What do you teach your little children about me?
Pimp, thug, bling, drug, Lord of the Undergrounded Kings. How can you be so sure I won’t call down the rain?
The trigger is you. The nigger is you. (2x) So what you gonna do?