Sanctified (Purest Feeling)
Sanctified (Demo)
"Sanctified" is the fourth track on the 1989 release Pretty Hate Machine. It's best known for it's very tribal rhythms and distinctive bassline, though the original version of the song was apparently much brighter. A darker atmosphere was given to it for the Pretty Hate Machine version. The song appears to be about sex with a woman who the protagonist (Trent Reznor) is crazy about but is deathly afraid of. This could also be a metaphor for substance abuse.
Contents
Song Credits
- Production: Trent Reznor, John Fryer
- Engineer/Mix: John Fryer
Appearances
Halos
- Pretty Hate Machine
Seeds
Other
Versions
Sanctified
The album version of the song features a very dark motif, given the very tribal rhythm, synthetic "chanting" and the oddly tuned "guitar" that accompanies the beat. There is a short bridge in the middle in which some muffled samples can be heard underneath the synthetic drum loops and Gregorian like chanting. The outro is comprised of a keyboard drone at the end (created by Richard Patrick), accompanied by some downmixed samples, which lowers in pitch and winds down, segueing directly into "Something I Can Never Have."
Sanctified (Purest Feeling)
The second track on Purest Feeling, the song begins with a shouted four count with drumsticks before hitting into the song. Though the beats and bassline are identical, the song is played slightly faster and all the effects are at a higher octave, giving it a much brighter feel. The samples in the song are also much louder and more prominant (and more audiable) than in the version on Pretty Hate Machine.
Sample in the bridge:
Old Man: "He wants to give it a try right now. Give it a try right now!"
*car starts*
Old Man: "Doesn't that feel good? Now you're ready to go! Hey there?
Ready to get in there and get the job done! Live is great! Life is terrific!
Thank you God, for another wonderful day."
There is also one minor lyrical change in the last couple of lines.
"I am purified! I am terrified
I am sanctified... inside you!"
His screams fade off into the guitar drones which contain more samples, which segue directly into the next song on the album, Maybe Just Once.
Sanctified (Demo)
Present on the Purest Feeling II bootleg, it has the same tone as the Pretty Hate Machine version while including some alternate samples, including a shortened version of the "Old Man" sample in the bridge, a few odd noises not present in the final version (such as the "reeeeeeeeeee" at the beginning of the bridge), the alternate lyric at the end, and an odd sample at the very end which concludes with a man saying, "You'll see your life begin to change."
Live
"Sanctified" has been a rarely played song since the Pretty Hate Machine tours, though when it is played, an extended intro is usually played during which Reznor addresses the audience.
Lyrics
It's still getting worse after everything I've tried
What if I found a way to wash it all aside
What if she touches with those fingertips
As the words spill out like fire from her lips
If she says come inside I'll come inside for her
If she says give it all I'll give everything to her
I am justified
I am purified
I am sanctified
Inside you
Heaven's just a rumor she'll dispel
As she walks me through the nicest parts of Hell
I still dream of lips I never should have kissed
Well she knows exactly what I can't resist
If she says come inside I'll come inside for her
If she says give it all I'll give everything to her
I am justified
I am purified
I am sanctified
Inside you
I'm just caught up in another of her spells
She's turning me into someone else
Every day I hope and pray that this will end
But when I can I do it all again
If she says come inside I'll come inside for her
If she says give it all I'll give everything to her
I am justified
I am purified
I am sanctified
Inside you
As surely as the blade's course is run
Maybe my kingdom's finally come
The following audio sample can be heard at 3 minutes 19 seconds on the studio version:
Dear mom and dad,
This is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. I'd hoped somehow to get out of this quickly
so that you'd never have to know about it, but that just isn't possible now. I don't know what's
going to happen, but what can I say to you? Will "I'm sorry" make a difference? Will it ease the
pain? The shame you must be feeling? Forgive me, please.
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