The Fragile (Version)
The Fragile (Still)
"The Fragile" is the sixth track—and the title track—on the Left disc of the 1999 double album The Fragile.
Appearances
Halos
- The Fragile (1999)
- And All That Could Have Been (Deluxe Edition CD; 2002)
- Still (2002)
Versions
The Fragile
This is the original album version as it appears on The Fragile.
The Fragile (Version)
This is a remix by Keith Hillebrandt which was featured as a website-only download for a limited time on NIN.com during The Fragile era, along with versions of "No, You Don't" and "La Mer."
The Fragile (Still)
This stripped-down version is on Still, which was originally packaged with the Deluxe Edition CD of And All That Could Have Been and is curently available through NIN.com. It is performed mostly solo on an electric piano.
Song Credits
- Performance: Trent Reznor, Jerome Dillon
- Mix engineering: Alan Moulder
- Engineering: Alan Moulder
- Second Engineering: Leo Herrera
- Programming: Keith Hillebrandt
Live
When played during the Fragility tours and the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, the song would remain very similar to the album version except somewhat louder. During the Year Zero Warm-Up Tour, the Still version of the song was played.
Interpretation
This song (with the possible exception of "We're In This Together," the previous track) may be the closest Trent Reznor has ever come to recording what could be considered a "love song," with lyrics referring to a frail and insecure female whom he promises not to let "fall apart". He sees in her what he has gone through himself, and wishes to shelter her from the outside world before she becomes like him. However, his perception of her appears to be inflated, hinting at more of his own problems. He is able to say "I won’t let you fall apart" repeatedly to the point of annoyance, but probably not "I won't let myself fall apart"; the need for self-support is displaced.
Lyrics
She shines
In a world full of ugliness
She matters
When everything is meaningless
Fragile
She doesn’t see her beauty
She tries to get away
Sometimes
It’s just that nothing seems worth saving
I can’t watch her slip away
I won’t let you fall apart
She reads the minds of all the people as they pass her by
Hoping someone can see
If I could fix myself I’d—
But it’s too late for me
I won’t let you fall apart
We’ll find the perfect place to go where we can run and hide
I’ll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side
…But they keep waiting
…And picking…
It’s something I have to do
I was there, too
Before everything else
I was like you