March Of The Pigs (halo)

"March of the Pigs" (also known as Halo 7) is a single for the song of the same name released in 1994. It was released as a teaser single prior to the album The Downward Spiral.

Song

"March of the Pigs" has one of the most unique metres of any song to enjoy popular radio play, alternating three bars of 7/8 time with one bar of 4/4 time (in effect, a 29/8 time signature. The song has a BPM rate of 269.)

It is presumably about society... or Trent's fans.

Lyrics

step right up
march
push
crawl right up on your knees
please
greed
feed (no time to hesitate)
i want a little bit
i want a piece of it
i think he's losing it
i want to watch it come down
don't like the look of it
don't like the taste of it
don't like the smell of it
i want to watch it come down

all the pigs are all lined up
i give you all that you want
take the skin and peel it back
now doesn't it make you feel better?

shove it up inside
surprise!
lies
stains like the blood on your teeth
bite
chew
suck (away the tender parts)
i want to break it up
i want to smash it up
i want to fuck it up
i want to watch it come down
maybe afraid of it
let's discredit it
let's pick away at it
i want to watch it come down

all the pigs are all lined up
i give you all that you want
take the skin and peel it back
now doesn't it make you feel better?
the pigs have won tonight
they can all sleep soundly
and everything is all right

Music videos

A music video was made for this song, directed by Peter Christopherson and released in March 1994. The video features the band performing the song live in front of a white wall backdrop. This video was the last video to be played on MTV2's Increase the Beat, on Memorial Day weekend 2002. At 269 BPM, it had the fastest tempo of the 400+ videos that were played that weekend.

A previous version of the video was partially shot but abandoned, and is included on the Closure DVD. The band performs the song in a red cave-like set with water at their feet, and a midget appears.

Live

Being a staple NIN song with its high energy segued by two piano breakdowns, there is a live performance video of "March of the Pigs" on each of their live releases: Closure , And All that Could Have Been, and Beside You in Time. In the live set, the band extends the song by including an amped up version of "All The Pigs, All Lined Up" at the end of every performance.

In most(?) performances in the pre-With Teeth eras, the songs starts with the same high pitched squeal it does in the performance video for the song. Since the start of the With Teeth tour, the song now starts with a synth line that matches the one played behind the second set of measures for the song originally (this section now completely omitted from the song, the guitars coming in completely along with they synth after the first drum run through.)

Live lyrics

and all you miserable muddy fuck heads... are alright (woodstock '94)
(after unsung first refrain) hey can someone fucking turn the microphone

(second verse) maybe afraid of it, let's di... hey fuck FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK... can you say fuck? (Tokyo 2000-01-11 YouTube video)

and every little fucking pig... is alright (numerous shows)

Albums it appears on

Versions of this song appear on:

Versions

March of the Pigs
March of the Pigs (Clean)
All The Pigs, All Lined Up
March of the Fuckheads - not-confirmed?

Single

"March of the Pigs" is the seventh official Nine Inch Nails release and a single for the album The Downward Spiral. It contains "March of the Pigs," a remix of this song, two remixes of "Reptile," and an instrumental. A two-disc version was released in the UK, which added a radio edit of "March of the Pigs" and "Big Man With a Gun" from The Downward Spiral.

The disc art for this single features a rolled-up millipede, an image that was later used on the cover of the single "Closer to God".

Releases

Nothing Records / TVT Records / Interscope Records / Atlantic Records 95938-2 - US CD
TVT Records / Interscope Records INTDM-95938 - US CD Re-release
Island Records CID 592 854 001-2 - UK CD 1
Island Records CIDX 592 854 003-2 - UK CD 2

Track listing

US version

"March of the Pigs" – 2:54
"Reptilian" (remixed by Dave Ogilvie) – 8:39
"All the Pigs, All Lined Up" – 7:25
"A Violet Fluid" – 1:05
"Underneath the Skin" – 7:13

UK version

(disc 1)

"March of the Pigs (clean version)" – 2:54
"All the Pigs, All Lined Up" – 7:25
"A Violet Fluid" – 1:03
"Big Man With a Gun" – 1:36

(disc 2)

"March of the Pigs (LP version)" – 2:54
"Underneath the Skin" – 7:14
"Reptilian" (remixed by Ogilvie) – 8:39

Covers

"March of the Pigs" has been covered by Owl, Mae, and fordirelifesake.