God, Existentialism, and Pretty Hate Machine

Choose the statement below which best describes your feelings. Thanks in advance.

  • 1. I prefer the Analytic tradition.
  • 2. I prefer the Continental tradition.
  • 3. The Analytic and Continental traditions are both valuable.
  • 4. Both Analytic and Continental philosophy are crap.
  • 5. I know so little about Analytic or Continental philosophy that my choosing any of the above options would skew your data, and I would not want to do that.
0 voters

“Am I not living up to what I’m supposed to be?” ~Trent Reznor
IMO, too much of human action has been motivated by FEAR!

Okay, so I’m studying philosophy and I had a few takes (interpretations) of “Terrible Lie” & “Down In It” (two NIN songs).
I feel that both fans of Nine Inch Nails and non-fans alike could have something to say about this.
The poll is not really connected. I’m just curious.

1.
Terrible Lie!

[i]Don’t take it away from me; I need you to hold on to.

There’s nothing left for me to hide.
I lost my ignorance, security, and pride.
I’m all alone in this world you must despise.
hey God,
I believed your promises, your promises and lies.

terrible lie![/i]

Juxtapose any of these lines with Nietzsche’s observation: God is dead.

My interpretation: Tries to convey the agony of someone wanting very much to believe, but, in the end, abandoning belief for what seems more real, for what is not a perceived lie.

2.
Down In It:

[i]I used to be so big and strong.
I used to know my right from wrong.
I used to never be afraid.
I used to be somebody

I used to have something inside
Now just this hole thats open wide.
I used to want it all
I used to be somebody

Ill cross my heart and hope to die but the needle’s already in my eye.
And all the world’s weight is on my back and I don’t even know why.
And what i used to think was me is just a fading memory-
I looked him right in the eye and said goodbye.

I was up above it.
I was up above it.
Now Im down in it.[/i]

My interpretation: Losing God and throwing off world views perceived to be false. Sacrificing a false stability and knowledge for a lack of knowledge or a nothingness that is, at least, real and true: “I used to have something inside
Now just this hole thats open wide.” Note: Why did Socrates believe he was wise? Because while others claimed to have wisdom and knowledge about things but were really in ignorance or denial, Socrates knew (and admitted) that he didn’t know anything / a thing, which, paradoxically, was one thing more than others knew.

I don’t think I’m projecting with all this religious interpretation either. “hey God” is actually part of the lyrics in Terrible Lie. And Down In It follows right after the first in order on the album: Pretty Hate Machine. That’s a bit of justification and legitimacy then.

So?

Marilyn Manson > NIN

Actually, I agree. But my opinions are very rarely 100% stable. Right now I’m into Manson more.

Odd. – I’ve been listening to NIN repeatedly over the past week.

As far as I know, a coincidence is just a coincidence - unless it’s not.

Love is Not Enough

I think the gods speak through Trent, personally. – a modern-day muse inspires him.

Whoever she is, she’s the one he is talking about in this song:

Ministry pwns industrial music.

This needs to be re-routed to www.iloverandomopinions.com

You mean iloveopinions.cesspool can get even worse???

Right just the 1st album, “Land of Rape and Honey”.

First album?! :astonished: With Sympathy came out in '83, 4 years before Rape and Honey. They started out a New Wave band; the “Industrial” sound came later.

Trent’s way too religious to be a perspectivist.

His stuff may seem existential, but it’s really just an ordinary Jesus Complex.

N meant that God was dead for everyone - trent doesn’t even know anyone else exists.

Both are unmitigated geniuses, however.

Wow, didn’t expect to have this conversation here. Think I knew that about Ministry’s 1st album, but it slipped my mind. I know Gibby, who sang “Jesus built my hot rod”,with them. Rape and Honey is still their best album, IMAO.

I liked The Land of Rape and Honey, but it’s probably 2nd to With Sympathy for me. It’s probably just nostalgia on my part. I especially liked “Golden Dawn” and “You Know What You Are” from the former.

That’s seems right. A lot of his music seems solipsistic. And it’s interesting – when you’re going through pain (like the pain of drug addiction and withdraw, or depression, or a kick to the groin) the universe tends to shrink down to just you. Your only concern becomes you.

And as much as I don’t like it when people throw around Nietzsche quotations without much justification, I decided to write it down because a connection came to mind.

To me NIN, devolved rather quickly. They simply became commercial radio fodder. I don’t buy all this “we give our music away to dl for free on the net, because we are down with you peeps, b.s.” That’s just a ploy by their management to try to stay afloat in a dying music industry.

I don’t think Trent really cares about the affects of his music on other people; so I formally disagree with that.

He’s probably one of the most narcissistic people on the planet. – not necessarily in a bad way either.

They still suck,though.

I liked some of his new stuff, not all of it. He’s getting old though, fo sho. – or I am / we are.