This was the entrance music to my sister's wedding reception. I don't believe that will ever be topped by any other wedding I attend.

Sounds so sweet and innocent without the lyrics.

request this version at like a wedding reception and watch those who know what it is panic for 30 secs or so lol

Even when it's instrumental, it genuinely sounds quite disturbing despite how catchy it is.

the instrumental sounds like a night club in a futuristic videogame i love it so much

2:30 will forever be my absolute favourite part of any song. love it

The instruments used in the song really represent the emotions that come along with depression, obsession and self hatred as well as sexual desire. I think it's perfectly made

this here is the sexiest beat around

Haha started playing this while the kids were up and my husband was like "TURN IT.. oh no words all good"

This sounds like such a nice song, I'm sure the lyrics are family-friendly!

Played this song (instrumental version) and within two minutes my dad immediately walked in! This is a good way to get your parents attention!!!! Haha

THE 2:30 PART MY GOD ITS SO GOOD. I WANT TO RIP OFF MY YEARS, I DONT DESERVE THEM ANYMORE. MY LIFE HAS BEEN COMPLETED WHEN I HEARD THAT.

Always had a good time listening to this at church coffee mornings.

Family version.

I love this song. So primal. I like it better without the words as it leaves it up to your imagination.

The guitar riffs are crazy, and that drum beat going from left ear to right at the 5:30 is genius

everyone talking about 2:30 but tbh 1:04 and 4:48 are huge vibes too

Lyrics: You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies Lit up the world as I fell asleep 'Cause they fill the open air And leave teardrops everywhere You'd think me rude but I would just stand and stare I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems 'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs From ten thousand lightning bugs As they tried to teach me how to dance A foxtrot above my head A sock hop beneath my bed A disco ball is just hanging by a thread (thread, thread) I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep) Leave my door open just a crack (Please take me away from here) 'Cause I feel like such an insomniac (Please take me away from here) Why do I tire of counting sheep (Please take me away from here) When I'm far too tired to fall asleep To ten million fireflies I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes I got misty eyes as they said farewell (said farewell) But I'll know where several are If my dreams get real bizarre 'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems I'd like to make myself believe that planet earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep) I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep Because mouth dreams are bursting at the seams

4:26 Favorite part of the instrumental. Sounds like a chainsaw fusing with a guitar.

I used to have parties at my house in HS and had a kick ass sound system in my room and would jam this song with a strobe light set to that ticking sound and a neon set to the hi hat.It was a great atmosphere.

Lyrics: You're insecure, don't know what for You're turning heads when you walk through the do-o-or Don't need make-up to cover up Being the way that you are is enou-ou-ough Everyone else in the room can see it Everyone else, but you, ooh Baby, you light up my world like nobody else The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful If only you saw what I can see You'll understand why I want you so desperately Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful, oh-oh That's what makes you beautiful So c-come on, you got it wrong To prove I'm right, I put it in a song I don't know why you're being shy And turn away when I look into your eye-eye-eyes Everyone else in the room can see it Everyone else, but you, ooh Baby, you light up my world like nobody else The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful If only you saw what I can see You'll understand why I want you so desperately Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful, oh-oh That's what makes you beautiful Na-na-na, na-na-na, na, na, na Na-na-na, na-na-na Na-na-na, na-na-na, na, na, na Na-na-na, na-na-na Baby, you light up my world like nobody else The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell (You don't know, oh-oh) You don't know you're beautiful Baby, you light up my world like nobody else The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful If only you saw what I can see You'll understand why I want you so desperately Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe You don't know, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful, oh-oh You don't know you're beautiful, oh-oh That's what makes you beautiful Edit: Thank you Fimpo for the idea

It's better without the lyrics, honestly. I like Trent's vocals and lyrics of course, but this instrumental is truly what makes this song: that signature NIN raw, electronic brutality.

Quite possibly one the most unique tracks ever created. There is no other song like it. Talk about sex song. It is also my favorite for cardio work. I absolutely love where it takes off at about 3:48. Outstanding. Keyboard work and industrial drumline is incredible. All time favs.

It somehow sounds sexually violent even without lyrics

The beat of this song is so sick! Ahead of its time for sure. I'll take the instrumental version. 😎

I love how it builds up throughout the song. Its amazing!

I do love this song with lyrics, but the instrumental version has its own unique charm that iust can't be overlooked. 💕

From 0:00 to 6:26 is my favorite part.

2:30 IS SCRATCHING MY BRAIN SO GOOD

I love how there is a sense of suspense throughout this whole song as the music keeps building and creating something even greater as it goes along. My mom had to laugh at me because when I found the Downward Sprial CD, I COULDN'T stop listening to it. Lyrics or no lyrics, the music is enough to plant this song in your mind for hours on end. I mean I know the lyrics are "explicit," but I'm a teenager and I simply don't mind them because I'm too busy dancing around like a spazz. XD

i hate how much this song is boiled down to being a sex song when sure you could see the music and lyrics at face value but there's no way that you *can't* hear the disturbing and dark tones of the song within both instrumental and lyrics. this song, for me, captures the most complex and many-layered emotions and obsessive behaviors i can understand or comprehend. there is so much more to this song than just a "sex song" that's really only valued for the chorus. trent is so good at capturing intense emotions in his music

this beat is good, but i can see how much trent's voice really adds an emphasis to the chaos this song was meant to show

My cousin just named her kid Trenton as her husband is a huge NIN fan. Crazy.

5:30 is the beginning of my favorite part of the instrumental for some reason, i don't know why

The whole song is so well constructed, but 3:44 is my favorite🤩

Dude this sounds like video game soundtrack. It'd be the level where you blow shit up in the enemy's factory or some shit. You'll spend a third of the level riding the conveyer belts and dodging machines trying to build evil robots or something. Cool shit.

That synth bass that plays throughout the verses inspired my songwriting more than any other sound, song or thing. Insane.

2:29 *this is when we start vibing.*

1-Set speed to 1.5 2-Play some old games from the 80's-90's 3-Enjoy

close your eyes for full screen

Lyrics: This one is for the boys with the booming system Top down, AC with the cooler system When he come up in the club, he be blazin' up Got stacks on deck like he savin' up And he ill, he real, he might gotta deal He pop bottles and he got the right kind of build He cold, he dope, he might sell coke He always in the air, but he never fly coach He a motherfuckin' trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' ho I said, excuse me you're a hell of a guy I mean my, my, my, my you're like pelican fly I mean, you're so shy and I'm loving your tie You're like slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye, oh Yes I did, yes I did Somebody please tell him who the eff I is I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up Back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away Beating like a drum and it's coming your way Can't you hear that Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah that's that super bass Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass, yeah) Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass) Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah, that's that super bass (yo, yo) This one is for the boys in the Polos Entrepreneur n*ggas and the moguls He could ball with the crew, he could solo But I think I like him better when he dolo And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on He ain't even gotta try to put the mack on He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look Then the panties comin' off, off, uh Excuse me, you're a hell of a guy you know I really got a thing for American guys I mean, sigh, sickenin' eyes I can tell that you're in touch with your feminine side, uh Yes I did, yes I did Somebody please tell him who the eff I is I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up Back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up Boy, you got my heartbeat runnin' away Beatin' like a drum and it's comin' your way Can't you hear that Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah, that's that super bass Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass, yeah) Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass) Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah, that's that super bass See I need you in my life for me to stay No, no, no, no, no, I know you'll stay No, no, no, no, no, don't go away, hey Boy, you got my heartbeat runnin' away Don't you hear that heartbeat comin' your way Oh, it be like Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Can't you hear that boom Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? Boy, you got my heartbeat runnin' away Beatin' like a drum and it's comin' your way Can't you hear that Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass? He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah, that's that super bass Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass, yeah) Boom, boom, boom, badoom (bass, bass) Boom, boom, boom (bass) Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass He got that super bass Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass Yeah, that's that super bass

So thankful i could find an instrumental, i love the sound in the og but the lyrics make me nauseous and very anxious. Thanks !!

play this at my funeral and you bet im crawling out of the coffin

Some people may think that 2:30 is good; but for me it was 3:42 that made me ascend to the heavens

Y’all close your eyes and you’d see it in full screen maximum

1:50 my favourite bit. The magician like floating mid air bit. Those distorted strings, so damn eerie.

Bro why is this song kind of hot

ugh... when i found out there was an instrumental to this, i nearly had a heart attack, i was so fucking happy!!

It's better without the lyrics, honestly. I like Trent's vocals and lyrics of course, but this instrumental is truly what makes this song: that signature NIN raw electronic brutality. 3:48 epitomises that phenomenality.

There NEEDS to be a 1hr version

Without the lyrics, it sounds to me like it would fit in a 90's/early 2000's PC game in a level where you're in a mechanical location built into a lava place and you have to fight aliens/robots/demons while solving puzzles

THE BASS GOING DURRR DA DA DURRRRR MAKES ME SO HAPPY I CANT

Amazing layering of different sounds. I love that sound that sounds like a racing motorcycle or something.

I first heard Closer when I was like 11... it was also a remix with super mario music layered in. It was like tasting forbidden fruit. By 14 I NIN was all I would listen to for years, there was nothing else like it.

I freakin' love it.

the lyrics were so awkward to listen to when you just want to dig the instrumentals. i don't know what 9 inch nails was thinking, but they can make a really sick beat :) thanks for posting this up man

2:30 is soooo good. Period.

This was the forbidden fruit when I was like 9, I knew I shouldn't be listening but seeing as my dad was a metalhead and my mom was more celtic folk music it was kinda my first tastes of electronic music and It really blew my mind at the time.

2:30 is what your looking for!

1:46 to 2:29 is the best part - i could listen to that looped for hours.

Wow, never heard the clean version before. Very cool!

The ominous percussion and bass.. The percussion always had this feeling of constantly flipping between static.

This song is the epitome of suspense, the section just before the good part loops an odd number of times so even after hearing it a number of times, it still takes you by surprise.

the clicking in the background tickles my brain

Atleast i can blast the instrumental version withouth my neighbors thinking im some kinda sex freak

i can feel this song from the inside

2:25-2:40 simplemente un temazo

i LOVE the classic gothic haunted house/psychological horror sound of the instrumental

Small wonder Reznor later made music for films.

Even if it’s instrumental I can still sing the lyrics in my head while listening to this

5:31 to the end is so beautiful.....it's the end of my life...I sit here crying to this, I need to get a handle on my PTSD, anxiety and depression or this will be the last thing I ever hear

1:25 is the best part lmao Idk why it sounds so dope lmao

This would make a great soundtrack for a rollercoaster

I listened to this while playing Yoshi's island, for some odd reason... this complements the game very well

Trent Reznor's artistic evolution is the most underappreciated, overlooked, and underanalysed progression in the history of music. There, I said it.

2:24 the way it slowly builds its way to the best part

Help, I'm obsessed with the downward spiral. I can't stop listening to it. Also this song feels really empty without vocals, still interesting to hear though.

The shift to a major key is the best part

Gotta love that vocoded synth! Pretty funky and catchy! Reminds me of a bygone era of music -mid 70's-late90's

2:29 talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it

I FREAKIN' LOVE THIS SONG!

I’ve never been able to describe a song as “fungal” before

Thanks for making this, the lyrics make me feel not so good

In the 90s, remember being 8 years old and finding this cassette in my mother's collection and going to my room and listening to this album in my room (sneaking it) Cut to- my mother finding the cassette tape and beating me with the tape LOL

THIS MY NEW SHIT/NOTHING RHYME/NO RHYMES

WOA-

Put headphones on and put volume up at 5:48 let it play till the end... Make sure both ears have the headphones on and put your hands to cover your ear so you can listen very good... Let me know how the sound feels in your head

This sounds like it belongs in Hotline Miami.

Im finally found this song after these years :D !

1:25 this part is my fav ong. first time i heard it was in the se7en movie and it still hits

Lyrics: I can make shit rhyme I can make shit rhyme if im... feel like And if I, don't... So I just might not, 'cause I, don't want And I'm just gonna freestyle for the first time With a freestyle, that don't even go together, oh No rhymes, that's my new shit Nothing rhyme How that sound Uh ohh! Wap! You ain't got the answers, Sway! I could sing all, night!

First time saw this in 94. I was a Jr. In high school. It was the weekend so my friends decided to drop acid. Anyway, we were about 4 hrs. Into our trip when this was played on MTV around 2 am. So, yeah, I was tripping balls.... Glad I had the opportunity to see this video on LSD... LMAO

SO glad to know that instrumental versions exist of NIN songs. I'm a Spinning(R) / indoor cycling instructor and I've long wanted to play some NIN in my classes ... but too many of Trent's lyrics just wouldn't be accepted if ya know what I mean! ;) This one has a great 90bpm tempo that'd make a fantastic flat! Hiow much resistance can you add and still pedal at 90 RPM?? :o :D

En instru agreable, novateur a la date de conception et toujours frais. Je n'ecoute que la clean edit en instrumentation.

Oh my god! It sounds so cool even without Trent's awesome voice!

Despite the theme of the song, the beat goes hard asf.

2:18 when i heard, I remembered

Dude bad ass instrumental. I heard the song and asked myself if they had it in instrumental and here it is. Awesome job.

This is lowkey a sick rap beat too.

I'm so glad an instrumental of this exists. :D (sorry but the lyrics kill the mood for me.) To me this sounds like it should go with some badass fight scene taking place in a dark city, or something of that nature.