Nine Inch Nails - Closer (Director's Cut)

[@pluscarnalivero]

this was my grandmother's favorite song, we played it at her funeral two weeks and the chorus had me in tears. Love you Gma.

[@gamertagdude1239]

Is this real or are you making fun of those stereotype comments??

[@legomovielover]

uhhh

[@blucci-_-boy4208]

I guess that bass really dropped

[@alpha8222]

Blursed

[@alicenestpasmonprenom5784]

What?

[@SweetJeopardy]

I remember when this video came out, it was huge! They had to censor it for MTV ofc, but the way they did it was brilliant: instead of blurring certain scenes or part of the images, they inserted a "SCENE MISSING" title card in that same grainy, antique film. It looked completely organic and indeed intentional, which IMO gave an even more disturbing effect because your mind had to fill in the blanks and - given the tone of the video, the song and the band - your imagination just went to really dark places to figure out what those images could possibly be. I've been looking for that cut for TV video and can't seem to find it anywhere. It's a great example of the video director's creativity!

[@freezingcathedral]

your imagination did. yours. don't project onto others, weirdo.

[@anthonyr2654]

@@freezingcathedral if your mind went to Sunshine, meadows and Sparrows chirping during the 'scene missing' bits of that video, you're definitely much more of a weirdo

[@St0n3dPickI3]

awesomw D

[@Kazilikaya]

I also remember when this song came out. I was pretty turned off by 90s music until I hear this song.

[@sarapatrick4027]

Yeah I forgot about that! Cool

[@BawlsMahoney]

The instrumental gives such a perfect sense of instinctual fear, cause it's basically a tune you would hear in a club, but the tone that they use is so gooey and feels like pulsating ooze and the beat is like your heart beat. Then the chorus hits and it sounds almost carnival like.

[@Model_Roe]

I said the same thing it's a very catchy beat it's just a great song irrespective of the lyrics

[@delanorrosey4730]

4:20 - The keys were PERFECT. Do you know what the hidden message is behind those keys? Listen to them again and think about this: "Time's up. Show's over. Good-Bye. See You In Hell."

[@mhoppy6639]

Great synth modulation. It’s superb mesmerising sound.

[@grandmasterautistwizard4291]

Just say it gets you bricked up dude, that's okay now.

[@roslynronald6568]

❤

[@danielcollins6268]

This song isn't necessarily about sex. It's about knowing you're unworthy and nothing and want to take something pure and beautiful and desecrate it. To bring that beauty down to your level, to soil it.

[@blackmask5373]

Something very deep... and your comment too.

[@Takeiteasyinparadise]

All I can think is of the stripper I watched dancing to this in Davie Florida and she would say otherwise hahaha

[@cindye5285]

Interesting. I always took it as wanting to be with something pure and beautiful in the deepest hope that it might elevate you to feel worthy; if only briefly.

[@dub7122]

I mostly relate to the idea that this song isn't necessarily about the person or the act that he is desecrating but more so just about the pure lust to let out all your frustration, ugliness and violence in the most dehumanizing way possible. But I adore the way everyone sees music and art differently. Its why I find it so beautiful

[@NSGrendel]

The lovely thing about art is it always works if makes you think.

[@ugandanknuckles3900]

I love the twist between disgust and sex and procreation and life and just this ensemble of what is reality but just in the most raw fashion. Not done in a way to pretty up anything but also not to dilute anything either. The creativity itself in this one is...remarkable. 100/10.

[@cece8095]

Yea but people get so perverted with this song though 🙄. This is not the side of sexuality that I appreciate. And im a Scorpio lol. This is dark. This is just not an accurate representation of sexuality as its meant to be. I do like the sound of this song a lot though! Heck, ill even listen to the instrumental version of it bc its just sooo good! Ngl, it is fire 🔥

[@ahhwe-any7434]

I remember sending this to my ex husband. He was just a crush then. But I just now remembered this. Yeah, I remember how I used to lust after him too. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I mean, it was funny at the time. I would send this to him. I heard this was actually supposed to be some spiritual thing tho. It's not really all that deep for me tho. Also, I'm not Trent Reznor. So I don't think like him. He knew wth he was doing behind these lyrics & it worked. I think u need to simma down now

[@osiris4457]

The song is not about sex, procreation, or life. It's about self-hatred, depression, and obsession. Listen to the whole album in one sitting, it will make sense. Especially the ending melody is important.

[@ugandanknuckles3900]

@@osiris4457 I've heard TDS countless times. I was referring to the imagery in the video. It's symbolism within the context of the song- within the context of the album. Closer is effectively the formative and culminative release the protagonist of the album feels, the only time that he really feels alive. And what it means after; without. It's a specific form of descent into madness. One that is all about escaping who somebody is- to become somebody or something they're not. There's a reason The Ruiner is the next track on the list. It's the aftermath of this abstract notion taken to it's decay through the personification of the other- within the self. An inner representative entity that embodies the worst aspects of human nature. The ruiner is a collector he's an infector serving his sh*t to his flies. You want what the Ruiner is giving you but you know it's wrong, you know it's apart of you, and you know fighting it won't win. The moral is It's about coming to terms with your human nature, not fighting it. From thereon the album takes a psychotic dive into depersonalization and a dissociative inhumane drive towards self destruction as the concept itself. The protagonist does not "make it". Whether physically or psychologically is audibly left to the listener.

[@user-sg4ov7ng4h]

I heard it's about a dude who had a chronic illnesd that was extremely painful and bdsm helped him

[@stefanogarbuglia]

it's a miracle this is still on youtube

[@JustaSprigofMint]

I know right!

[@NoxernPL]

Why do you think so?

[@stefanogarbuglia]

@@NoxernPL well, naked people, a crucified monkey, pig heads..

[@noone-pg4lr]

@@NoxernPLbecause there soft

[@SergioBicerra]

@@NoxernPL cause talks about sex and rape and triggers many people. Personally I find it ridiculous, but is the world we live now.

[@milliemaddern9109]

i still haven’t found a song that makes me feel how this song does, it’s just incredible

[@James-tg5nw]

How does it make you feel? Interested to hear a women's perspective

[@jackhelm1796]

Listen to Desire by Meg Myers. Different in many ways but similar in the dark lust feel

[@Blueluise]

yeah its the thor and odin vision perhaps...they even have an animal....

[@thiramshetty3421]

Same

[@didyougetanyofthat]

Try soft cell - sex dwarf. Closer is inspired by it

[@ZeylinDragonzz]

"It's a bird!" "Is a plane!" IS MY INNOCENT EYES FLYING AWAY

[@maxpayne2137]

Yeah sure 😂

[@trenchhj]

Mutalated pigs, Trent reznor in restraints, a monkey on the cross, and tiny boobs What where they thinking

[@aortaplatinum]

This video is a masterpiece of horror. It's like the director took everything that makes people uncomfortable and crushed it up all together into a lumpy, oozing and pulsating abomination of screaming disgust.

[@jordanboyd5587]

Not sure why not enough people don't comment about how horrific this music video actually is apart from it being "sexy".

[@MisterMcKnight]

that director is Mark Romanek, and he's responsible for so many ICONIC videos from the 90s. This dude also did Michael Jackson's-Scream, Madonna-Bedtime Stories and so many more

[@constanzaprajouxarellano154]

also the asthethic is heavily inspired on the work of Joel-Peter witkin, you might want to check it up ;)

[@itsjustme8947]

Try "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin for some creepy stuff.........

[@handsomepsychopath.9012]

About to watch it now. Love shit like that.

[@Chaotix-fm1ts]

I can imagine hearing this for the first time in 1994. According to my dad, this song was unlike anything he had ever heard before and he was completely blown away by the musical composition that Trent Reznor had going on. He is truly a genius.

[@johnvalencia9927]

Hey I remember it. It wasn't just this. It was every mind blowing album released then! This just fit right in....

[@jamienicolewyand9501]

Chaotix4516 I was there

[@flamingbabygames]

I was in jr high when this came out, and the whole album was so different than anything I'd ever heard. Far beyond hearing Nirvana for the first time during the hair band days, or even Metallica when they came around. Nothing came close to NIN back in the day. Manson kind of took some of that angst and ran with it, but a lot of what made him good was directly handed down from Trent or an effort to emulate him.

[@gregorious9989]

You have no idea, man. This whole record is stunning and it was like a bomb went off in my brain the first time I listened to it as a teenager.

[@jjsmith706]

You really can't imagine. This was a world breaker.

[@scottd1903]

This song was a cultural phenomenon. It was so different than anything else mainstream, grunge was on the way out and before techno got big Trent came along and blew people's minds. It was literally everywhere.

[@stuartcornwall2592]

One of my favorite layers in this song is the percussive noise that comes in and bounces between the right and left channels at 4:10. I heard this song hundreds of times without even noticing it but ever since I picked up on it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head

[@1manorgy]

The unironically sexy undertone is what really sends the creepy factor over the edge.

[@dawnpriest7814]

That's kind of the point.

[@marioiacolucci]

102.1 the edge used to play this song

[@wyattc.4455]

Undertone? It is the tone

[@1manorgy]

@@wyattc.4455 Point.

[@rinoluciani9731]

😂😂😂 Undertone

[@JackLiberty0]

Just to clarify, the monkey in the video was not at all harmed, they gave him lots of bananas and love during the filming, the ASPCA was present during filming of the music video. The pig carcass was real, but it was purchased from a slaughterhouse and Trent Reznor regretted it because it smelled very bad.

[@joshshrum2764]

I know he has a heart, but it’s lovely to know the band helped him grow into a better person.

[@user82938]

One of the monkey trainers was arrested on false charges tho. You can find his comment on a behind the scenes video here on YT.

[@alim.9801]

Oh I'm glad you mentioned this thank you :) I wasn't too worried bc from what I hear it sounds like Trent is a good guy but it's also nice to specially know they were nice to the monkey and gave him treats lol

[@LORDandslayer]

Thank you

[@lesliemelgosa8322]

thank you ive always wondered about that monkey and you just gave me sm peace 😅

[@TeddyandBricke]

It's crazy that this song is 30 years old now.

[@Blueluise]

ah, Magneisium and arteria

[@tranquero]

Yet it feels absolutely timeless

[@jenridge7768]

Right? Produced like it was released yesterday. It's truly an epic piece of artistry that will live on forever and never fade.

[@noahmusicstuff]

Sounds like it’s from 2027 lmao

[@Lisahansen-ok4ml]

@@TeddyandBricke OMG it's really been that long? That means that I was 10 when I started listening The nine inch nails and closer literally I played constantly I kind of still do and I also like the hand that feeds you there's just so many different kinds of songs that they've made and it's it's just art

I have seen Nin live more than once and Trent is my favorite artist of all time.

[@BuddhistZenDave]

everyone was harmed in the making of this video

[@vegantattoo7292]

Especially vegans like me..........=l

[@n.c.6211]

And they liked it lol

[@ntdlll7707]

Lol no they weren't they even have a behind scenes of this video😂 your a sore person for reals

[@1CrispyCracker]

@@ntdlll7707 Just went right over your head didn’t it?

[@RJ-og3cu]

@@1CrispyCracker lol I know, what a maroon, for reals

[@PneumaNoose]

I was 9 when I first saw this on MTV. Seeing Trent lick that perfectly shaped microphone sent me straight into puberty 😂

[@ShePassedAway]

You just killed me🤣

[@greciaa8190]

The same x me hahaha and send me to check about alt guys

[@Blueluise]

you little monster...energy dextrose T U rin is not alollowed in that age...Keanu

[@SamanthaGJones]

Puberty at 9?!?!

[@PneumaNoose]

@@SamanthaGJones well I started my period at 10… so that’s not really so far fetched 🤷🏻‍♀️ LOL

[@легушачьяжабка]

this song means a lot to me. as sad as it is the theme of self-hatred resulting in hypersexuality really resonates with me. I would even say that it became comforting since I haven't seen this topic being covered by other artists

[@marissahipp5757]

I haven’t heard or thought about this song in probably 2 years. My late bf and I listened to it and I told him how my parents would blast it when it was released to embarrass me… I was young and prude. This morning I saw a TikTok of a woman recreating the video and ran here to watch the original. The visceral reaction I had from the combination of the lyrics w/these visuals was 10000/10

[@Oompty]

I used to play this song when me and my late ex gf were together. Like together together and I just love the darkness and eccentricity of it.

[@легушачьяжабка]

@ItsavileEarth I'm doing much better honestly. it's not easy to fight those thoughts buf I'm getting better at it. thank you for asking❤️

[@JhonNye96]

"Your sex I can smell"

[@amusliminusa]

​@ItsavileEarthCould you please explain what you mean by casted on? Thank-you for your comments.

[@vanessapanek9959]

This is by far the most brilliant video that anybody in the entire planet ever made for somebody on their music. This video. This music is brilliant.

[@SammyM00782]

Imagine being 12 and watching this debut on MTV....it was EPIC. They aired it again at midnight that night "minorly" censored. The good ol days....

[@asher_wolfstein]

I don't have to imagine. THAT WAS MY LIFE! AND IT WAS EPIC!

[@JuancadeRamos]

its epic right now, 2024

[@simonfeil1412]

The first time I saw it, I *may* have been tripping balls.

[@PeteRoyJackson]

This isn't a music video; it's a horror movie short documentary with an amazing sound track. It transcends the music video genre.

[@marley0615]

im sorry but if you don't think this is music you're just wrong. if you think this is "transcendning what music is" then i'd love to see your reaction to avant-garde music

[@PeteRoyJackson]

@@marley0615 I said "music video." This is brilliant music!

[@marley0615]

@@PeteRoyJackson oh fair enough, then i agree

[@Model_Roe]

Even without the video it's a great song the beat is very catchy

[@jasonsphinx8461]

~

[@t.s.t.4085]

I'm 56, and this is why I LOVE 90's grunge/rock. The genre turned self-loathing and depression on its head, acknowledged darkness in thought in all its sadness/horror, and then spit it out with sarcasm, wit, and defiance. And yes, there is hope in the music too. That is the essence of 90's grunge.

[@GimmeJimmy23]

Fantastic assessment!

[@3VAudioVideo]

lol, this is not grunge music

[@rusadulgokraka]

@@3VAudioVideoI think NIN are industrial rock? But i agree they aren’t grunge lol

[@awesomecool9260]

this isnt even close to grunge, NIN is industrial rock and this song is like funk and electronic but the other stuff you said is true

[@letgo84]

Reminds me of..."God was here, but he left early..."🎉❤

[@mehakverma7043]

The lyrics for this song are so poetic, so romantic.

[@manningbartlett522]

I'm trying to get my head around the fact that the director of this video also directed Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off".

[@gabireolon]

She was Born in the year of This vídeo clip

[@rokaanalzeer]

Closer came out in 94

[@MrRattushungarikus]

R.A.s Reviews so she was five then :)

[@manningbartlett522]

LOL, my point was more that I find it astonishing that the director (Mark Romanek) of something as original and striking as this and who also directed the Johnny Cash "Hurt" video, would go on to do a cutesy-cutesy Taylor Swift clip.

[@elliotjames1392]

Manning Bartlett Holy shit, that's really fucking disturbing and on my list of stuff i didn't want to know

[@Wildboy789789]

record company: Trent we need a love song Trent: here ya go dude

[@Blueluise]

Scooter: Maria, I like it....

[@modhipemo]

ha ha ha ha

[@TheBLGL]

Uh, it’s about H but go off...

[@Blueluise]

some things look like tools, like Werkzeug

[@adamsmasher9769]

@@TheBLGL this is about a man turning to sex and drugs to try to feel something. As well as a sense of sexual frustration. Its part of the downward spiral. Of course a bunch of trents songs are at least partially about H.

[@joannaalvino9958]

Me and my girl were paid to dance in cages to this song in the underground after hour clubs. Best time of my life.

[@jordeneyermann]

Woah! Sounds exciting

[@LOVER.c0m]

I wish I were you-

[@KrashyKharma]

Limelight? Not underground or after hours, but I ask cuz people were always dancing in cages to this at Limelight.

[@LOSTINMAIA]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpqXqYWZZd2sntk

[@Grubbydub]

Your club straight up played a song about a rapists obsession with there victim

[@Jarfig]

I used to stand by the lake, in the pitch black night with this song blaring in my ears on repeat. Every time I hear it now I feel I'm by that lake again, cold wind and distant stars.

[@littlepoodle316]

Imagine being like oh yeah my child was in a music video and people ask which one lol

[@leisliemunoz4876]

💀👍🏽

[@minuatri2565]

My thoughts exactly

[@vampirexion]

I'd be proud.

[@PickleRicksFATASSCOUSIN]

Or your grandparents lol

[@the2ndcoming135]

When you successfully put the lotion on your skin, and Billy actually allowed you to leave without subjecting you to his buffalo sauce, because he realized how important your mom is😅

[@Unpopularopinion2024]

*30 years later this song still sounds like it's from the future*

[@jasonsphinx8461]

Peace Among Worlds time travellers smfrs~

[@greatBLT]

shows how much innovation has happened in popular music over the past few decades...

[@groobs]

​@@greatBLTi just appreciate the raw tallent it takes to make something this, scratchy in me feels and brain

[@dinokristianto]

Definitely the album, i still can’t believe it released in 1994

[@KufLMAO]

It’s been 35 years what do you mean

[@dsneblina]

My sister put me onto NIN back in 2004; I was 12years old. This was the perfect coming of age band for a strange child. R.I.P. to the dopest sister in this whole fuckin realm

[@BriannaBow]

I'm sorry for your loss. My mother passed recently, so I know it's not easy to deal with.

[@paulcaravello]

@@BriannaBow omg im so sorry for u loss :(

[@BriannaBow]

@@paulcaravello thank you. I'm just taking it one day at a time. She would want me to keep going on with my life, so I'll do just that.

[@HollywoodColt]

2004! You should have been there 1989 when NIN hit the mainstream. The 90s kicked ASS!!!

[@BriannaBow]

@@HollywoodColt read the room

[@theaquarian7988]

Closer was my intro to Industrial music. I first heard it on KROQ (Southern California) in late Summer / early Autumn of 1994. I was 15 at the time, a sophmore in high school. A young lady I was seeing at the time was really into nin, as well. Trent was so cool back then. I miss THIS Trent! Pretty Hate Machine Broken The Downward Spiral ...best NIN albums ever IMO.

[@lindahoeymakers8898]

MOI MOI MOI LOVE IT TO.....

[@lilianhansen6657]

I was sixteen when I heard this was the first time I listen to NIN and boy I felt things next thing you know I convinced my parents to buy me tickets and my aunt came to keep and eye on me and her face when she heard this song and saw me sing the lyrics I was grounded for a year and a half

[@donnaschuppr9834]

Oops

[@starwhale7370]

But it was epic 😌

[@raytheshredgod6987]

That is so awesome

[@motiv311]

Classic!

[@JustinDecrescenzo-po5jh]

The version they put on MTV to be quite honest was creepier because the REALLY questionable parts were replaced with "Scene missing" giving it an even more old film feeling and the curiosity of how bad it actually was.

[@babbaganush9659]

they blurred out some stuff too, which was also creepy

[@necrosunderground]

That's why horror writers will tell you to hold off revealing the monster for as long as you can; give little glimpses of it, and let the readers' minds fill in the blanks, and it's guaranteed to be scarier than whatever the actual monster turns out to be

[@TheZoidberg312]

For the longest time, I thought Scene Missing was an intentional part of the video....I didn't know they were actual scenes cut!

[@terryenglish7132]

Fuck Censorship

[@southernprideyankee]

Pushing the boundaries of madness, sorrow, lust, hate, guilt, depression, atheism, innocence and beauty. Embracing his demons and watching the beauty of the world he knew fade into nothing is just mesmerizing. The industrial decay is matched only by his mental deterioration. This is the downward spiral, this is a masterpiece!

[@michaeltokos1116]

A Masterpiece that rivals The Divinche Code

[@michaeltokos1116]

Whoops! I mean The last supper or that new one they found, with that perfect crystal ball that they thought was impossible n they called the new painting they found a fraud cut in it it's not reversed ( what u see in that crystal ball. I once had one that was that way also. Duh . Someone stole it n I just turned the other cheek. Rather than defend myself cuz that gets me in trouble. Divinche, I bet he art's in Heaven now!

[@melissaciko824]

Your words should be copywritten 💯👿🔥👅🤘🏼🫦

[@melissaciko824]

I want to know you, like friends or something

[@southernprideyankee]

@@melissaciko824 in time.....

[@Maddswashere037]

this makes me a little sad and extremely disturbed and i love it.

[@DavePerry-h5r]

They recorded this album in the Manson murder house. I always thought it had something really dark and sinister within it, then I found out about that.

[@str8416]

This song is what I imagine it could have happened if Depeche Mode and David Bowie ever composed a song together. I can't believe this song is already 30 years old and it still sounds so contemporary. Thanks for creating this masterpiece Nine Inch Nails.

[@brapel9818]

Ladies and gentlemen, an Oscar nominated composer for a children’s movie

[@micajohansson1138]

A two time Oscar winner.

[@TheOnlySiggi]

Wow! Did not know he worked on the Soul OST 0.0 I love that movie

[@Jlyblylvr]

And the only Grammy winner for a song with the words "fist fuck"

[@sassynin]

You do realise he doesn’t F and blind in it right 🤣

[@neveroddoreven6597]

It isn’t a children’s movie, by the by.

[@keertipatkarkiki4337]

this music video is a MASTERPIECE

[@amazingamer360]

2:47 Scrolling through the character selection screen

[@ximkai8794]

"A new challenger has entered the fight."

[@jordanboyd5587]

It more looks like a Smash Bros trophy collection to me.

[@cedieleoncio1181]

Or cars in every car game

[@mehimself3936]

I'd like to choose jim crow

[@hemprope4326]

@@cedieleoncio1181 *Hot wheels game nostalgia*

[@berniprinci3523]

Thank god my mom doesn't understand English so I can play this at full volume

[@bloody.halloween]

My mom was the one they kinda showed me NIN

[@רועישכטר-ה2ר]

@@bloody.halloween you have a cool mom

[@carlosbrown_33]

same

[@blancaspnw]

I had a friend who's 60+ year old mother loved this song, and would sing it whenever it came on, not fully understanding the lyrics... until she finally explained them her mother, and told her that she wasn't allowed to sing this (around her) anymore.

[@isabellmuller7161]

Same

[@mannschaftvonarschloch1214]

HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY! RELEASED 08 MARCH 1994.

[@ohar7237]

Faaaaaahk I feel old now. 😕

[@ParadoxicalSerenity]

I was 4 years old and my bday is 8th March ❤🥲

[@CraigKeyes-x3c]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@Jay-mi5dg]

First time I’ve ever heard this track after binging limp bizkit vids and it brought me here! At 1:25… all I can hear is My Way 😮… and that acid bass is something special 🔥

[@andrewtodaro2874]

This song is almost 30 years old and it still has an effect of shock and awe !

[@jasondean88888]

I find it odd... the lack of comments on how the mic had a nipple shadow.

[@SssagaBenches4U]

Math, mohterfukcer... do you know it!?

[@charlotte-mg9wj]

I recently heard it again on Netflix’s fall of the house of Usher, brilliant scene and picking this song for it was the chef’s kiss!

[@stefanogarbuglia]

I think that nowadays it's easier to get shocked. Everything can get someone offended lol

[@bigjermini]

@@jasondean88888 because its the first thing everyone noticed. but also just so relatively tame. Its like the word "ass" in the midst of an erotic shock horror novel.

[@craigrussell3062]

The director of this video, Mark Romanek, is a certified genius. Watch some of his other music videos - like Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" or Jay Z's "99 Problems" - and you see how versatile he is at matching the tone of the song and the artist while always being high quality and interesting.

[@chevand8]

And also, I would highly recommend checking out the film One Hour Photo, starring Robin Williams. Not only did Williams deliver one of his most intense dramatic performances, but Romanek directed the film, and the cinematography definitely bears many of the hallmarks of his music videos.

[@furnitureconsortium]

Beck’s “Devil’s Haircut” was also a Romanek video…..awesome stuff

[@Mtv-get-off-thee-air]

The fact that he did this video and those two definitely shows how versatile he is

[@peterroberts7684]

Agreed

[@MsFuzzipoo]

@@chevand8 Yes! One Hour Photo is an incredible movie! Disturbing, sad, and AMAZINGLY well done all around. Such a great movie, and Robin Williams gave a stellar performance... I wish it had more recognition, it definitely deserves more than it's received.

[@peterp2153]

I love that this shit was mainstream, even in the video’s edited/censored form. There was still a little bit of adventure in the music industry back then.

[@creekandseminole]

I saw this video so many times on TV back then. It was just something that you watched because what else was going on? Took it for granted. Music hasn't been as good since...

[@PaulOLearyRebelMartialArts]

We done life so much better back then 😏

[@thesilentsiren]

This is the most morbid and primal way to describe the urge to breed.. I love it.

[@pemdas927]

I miss the 90's. When music videos were so simple and so pure.

[@koyaaanisquatsi]

I wouldn’t call Closer simple by any stretch of the imagination lmao

[@octopusyogurt1883]

Hmm… I wouldn’t call this music video either of those things… Edit: I just realised that this comment is probably ironic. But tbf can u blame me… u get so many old heads reminiscing about “the good old days” haha

[@killbot_factory]

hard to explain how groundbreaking this was at the time...as a 14 year old kid, seeing this on MTV...not only had I never heard anything like this, but the imagery was even more powerful. nightmare fuel, but also incredibly intriguing. still stands up

[@jamieperkins5323]

I was also 14 when this album & video came out. Raddest shit I'd seen....had all the creepy, sexy feels. Plus Trent tied up....totally warped my fragile little mind. 😂

[@katherinewilson1853]

@@jamieperkins5323 I think we were 12 or 13. We were all agog.

[@asher_wolfstein]

I was 12. I took in everything. Changed my life. Set my course. I thought to myself, "Finally, someone who speaks to me!"

[@hernanbruno4178]

Trent floating and spinning in the air and when he plays the piano at the end always impressed me so much since 1994. Ahead of his time.

[@-joe90]

Mk ultra

[@gabe_s_videos]

That was the best thing about music videos from the 90s and 2000s: they made being a musician seem like a kind of superpower and the musicians themselves were like superheroes!

[@Model_Roe]

He definitely deserves his flowers while he's still here a lot of people don't know NIN technically wasn't a band Trent played all the instruments for the all the records dude is a genius a white version of Prince 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@archaeologistsband584]

Most miss the fact that this song is not about glorifying sex. It's actually about the lowest type of person who loses their humanity by being addicted to self gratification. The person in the song is crying out for help. He is swimming in shame and self disgust. He has lost his very existence. We all know plenty who are addicted to pleasure the flesh that leads to self destruction.

[@jordanf.4876]

Correct.

[@rezuka96]

Considering the fact that the whole album is about the downward spiral to suicide.

[@ZDanimations]

@@rezuka96 yup, NIN/Trent has been my obsession since I was 13. Brilliant album, the fragile was also excellent. They just dont make em like this anymore.

[@josehernandez7946]

Pretty much masochism?

[@pincmin]

not at all.

[@isaiahvoss]

FLYNN LIVES again with this one. From Daft Punk to NIN. TR3N after the announcement.

[@asheshenry5981]

The symbolism in this video is just incredible...

[@heavenearth3703]

omg there amazing. I'm trying to figure them out. that's why I like reading through comments to see other people's perspectives

[@LyleVSXyle]

+ashes henry It always reminds me of American Horror Story... ironic since the theme was composed by ex-NIN member Charlie Klouser.

[@chownful]

+LyleVSXyle except that show sucks

[@LyleVSXyle]

chownful It has its ups and downs

[@jackpitman15]

+LyleVSXyle the ups being season one, the downs being everything since

[@Japo006]

Tbh this is probably up there as one of the best music videos of all time. Not even being edgy, it's just so memorable. I love those lil clips of Trent levitating and spinning in a circle.

[@18dcallaway]

I was 21 when this song first came out, first time out at clubs and when this song would start up EVERYONE ran to the dance floor! I miss those days! LOVE NIN!!!

[@WickedestVoodoo]

I remember when this hit the radio. Where we lived, they "messed up" and played the uncut version on the radio. All the naughty words.

[@skoorb132]

Trent Reznor is the only person who could write songs about some of the most vile shit ever and then go on to make the soundtrack for a pixar movie

[@itzcarmenlol]

which song?

[@skoorb132]

@@itzcarmenlol you literally just listened to it

[@itzcarmenlol]

@@skoorb132 i meant which pixar movie 😅

[@skoorb132]

@@itzcarmenlol soul

[@katieeldridge34]

And win a oscar for said movie

[@adamblea5803]

30 years later and this song STILL slaps. Still as brilliant. Still a masterpiece. Still disturbing yet oddly erotic. Reznor is an absolute artistic genius.

[@fluentinsilence]

I discovered this album in 6th grade; some kid was passing his big brother's album around class and I was like, 'WHAT IS THIS.... O_O" and my life changed after that. One of the best albums of the '90s.

[@Goon_Lagoon69420]

That kid's brother has a good taste

[@JohhnMontgomery]

This song is taken so superficially its actually amusing....its really a thing of beauty

[@moneywelder]

When this song came out....... I was working in a nightclub. The owner wasn't in the building so I decided that I would check this song out on the sound system. Let's just say that it was lucky the windows, mirrors on the stage and speakers all throughout the club didn't fail. Awesome song

[@angelkisses19771]

I did dance to this song it was a wild moment 🤟

[@johndaniels7609]

​@@angelkisses19771me too. With a girl I worked with I had a crush on. She was singing it as we danced........

[@reubenrozeyt5716]

The G Force scene at 4:11 is one of the most perfect pieces of cinematography history

[@tatianamayorova4640]

It's me driven in a car with no air conditioning to my summer house

[@Greasy_Gigaballs382]

"how much symbolism can we cram into a 5 minute long music video"

[@Skrunkly_Velvet_Worm]

Actshually 🤓 its 4 minutes and 42 seconds long 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@YaoEspirito]

Thank you for NOT ending that comment with "Yes". 🙏🏾

[@Obsidiana_99]

Yes

[@havi.1197]

YES @@YaoEspirito

[@kellysmith7357]

no

[@WesternKillCompany]

Top five greatest songs ever

[@chrisPAT03]

Man Trent is such a bad ass composer. I love how he blended this with a backing music track and live instruments. The breaks, hooks and bass line is totally unforgettable.

[@ericphilen3433]

He is a musical genius

[@brokentanktread]

1:25 with no context this part is amazing

[@Vitorio582]

Even better kzbin.info/www/bejne/qai7YXuFedOdrbMm16s

[@majkou]

EXACTLYY

[@ratbatart]

There is context?

[@brittthomas33]

Watching this in high school: This is creepy and hot. Watching this as an adult after studying art: I see the influence of Francis Bacon, Joel Peter Witkin, the Brothers Quay, David Wojnarowicz's A Fire in My Belly, Man Ray's An Object to be Destroyed is actually in the video... so many art references and influences!

[@thegline]

Did you also catch the George Tooker reference?

[@adriandiaz497]

I felt this had Bacon's and Ray's references. The video is too much to not to have lots of influences. I actually like finding these things in music videos, so thanks for sharing

[@marinskyjones1108]

Ok. Enough of your pretentious crap.Perhaps too uncomfortable to actually just sit and really LISTEN and get a natural, visceral reaction to things we know aren't good for us, yet can't/don't want to stop doing. The song is obviously about chocolate!

[@badlaamaurukehu]

No William Blake in there somewhere?

[@badlaamaurukehu]

@@marinskyjones1108 So shut up and listen.

[@andreamy7663]

The only harm I hear and see is that Trent and his band has not had the credit and awards that should have been given for this masterpiece....Thank you Nine Inch Nails❤

[@313drepeso313]

A black guy from the D heard this song on the radio when he was a kid (edited version) and till this day it's still my ish. The power of music no matter the genre is a beautiful thing. 💯

[@egaliterrevolt]

Another 90's masterpiece

[@ultrasans3271]

Eighties*

[@lisaapplegate6967]

Absolutely

[@ryantres85]

You can tell the influence Trent had on Marilyn Manson, he practically taught him how to use shock to sell records.

[@polinam9546]

I've always found Trent's brand of shock so much more... tasteful.

[@DW-vd9mp]

@@polinam9546 manson is just grotesque purely for shock.

[@TipTheScales27]

Marilyn was shocking before he even met Reznor. I think Trent has had more of an influence over the production of Marilyn’s music than anything. They both are extremely talented in their own rights.

[@SuperNitpicker]

Not just that, the level of grime and filth on the frame seems to have really influenced Fincher (hence it being in the opening credits).

[@ZachHixsonTutorials]

@@polinam9546 Couldn't agree more. I've tried repeatedly to get into Manson, but his songs almost feel like he's trying too hard to be edgy. The guy definitely has musical talent, but it's just too up front and in your face in that almost silly, haunted house attraction kind of way.

[@no0ne3lse]

Yesterday I listened to this for the first time. Forever scarred.

[@zepharephic5381]

You'll get over it You might even come back to it

[@no0ne3lse]

@@zepharephic5381 I'm back

[@DiggitySlice]

Sex shop worker: "Wow you got a lot. Fun night planned?" Trent Reznor: "Yeah making a music video."

[@crystaleunoia3974]

Sex shop: "We got some kinky shit up in here." Trent Reznor: *_I'LL TAKE YOUR WHOLE STOCK_*

[@M4NC3R_420]

thats hilarious dude

[@mortdewerewolfe691]

@@crystaleunoia3974 Trent five minutes later ''That all?''

[@PickleSurpriseVEVO]

This is nothing compared to Happiness in Slavery

[@taumpytears6999]

ok , THATS funny

[@rajvader]

Trent was probably like... "Okay... Did we offend absolutely everyone? Don't want to leave anyone out. That would be rude!"

[@Rasetsunyo]

rajvader awwwww, were you triggered by the mean old music video? Poor little snowflake, just show me on the doll where it touched you, then you can go to your safe space, complete with puppies and coloring books.

[@rajvader]

Ha! I was just impressed that they did such a thorough job.

[@thisisexile66]

Guy raking you over the coals for thinking you were offended is offended.

[@rodericklenz5030]

there's a difference between trying to offend and challenging the status quo

[@nathannapier229]

Rasetsunyo He was obviously joking, you fuck.

[@UntitledKirk]

The only song titled "Closer" that should appear first when searching on KZbin. No exceptions.

[@GabrielRodriguez-gf3pr]

Travis and Ne Yo appear LOL

[@cinaralin]

It's not nearly as profound but I like the Lacuna Coil song as well.

[@JetJockey87]

Hmmm what about RollerCloser by Neil Cicierega. Definitely worth a listen

[@DavidTodora-e2i]

I don't know why but I absolutely love this song. It just makes me turn around 360. I've always loved this group. I know it's eerie, but it's also greatness and I didn't know so many people got harmed making this video I heard but it's just awesome and red and dark and fantastic thank you and God bless and peace out

[@dylanfranklin5000]

There is something about Trent Reznor's voice that's so soothing, I can't lay a finger on it.

[@lamarimonda3483]

Best Valentine's Day Song of All Time

[@somedude66696]

That and ' love you to death ' by type o negative

[@heavymetalcompilations4784]

Lazzy The forgotten Witch yeah both of those songs

[@nad.mad.]

So romantic...

[@yazming9143]

Yesss. ♡

[@antonelazuliani194]

Total true

[@gjrloiouyfchicfhhudrgky3470]

I like how the song shows extreme emotion without hard shouts or screams with rather quiet music. Not showing emotion bursting but rather emotion ready to burst? Not sure how to explain this. It's a very interesting approach for someone who likes death and thrash.

[@ericaespinosa4030]

Rkdiosmsj Odmcncnsh I totally get what you mean! Great comment.

[@Corey-tp2eo]

Instead of raw anger, it's a anger slowly bubbling up to the surface in waves. More painful.

[@patriciailges6213]

I’m a huge keyboard/synthesizer fan because my brother plays them so I grew up with them and fell in love with them. This is one of my favorite songs ever and every time my kids hear it on the radio they’ll say “Hey mom, your favorite song is on!” 😂 Such an awesome song!

[@annoyedok321]

Seeing this at Woodstock 94' was one of my favorite concert experiences.

[@sonicepiphany]

You bastard😂

[@xoxoXero]

living the dream

[@JessicaMoss-r7l]

TIA řugs

[@AbsenceOfLogic]

How long did it take to get all the mud off? 😝

[@annoyedok321]

@@AbsenceOfLogic Reststop on the way out of town had a RV faucet we all used. Sick for days afterwards.

[@pompii3402]

This guy Is so talented. He should do the music to a Disney movie someday. Edit: Yall bitches gave me over 700 likes. Yall need a therapist

[@Hydrolysis_Moment]

This is a great one for the kids, I played it at chuck e cheese, and they liked it so much they told me to never come back

[@DerLiesl]

♥ Soul ♥

[@Currrby]

if he ever does do the music for a disney film, he should definitely get an oscar for it

[@Currrby]

@@DerLiesl yes that's what we were all hinting at

[@audz8219]

I love the fact that I know he did!! ❤️🖤♥️#ReznorForever

[@SpookyKid_SpaceAce]

For anyone who's watching this for the first time - enjoy it. You only get to experience it for the first time once.

[@mmeza664]

I popped my cherry today. This was visually stunning.

[@davidunderwood1773]

Watching the “Happiness in Slavery” music video once was enough

[@senku1396]

i watched this full svreen on the bus all the way theough and like HOLYYYYYY SHIIII i was like scared the whole time but like props to the music video director because it definitely achieved its goal onlysmallbites sent me here LOL

[@davidhunter1537]

Just a CLASSIC track...listening 2024 going in 2025...thanks

[@Underscorezeus]

This guy did the score for Pixar's Soul

[@jordanboyd5587]

Disney: So you're responsible for making some of the most bleak and at times, vulgar songs? Trent Reznor: Yes. Disney: Go make music for a Pixar movie! Trent: Ok.

[@MichelleZhou]

That’s what I love about Trent. He can write some of the dirtiest, most obscene and masochistic songs I’ve ever heard and then do a full 180 and compose music for a kids’ movie

[@begoneforgood3001]

@@MichelleZhou do a full 360°?

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@jordanboyd5587 Well Disney did get Panic! at the Disco and Weezer to work on the Frozen 2 soundtrack so

[@Underscorezeus]

@@TheMark1999 it wasn't a complaint my guy, just a funny observation

[@ronanjenkins2323]

Trent is a super talented dude, “Pretty hate machine, The downward spiral, the fragile, with teeth and broken” are all such good records. Absolutely mind boggling.

[@treyebillups8602]

He also wrote the soundtrack to the documentary series “The Vietnam War” by Ken Burns, which is really good

[@keelanbennett3430]

13 years later and I still remember falling in love with this song as a young kid. My mum and I would blast Nine while we would clean our apartment. House cleaning music I call this but that doesn't mean it's not incredible

[@johnwilliams-dg6qx]

I did some spring cleaning blasting with teeth earlier lol

[@notmoldypizza1314]

My mon would clean to this when i was younger too

[@david7384]

That ain't right

[@lisaoldham974]

That's why I'm here lol I'm scrubbing the kitchen floor!

[@blending_in]

How can y'all listen to this with a family member 😭

[@theWUisCOMINthru]

Anyone listening in 2024? In August? On Saturday the 11th? At 10:54:14 pm? Sitting outside? Smoking a cigarette? With a hoodie and shorts on? Leaning against the front brick wall next to their garage door? In Pittsburgh, PA? At 40.5170° N, 80.2213° W? Facing due East???????

[@nthcanstopme]

LMAOO

[@zepharephic5381]

I don't know if this is original, but it's the first time I'm seeing it

[@jonathanespinozamazariegos5542]

Taken from wikipedia : The music video was directed by Mark Romanek and first aired on May 12, 1994, having been filmed in April of that year. It was cut down from its original length to 4:36. The video was popular and helped bolster the success of the band. Set in what appears to be a 19th-century mad scientist's laboratory, the video's imagery involves religion, sexuality, animal cruelty, politics, and terror, including: A heart connected to some sort of device; the beat of the heart corresponds to the beat of the song A nude, bald woman with a crucifix mask.A monkey tied to a cross.A severed pig's head spinning on some type of machine.A diagram of the vulva/vagina.Reznor wearing various fetish gear, such as an S&M mask, ball gag, and long leather gloves while swinging in shackles. Several times, Reznor, wearing leather pants, floats and rotates through the air, suspended by invisible wires. There are also scenes of Reznor being blown back by a wind machine while wearing aviator goggles. These images seem to be inspired by the work of Joel-Peter Witkin, as well as by the Brothers Quay's animated short film Street of Crocodiles.For the television version, certain removed scenes were replaced with a title card that read "Scene Missing," and the instances of the word fuck being edited out were accompanied by a stop in the video motion, making it appear as if the stop was a result of defective film (this was supposedly done to make sure the flow of the song was not affected). According to Romanek, the video was filmed using "a slightly out of date film stock but it was still a contemporary film stock.". This video is considered a Master piece of art and is permanently on the MOMA audiovisual collection as a world heritage.

[@omelas8375]

Please tell me your not actually using wikipedia for reliable information

[@765respect]

As it should be! A masterpiece.

[@nikkihiner1661]

@mark david truth is based on the fact of the moment. Fact is the moment; is the truth and their is no other!? Can't yet be redone.. you ll know when it does, then who will you trust. Thanks man. Encourageable.

[@Shadow-bq6rf]

Um ok.

[@spacedude5208]

@@omelas8375Wikipedia is as accurate as you can get with other sources used as a basis they are very good at keeping trolls out to

[@SirAnimosity]

My favorite part in the video is when he’s just floating there and spinning

[@Sand-Walker13]

It's really cool... to say the least.

[@DamianVega00]

Hi I'm Trash super trippy and just fucking creepy

[@TheEsdaniel]

Looks pretty neat

[@danceswithmetroids162]

I like it a lot. To me it represents how giving in to sexual urges can leave us disoriented and spinning out of control. Without self control we just run around in circles. Kind of reminds me of the 2nd circle in Dante's Inferno, where the punishment for Lust was beating you back and forth in an endless, violent wind symbolizing how we can be carried away by our passions.

[@illuminaticonfirmed1389]

DancesWithMetroids That’s a really nice interpretation

[@3ds_fellgod-myhopewillneve617]

1989 wasn't ready for this.

[@aaaabbbb4536]

1994

[@yourdailydoseofqualitycont7698]

You obviously don't know 1989.

[@charissamarluk]

I agree... it is 2018... and still not sure if we are ready for this... I will always love this video.. and I am a grandma of almost 60...LOLOLOL...!

[@lopis3197]

1994

[@Raines_Railway]

We still aren't

[@syameerhafeez2421]

Who came here after hearing announcement that he will compose for Tron Ares

[@Alex-hn8ov]

Haha straight away as well

[@elvismorales85]

Yep. Me. And Im confused on why Disney choose them. Well, Disney today is not the same Disney of 10 years ago anyway. Guess this goes with their new identity. Totally grossed out.

[@ehtresih9540]

WHAT?! atleast the music will be good i guess?

[@literallytrash1869]

My mom let me pick the music when we were driving recently and that song played and by the look she gave me I think she wondered if an abortion 18 years after giving birth is an option

[@brittanybutts6521]

Don't ever let her read "Unwind" by Neal Schusterman. If you haven't heard of it, you should google it and even read it. There were three books.

[@susufray3601]

@@brittanybutts6521 Omg so random but I am glad someone else appreciates the book it's so underrated

[@1staidgirl]

Good thing she didn't see the video. 🤣😂

[@tarajones9675]

No biggie. I grew up on this and have a kid your age. Lol if they play this that's good music!

[@kingnothing3523]

Your mom is lame. My mom got me hooked on NIN

[@squashedredberry7337]

American Horror Story intro creators: We’re just gonna take a few notes that’s all…nothing more than that 😅

[@cocoonman]

oh my god totally. I knew that I recognized that intro thematically from someplace!!!!

[@HunterVaughanMusic]

The guy (Charlie Clouser) who made the intro music for AHS was in Nine Inch Nails for some time ;)

[@Blueluise]

animal docs know highlights...

[@imcharming4808]

all media, in a way, bc Fincher used this vibe on Se7en, and Se7en was ripped off by Saw, and... Well, Saw made a lot of shit IDK if you knew that lmao

[@tiggy114]

And the rusty lake game creators too

[@jordanboyd5587]

Trent looks like a mix of Snape from Harry Potter and Kylo Ren from Star Wars. He's pretty handsome, not gonna lie.

[@mardus_ee]

He now looks like an older version of Pablo Schreiber, the lead actor in the "Halo" tv series (based on the computer game).

[@christymazzagatti7939]

I always thought he looked like Jay Mohr.

[@BL00ST41NS]

This song is crazy 💀🙏

[@antzman710]

So we’re just not gonna talk about how Trent is getting into the rock and roll hall of fame?!?! How am I the only one so hyped about that. A visionary of his own mind. Can’t wait for the ceremony , it is well deserved 👌🏽

[@angelashinner]

When?

[@reesespieces22]

@@angelashinner This year

[@tothesky8799]

It already happened and there was no ceremony.

[@ivanbraidi]

Trent is an absolute Art God.

[@chriss9080]

Sometimes I sing to my cat: "I want to pet you like an animal. I want to feel you from the OUT SIDE."

[@missmew3499]

😂😂😂😂👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎

[@mernie2011]

🤣😂🤣

[@GarrettP8]

😂 you could add "In ancient Egypt you were a God!"

[@bacht4799]

Oh how cute ☺️

[@xembie7665]

whatever floats your boat

[@adamisonfire4261]

Reznor is a genius. Kids - they don't make videos like this anymore.

[@noahmusicstuff]

Fr music videos these days are just people doing stupid dances and lipsyncing

[@DailydoseBri]

Lol what satanic ?

[@missally3333]

I don't understand these images, but I have a feeling they are somewhat evil in nature. Reznor is an atheist, so why would he have images in either direction?

[@noahmusicstuff]

@@missally3333 The music video is meant to be disturbing and isn’t really supposed to mean anything from what I know. Also, did you even listen to the lyrics of the song?

[@missally3333]

@@noahmusicstuff Baby, that was my cut for years. I have The Downward Spiral on vinyl.. I like other songs on there too. 1. Mr. Self-Destruct 2. Hurt 3. Reptile 4. Down In It [ Pretty Hate Machine]

[@dammond696]

shadow men who see you, life that breeds you, you will become the light of my eye. the stars they see, me and thee

[@infinitekreacher99]

Through the forest Above the trees Within my stomach Scrapped off my knees I drink the Honey Inside your hive You are the reason I STAY ALIVE

[@saymyname2618]

infinite kreacher "I drink the HONEY,inside your HIVE" looks like a video title coming from Redtube

[@charlottelake4965]

Been searching the comments for this bit thanks 🙏🏻🧡

[@chriscole4879]

Such poetry

[@angelv0mit50]

You can recall the whispered lyrics . Nice