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The Becoming

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Revision as of 15:25, 1 June 2009 by Seasonsinthesky (talk | contribs) (forgot to add live stuff)
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Album: The Downward Spiral
Length:5:31
Tempo:{{{BPM}}} BPM
Versions:The Becoming
The Becoming (Still)
Live:Dissonance tour
Performance 2007
Wave Goodbye Tour


"The Becoming" is the seventh track on the 1994 album The Downward Spiral.

A semi-acoustic version can be found on Still, which has an accompanying video released at the time on nin.com.

Contents

  • 1 Meaning
  • 2 Song Credits
  • 3 Appearances
    • 3.1 Halos
    • 3.2 Seeds
  • 4 Versions
    • 4.1 The Becoming
    • 4.2 The Becoming (Still)
      • 4.2.1 Song Credits
  • 5 Live
  • 6 Lyrics
  • 7 External Links

Meaning

The lyrics describe a man fighting against himself, trying to avoid his "becoming," transforming him into a machine without human characteristics and feelings. Its structure, described below, is indicative of this struggle.

This is a rare example of Reznor directly referencing a name ("Annie") in his lyrics. Usually, he uses ambiguous pronouns. This expresses the need for attachment, the need to interact intimately with another human despite the narrator's extreme attempts to detach himself from the world.

Song Credits

  • Production: Flood and Trent Reznor
  • Mixing Engineer: Alan Moulder
  • Ring Mod Guitar: Adrian Belew
  • ARP2600: Flood

Appearances

Halos

  • The Downward Spiral (1994)
  • And All That Could Have Been (Deluxe Edition CD; 2002)
  • Still

Seeds

  • The Definitive NIN - Deep Cuts

Versions

The Becoming

This is the original album version. It begins in a 13/8 time signature with a manipulated piano line, then bursts into drum and sample loops of screams taken from the film Robot Joxx. At the 3-minute mark, it mellows into an acoustic guitar-led passage in 6/8, with machine-like loops and synthesized chorus pads sampled from Reznor's voice. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before returning to the acoustic section, which crossfades with the opening of "I Do Not Want This."

The Becoming (Still)

This version appears on the Still CD, which was Disc 2 of the Deluxe Edition CD of And All That Could Have Been and is currently available through nin.com. Simpler in its instrumentation and without the sample loops, it transitions immediately from the end of "The Fragile" and ends suddenly after the final "noisy" section.

Song Credits

  • Performance: Trent Reznor, Jerome Dillon
  • Mix engineering: Alan Moulder
  • Engineering: Alan Moulder
  • Second Engineering: Leo Herrera
  • Programming: Keith Hillebrandt

Live

This song, played live frequently on the Dissonance Tour and relegated to rarity status until its brief return on the Performance 2007 Tour, was resurrected for the Wave Goodbye Tour, where it featured more guitar riffs and live piano.

Lyrics

    I beat my machine it's a part of me it's inside of me
    I'm stuck in this dream it's changing me I am becoming
    The me that you know had some second thoughts
    He's covered with scabs he is broken and sore
    The me that you know doesn't come around much
    That part of me isn’t here anymore
    
    All pain disappears it's the nature of my circuitry
    Drowns out all I hear no escape from this my new consciousness
    The me that you know used to have feelings
    But the blood has stopped pumping and he's left to decay
    The me that you know is now made up of wires
    And even when I'm right with you I'm so far away
    
    I can try to get away but I've strapped myself in
    I can try to scratch away the sound in my ears
    I can see it killing away all my bad parts
    I don't want to listen but it's all too clear
    Hiding backwards inside of me I feel so unafraid
    Annie, hold a little tighter I might just slip away
    
    It won't give up it wants me dead
    Goddamn this noise inside my head

External Links

  • "Still" video
Previous track - "Ruiner" Track 7 from The Downward Spiral Next track - "I Do Not Want This"
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