Somewhat Damaged
Somewhat Damaged (Beside You In Time)
Wave Goodbye Tour through present
"Somewhat Damaged" is the first track on the Left side of the double disc The Fragile. It primarily builds using percussive samples, without many melodic elements. The first part of the song is in a 3/4 time signature before turning into a 4/4 time signature superimposed over a 3/4 time signature.
Contents
Song Credits
- Written by Trent Reznor and Danny Lohner
- Additional Guitars: Danny Lohner
Appearances
Halos
- The Fragile
- Beside You In Time
Seeds
- The Definitive NIN - Heavy Tracks - SoundCloud version
Versions
Somewhat Damaged
Like "Mr. Self Destruct" on The Downward Spiral, "Somewhat Damaged" introduces the listener to the album's sonic structure. The song is dictated around its simple four note guitar riff, with the first half of the song written in a 9/4 (or a repeating 3/4) time signature. It opens with an acoustic guitar playing the simple riff and layers of abstract sounds slowly fading in. The drums enter, while more acoustic guitars are layered in, echoing the primary guitar. After the first two stanzas, a small interlude occurs, during which the acoustic guitars are replaced with heavily distorted guitars. Reznor's screaming abilities are put on display as the majority of the lyrics are now shrieked out. The last third of the song is written in 4/4 (or a 4/4 time signature superimposed over a 3/4 time signature), while the lyrics are sung in a clashing time signature. These final, peculiarly-structured lyrics are sung over the cacophony of instruments, which then quickly give way to a crescendoing chorus synth sampled with Trent Reznor's voice. The introductory drone of "The Day The World Went Away" also fades in at this point.
Somewhat Damaged (Beside You In Time)
This live version is amongst the bonus footage on Beside You In Time. The intro is very different from the album original, featuring a percussion synth that fades in as the crew finish setting up the stage.
Live
On the Fragility Tour, the song was played pretty much the same as the album version, with Reznor on the guitar.
However, beginning with the With Teeth Summer Amphitheater Tour, and for every subsequent performance, Reznor significantly reworked the song's live introduction. The reworked introduction starts off very minimalist, with Reznor singing almost a cappella over just a simple synth rhythm line. The new introduction eschews the album version's heavy kick drum entirely, and the guitar line and tom-tom drums aren't brought in until the second stanza. The full instrumental complement of the album version isn't brought in until the end of the second stanza, which makes for a more impactful contrast with the subdued introduction.
Lyrics
So impressed with all you do
Tried so hard to be like you
Flew too high and burnt the wing
Lost my faith in everything
Lick around divine debris
Taste the wealth of hate in me
Shedding skin succumb defeat
This machine is obsolete
Made the choice to go away
Drink the fountain of decay
Tear a hole exquisite red
Fuck the rest and stab it dead
Broken bruised forgotten sore
Too fucked up to care anymore
Poisoned to my rotten core
Too fucked up to care anymore
In the back off the side and far away is a place where I hide where I
stay tried to say tried to ask I needed to all alone by myself where
were you?
How could I ever think it's funny how everything that
swore it wouldn't change is different now just like you
Would always say we'll make it through then my head fell apart
and where were you?
How could I ever think it's funny how everything you swore would
never change is different now like you said you and me make it
through didn't quite fell apart
where the fuck were you?
External Links
- "Somewhat Damaged" live from on stage, @ Roskilde Festival, Denmark 7.03.09
- "Somewhat Damaged" live, @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC 8.22.09
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