New Controversial Nine Inch Nails Video Makes You Think
According to Blabbermouth.net, “NINE INCH NAILS frontman Trent Reznor said in a statement that the idea for “Year Zero” came into him in a daydream about the end of the world. He explained, ‘It takes place about 15 years in the future. Things are not good. If you imagine a world where greed and power continue to run their likely course, you’ll have an idea of the backdrop. The world has reached the breaking point – politically, spiritually and ecologically.'” This is a definite hint for a better understanding of the video.
In one room, there is a naked, apparently 20-something female putting make-up on in front of a mirror, in another room sit a husband and wife watching TV, in another are a male gay couple making love, another features a man sitting alone at a table eating dinner, another has the room NIN is playing the song in, another is of outside the building with some kind of SWAT team about to break in, and another has a room with three men who look to be artists of some sort. By the end of the video the room with NIN has been trashed and the camera from the gay couple’s room has gone fuzzy. The last scene shows a man being dragged down the hallway with a trail of blood following him.
All of this makes me draw the conclusion that the point in this video is being different in a society that demands “normalcy” is not only hard, but if we lived in this time of 15 years from now where the world was falling apart, it would be deadly. Of course, I am sure everyone can draw their own conclusions, but I don’t see how you could really stretch the reality of this video and that is, personally, what I like the most about it.
Lyrics to Survivalism, according to Sweetslyrics.com are:
“I should have listened to her
So hard to keep control
We kept on eating but
Our bloated belly’s still not full
She gave us all she had but
We went and took some more
Can’t seem to shut her legs
Our mother nature is a whore
(chorus:)
I got my propaganda
I got revisionism
I got my violence
In hi-def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist
I got my plan
I got survivalism
Hypnotic sound of sirens
Echoing through the street
The cocking of the rifles
The marching of the feet
You see your world on fire
Don’t try to act surprised
We did just what you told us
Lost our faith along the way and found ourselves believing your lies
(chorus)
All bruised and broken, bleeding
She asked to take my hand
I turned, just keep on walking
But you’d do the same thing in the circumstance
I’m sure you’ll understand
(chorus)
You got your pacifism – I got survivalism”
Again, even the lyrics are pretty straight forward. I am really enjoying the stance Trent is taking in this song and what sounds like, this whole album and I can’t wait for more. Any video with this kind of imagery is bound to get you thinking. And when we think, some of our greatest work is composed.
