The powerful harmony of "HURT" // Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral)

[@JoeDiducaPhotography]

“Everyone I know goes away in the end” is the heaviest lyric ever. Man, it cuts real deep.

[@thedutchdjentleman]

The song exploder episode is how I got into Nine Inch Nails.

[@Tzudro]

Welcome to a very wild ride. I definitely recommend listening to the albums in the order they were released and follow Trent's very intense musical journey. If you like his work, also check out How To Destroy Angels and anything he does with Atticus Ross.

[@silentimage5196]

This song has always given me the dichotomous feeling of 'painful hope'.

[@tortis6342]

Thank you so much for enlightening me to the word 'dichotomous'. I love words so much and that is such a good one.

[@tarnishchris]

Find and watch the version of this where he's singing it with David Bowie...Trent's face is priceless, his smile when the harmony hits is amazing

[@RowanWhite1980]

I’m impressed by how much a simple chord progression can hurt my heart in the best way possible.

[@sebastiandeases1139]

Chords are simple but chords are everything

[@antimatter2380]

Thank you for explaining why other versions, like Cash's, don't work as well. The original always filled me with dread and despair while Cash just sounds like an old man with some regret. I never knew that that was because he lacks those dissonant tones. The essence of that tension, that unease, and unsettling nature is what elevates a sad song to utter desperation and heartache and is an essential quality missing from those covers leaving them falling flat compared to the original. So thank you for your analyzation.

[@soaribb32]

I think being a regretful old man is worthwhile approach to this tune

[@johnbigelson7471]

Spot on, I've always felt the same - despite the much broader popularity of the Cash version, to me it always felt and sounded like a "Hallmark" version of depression - it's cleaned up, it's not messy or repulsive. Reznor's version DOESN'T sound good, it evokes the type of depression that's NOT glamorous to talk about with others, deep substance abuse, living like a slob, life out of control.

[@tracyfrink3594]

Yeah I couldn’t agree more. I never understood why people preferred the cash cover to the original. I suppose it’s because it’s neater easier to hear. But it lacks that raw “hurt” for lack of a better word. The discord is Trent’s version just hits harder on more levels. It’s kinda cool to know why. This was a great docuseries.

[@tid418]

Thank you! I see so many people saying Cash's version is better. To me, it doesn't even come close. Not only is the beautiful dissonance missing, but the pacing is off... too much was cut out. Those spaces are there for a reason. Reznor is pouring his heart out, and while Cash was going for the same thing, there's just not enough time for it with the "top 40" edit they used.

[@asbjrnandersen4222]

I really don’t get why the Cash-version is so hyped, though I guess the video pulled a LOT of weight. It doesn’t take the song into new territory, except for being more radio-friendly.

[@chrismorrison6126]

This video is a masterpiece and I was not emotionally prepared for the improv.

[@caseyhamm4292]

i love how you talk about your adolescence and how you’ve grown as even just a listener of music

[@NINGaymerCT]

I legit had tears rolling down my eyes during your gorgeous piano rendition at the end of this video. You are absolutely amazing! Thank you!

[@intvnut]

You and me both.

[@rygglarsen1716]

I remember when this song came out and I was listening to this album, the sound that opens the song and infuses the song reminded me of the sound a bathtub made when being drained. This song was the conclusion of the downward spiral, the sound of going down the drain.

[@blackfowl75]

By now you probably know but if you listen to it in stereo, there’s only one side making this noise and distorting the audio. That can only happen naturally if you’ve damaged your ear by listening to a very loud sound. The kind that makes a human go down the drain.

[@michaeltaylor6118]

You have a special way of explaining music theory that is informative without being condescending. Your passion for the power of sound helps you make the technicality much more relatable than most can do.

[@madnessbydesignVria]

I've always felt drawn to Trent's music, but this one hits on a deeper level. Thank you for this... :)

[@WayneBristol]

One of the most hard hitting emotional gut punches of a song for me, as it ties in directly to possibly one of the worst days of my life. But even still, I'm looking forward to this quite a bit.

[@Azabaxe80]

The funny thing about this song is that by the time this album came out I had gotten out of the underground/alternative scene. NIN had been part of that in '88 or '89, but by the '90s I didn't identify with emotional, angry music anymore. The closing scene of an episode of Homicide: Life on the Streets called "A Model Citizen", however, brought this song and NIN back square and front in my life.

[@iw_legendary_sayain2215]

I’ve always contemplated on having this play at my funeral.

[@aldeayeah]

well it's no Always Look On The Bright Side of Life but it should set the mood just fine

[@soaribb32]

This song means so much to me, feels so empty in a broken and tired kind of way. Which is relatable.

[@andrewm8040]

Wonderful. Its no wonder traditional television is dying when there is content like this available.

[@Jewpacca]

I only heard TDS recently (somehow). I had only ever heard the Cash version of the song (forgive me) and the first time I heard that wrong note in the first chord I just became obsessed. Suddenly this song that I never cared much about before ("oh it's a sad song ok") made perfect sense. It just sounds so broken, and so sad.

[@iximusic]

Love that! The "Hurt" note got to you!

[@Tzudro]

Don't feel bad, Cash made this song very popular, despite the overwhelming popularity among fans. He closes every show with it.

[@whispershoomtoo]

Gosh, I just watched the "The Downward Spiral" playlist, from "Mr. Self Destruct" to "Hurt" and I'm so delighted and inspired by this. I just want to say the biggest THANK YOU for your passion, professionalism and love to this album. I didn't know much about musical part of the album and it feels like you reinvented it for me, how good those harmonical and structural features fits with the story and lyrics. You did the great job, thank you again!

[@EagleBeagle4886]

I love how you love analysis. NIN is so cathartic. I remember listening all the way through without stopping. His expression of anguish, anger, and pain gave me an outlet to channel my own suffering. Camus and Bertrand Russell were right. Man's greatest triumph over the universe is appreciating and embracing the suffering.

[@EagleBeagle4886]

Also oh pls pls pls do a video on Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen covered by Arooj Aftab

[@Gustavomazu]

i just heard for the first time the beautiful pre-delay on his voice in the chorus

[@susyamongus2]

when i listened to this for the first time i couldn’t do it. i barely made it 2 minutes in. just so sorrowful and it felt like something i had felt before

[@joelkulesha8284]

This feels like the last day of school when you have to say goodbye to all the friends you didn't have. Can't wait to see where the channel goes!

[@neonom1024]

19:20 there are videos you can find on KZbin of Alessandro Cortini talking about how he incorporates and plays these sounds live by crossfading tape loops. It's SO cool.

[@ZsoltTorok]

Alessandro gives a fantastic rundown of his live rig in this video, and even has the Hurt cassette in the Tascam 4-track at around 3:44. Well worth a watch to learn about the synth sounds of NIN. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g367dqmEis-aeck

[@GeorgeeJunglee]

This is the song that made me learn how to play music, study music theory and compose.....

[@thewealthcircle29]

This is the song that began my love for Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor back in 2016. Came across this song completely by accident watching the season 2 finale of Rick and Morty, and it hit me straight away. The way it blended with the story of the episode was perfect, really set the emotion for me from start.

[@nikkyd2904]

I loved taking this journey with you - AMAMZING

[@itdreamsme]

Truly outstanding analysis of the Downward Spiral. I know I’ll be going back and rewatching it regularly, so much to learn from here! Thank you Ixi for all the hard work and thought you put into it. You’ll always be connected to my thoughts of this album going forward.

[@taylorwhiddon9898]

Thank you for this series. It was a delightful and at times hopeless ride. Fingers crossed for a fragile series??? All the love for what you do!

[@michaeljones1166]

I always thought this signaled a final solution (end) for Trent. Even as he is saying ‘I will find a way’ he is jumping off of a bridge into an abyss. That final chord…..

[@jeremiahalexander5513]

Loved your playing at the end. You captured the essence of this song so perfectly in your interpretation. Took my breath away. Those last notes ached.

[@iximusic]

Aw thank you!

[@neonom1024]

I hit like the moment you said thanks for watching, then reflexively went to like the video again when I heard the apocalyptically beautiful phrase "static of the universe right after we've turned off the show called humanity". Then I wanted to hit like AGAIN by the end of your piano version. Brilliant stuff, ixi.

[@jaysmakingprogress]

I hope one day you can analyze the live version of Hurt with Bowie. There’s another dimension there that the original didn’t explore.

[@giftofgabbery]

I discovered Downward Spiral when I was 16 in 1994. As the decades have passed I found my go-to tracks changed, then came full circle. Each track seems to resonate with different intellectual and emotional evolutions over the span of my life.

[@dpinskey]

If I were able to type something that represented a standing ovation on how you took us on a journey of analysis and delving deep into the meanings of the tonal textures representing the thoughts and emotions of this masterwork instead of typing on and on about how good this is. I would. Thank you

[@ka1dence]

I know The Fragile is a massive album, but I have loved these breakdowns so much that I would love to hear all your thoughts and discoveries for those songs.

[@iximusic]

As much of a masterpiece as that album is, analyzing it in total would take up the next year of my life. haha 😂 But there are quite a few songs from The Fragile on the top of my list!

[@ka1dence]

@@iximusic That would be great! You do an awesome job!

[@entropy5472]

Thanks to time zones, I'm sadly going to miss the premiere, but I can't wait to watch this one. I hope everyone at the premiere will enjoy. I've no idea if Ixi is gonna read this but if you are then just Thank you. Thank you for expanding my understanding of music theory and song writing. This series alone has been inspiring me to learn more about the theory discussed and to apply it to my own music some more. I didn't think it was possible, but this has given me a whole new dimension of appreciation for what I already thought was a perfect album. Nine Inch Nails has inspired my music to an immeasurable degree and it's amazing to see just how much has gone into this masterpiece that I never even noticed in the years I've been listening. It's a really special album for me, and Hurt is an especially powerful song that's so so close to my heart, as it is with millions of other people. Maybe this will give an insight into why that is, and why it resonates with so many people. I'm far from an expert about theory and all that, but all I know is that it's a heart-breaking, beautiful, perfect song, and that this will probably just make me love it even more. Enjoy the premiere, everyone. Stay safe. Good night.

[@marcussmith5959]

I thought it was really interesting you talk about the resolution of the final note being authentic or that he found his way. To me, it always had a mocking vibe like his other uses of the major third. Because of the monologue in the previous track, I always assumed the protagonist kills himself, specifically at that point in the song. Something about the guitar feedback and the stereo image feels kind of like wind blowing through an exit wound on one side of your head. Maybe I listened to it too much with headphones on though. The song takes on this extra dark meaning where the protagonist reflects on his life, laments, makes peace with some of it, but then has this final sarcastic remark before shooting himself. That guitar is just so loud and truly violent sounding, even compared to stuff on the Broken EP. Just thought it would be fun to compare interpretations though! Really loved the video! Keep up the good work Ixi. Can't wait for the next one :D

[@iximusic]

ah, I love that interpretation, gotta say!

[@marcussmith5959]

@@iximusic I don't think it quite works with some of the stuff Trent said in the song exploder episode. I think; I don't quite remember

[@Codeaholic1]

The man did say he hurt himself. That F natural _is_ pain.

[@iximusic]

👏

[@weareparasols]

We loved the series analysing The Downward Spiral. It was fun to explore these tracks in this way; it's exciting to experience them in a way that I hadn't before . We'll be checking in to see what you'll be up to next. Your channel has been our go to for interesting music related content and overall good vibes. -- D.

[@rgeorgek42]

An amazing complement to the Song Exploder episode 🤩😭💐

[@TheSoremoose]

This album came out when I was 18, and I needed it so bad at the time. I was going through my most self-destructive phases, substances and all, and this had just enough in the effects and atmosphere to grab my attention, I felt just as glitched, distorted, and shorted out as what Trent put into this. I did so much mental auditing with this as a soundtrack.

[@silentm999]

Your channel has caused me to listen to NIN again, but analytically. There isn't an emotional connection there any longer, for which I am thankful. Sometimes goth kids grow up and buy yellow shirts.

[@ashm7955]

As soon as you started the Downward Spiral theme at the end, holy crap was that beautiful. So much anticipation between each set of notes and then you satisfied us with that dissonance at the end... Brilliant.

[@circolombisque2285]

Can’t wait for you to get around to With Teeth. An analysis of Right Where It Belongs would be amazing

[@iximusic]

Here are all my With Teeth videos! Right Where It Belongs is in there: kzbin.info/aero/PLn_Xar3I0ZoAMDc-9bOn7s7USImiJXyK_

[@circolombisque2285]

@@iximusic oh perfect, I never even noticed!

[@epsil6644]

Wow that downward spiral theme at the end was chilling. I can't express how much this series has meant to me, thank you for the journey. Im looking forward to where the channel goes next.

[@madinfects]

This album had an enormous impact on me the moment I rented (yes, rented) it from my local library in the mid nineties. Fond memories, really enjoyed this series, kudos.

[@mxx720]

There's always been a debate about whether or not the protagonist survives. I think he does, but it's a pyrrhic victory: He lives through the ordeal, but he's lost so much of himself that the journey wasn't worth it. That's why The Fragile almost works as a loose sequel - he's utterly broken, but delicately starts putting himself back together.

[@TristanJCumpole]

"the static of the universe after we've turned off the show of humanity" The static one hears in detuned radios, and see/hear in old TV sets is just that; the fading remnants of the big bang, the cosmic microwave background.

[@exquisiteoath]

Hi Ixi, wonderful analysis (as always). Those samples or long string sustains and drones have always really spoken to me. And t hey are part of what draws me to NIN. For years I've thought of them as "artificial silence" for lack of a better name and yes--- they often sound more empty than true Silence. As a listening experiment try 4'33'' vs. the background atmosphere of Hurt... the true silence of 4'33'' almost feels pregnant, ready to explode into sound while this sampe, and many artificial silences sound straind, exhausted and ready to collapse in on themselves.

[@squattermelon.]

People that take out the tritone when covering Hurt are the same people that are too squeamish to enjoy garlic.

[@DriftMusiK]

The depth of your musical dissection is so very thorough, and very passionate, considering how difficult it is to convey passion in technical music theory. You did a remarkable job in all aspects. Thanks for resuscitating my love and appreciation of this song.

[@echelecopao]

That uncomfortable dissonance is a key part of what makes this song so powerful and unique. That dissonance beautifully captures and conveys Trent's dark and desperate emotions that came out of him when he wrote this masterpiece. I think it is what makes Cash's version of this song sound so different. By removing the dissonance, he made the song sound as a mainstream, simpleton and even musically merrier version of itself.

[@AllHallows1000]

Hurt definitely felt like the curtain closing to this amazing album. I can listen to it and always feel torn, relieved, kinda like taking a final breath.always gives me chills.I think the second time I felt that way but not quite was with "right where it belongs " from the with teeth album

[@AHYT123]

😢 thank you, thank you, thank you. To explain and resolve the whole album after all these years, thank you. I first heard of NIN in 95, a friend gave me a cassette and said these guys are playing at the festival next week. I didn't get it but saw the power and intrigue. The show was mind blowing. Squished second row of the mosh pit for hours was totally worth it. The smashed the stage and instruments to pieces. Scared something might fly out at us but wouldn't dare look away. Trent came down and hung off the front row, i could have reached out and touched his right hand. I didn't. Out of respect i think. Or respect of bigger fans. I then went back through the catalogue and followed almost everything going forward for probably 15 years. This has reignited the love of this music and playing with music in general. And that the downward spiral is my ultimate favorite. Thank you again.

[@fromshadowtosubstance8327]

Thank you for this elaborate breakdown of the finale from the downward spiral. I appreciate all your hard work and analysis you put into this project. You are very gifted!

[@edwassermann8368]

I hope Trent sees this one day. I think he'd enjoy it.

[@guitarjonn7103]

Love that you call out the "hurt" note here, it so is. Your analysis is so spot on, engrossing and accessible even to a non-musician, I think, and I just loved-loved your beautiful interpretation, especially where you go around the 31:30 mark here and also adding the "Closer" line before the ominous tritone finish. Your dynamic choices, too, just perfect. I hope TR has heard it.

[@chidenchi]

This is a master class on master classing. I recommend adding “teaching people how to teach” to your list of courses.

[@rohanbeer1654]

This is definitely one of the best video series on KZbin for sure

[@susyamongus2]

i think the reason this song is still so insanely complex and simple is because the contrast between what the album started with and how it ended. this song literally punches you with sadness and regret, yet the accidentals add the strangest eeriness and it sounds like a broken person fucking up bad and seeing just what they did and finally regretting it

[@rhinocore]

I always think of my brother when I hear this song now. He was recovering from heroin addiction, and I carried him on my back up the stairs to the Red Rocks amphitheater. By the end of the show he was too weak to stand so I sat down next to him and we both cried through the end of the song.

[@JasonChamberlain]

Ixi, your analysis of the chorus has me holding back tears. Really deepened my appreciation for NIN. Thanks so much for these videos.

[@4311Angel]

Hearing it live at the Gorge in 2000 was a spiritual experience for me. This song has been one of my favorites since TDS came out. Love your analysis.

[@peterfleming1517]

This has been such an enjoyable series to follow. Great insight in to the music’s construction and a wonderfully engaging presentation. Will be looking forward to seeing where the channel goes next!

[@damianwims]

Next up, ixi breaks down N'Sync's debut album, one track at a time.

[@iximusic]

TEARIN' UP MY HEART WHEN I'M WITH UUUUUUU 🎶

[@stuZeppelin34]

This was the best cover of any song ever.

[@michaeltaylor6118]

Cover? What do you mean? Johnny Cash covered Trent's song.

[@warnerunterbrink9386]

@@michaeltaylor6118 Many people think Cash wrote it originally so it’s a joke amongst nine inch nails fans to pretend like Trent covered Johnny’s song and since so many people make this joke that caused a ton of people to genuinely think Johnny Cash wrote it. The person who made the comment you replied to was probably joking.

[@asunder3097]

@@michaeltaylor6118 they could be referring to her rendition of the song at the end of the video

[@gordoneyton-williams8777]

Saw this live when NIN played the UK on the Fragility tour in 1999 at Brixton Academy, when Trent was singing behind the projection screen you could almost taste the despair and loss, thankyou for your amazing analysis and interpretation.

[@double.parker]

Thank you again Ixi

[@harrisonthacker9707]

“I’m still right here…” “YEAH YOU ARE!” I’m sure that meant a lot to Trent. Judging by the track in Ghosts V, it did.

[@bluecalx9229]

I can’t seem to find the video of that moment, I know exactly what you’re talking about and I think of it every time I hear that line. Could you point me to it?

[@harrisonthacker9707]

@@bluecalx9229 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXLUgWqDZqZpfqc At 4:00.

[@Mike_Ess]

This song's always had a special place in my heart. My first impressions, as near as I can recall, were that it was a fitting end to the album. It always felt very genuine and heartfelt, like he was writing his own truth in some way, and that hit me and stuck. I'd been feeling kind of alienated and adrift and other things that start with A for a while when I'd first started listening, and to hear that reflected back at me with such emotion helped me in a way. Like, it gave me an anchor, knowing there was at least one other human with whom I could relate on this level. I had listened enough to the album that I was ... well, prepared is the wrong word, but let's say not taken by surprise by that dissonance in the beginning. And then this whole minimalist soundscape of loss, longing and hope unravelled and drew me in. Those droning chords in the chorus, and the descending piano melody will remain with me until they stick me under a tree for evermore. And, it goes without saying that Trent kept up the unexpected until the very last. The first time those three chords at the end ripped through my headphones, I had to collect my thoughts and figure out what had just happened. Oof. Such a powerful ending. And it's super fitting that it's a tritone. About your interpretation at the end, you've moved me to tears yet again. Brilliantly and beautifully done. I wish I could summon even a quarter of what you manage to pull out of the piano. Maybe one day. (I played for a number of years as a kid, and my teacher seemed to think I could go far with it, but I never enjoyed it enough to stick with it. It's only now that I'm sitting back down and re-learning that I appreciate it. Long story there for another time, though.) In closing: Thank you ever so much for doing this series. You've helped me understand one of the most important albums in my life in ways I never realized I could. You have a gift and you're sharing it in the best way you could. I look forward with great interest to where you take the channel in the future. But I'll keep coming back to these.

[@savvakarolys1984]

Ixi, thank you for this work! I am currently writing a piece of fiction deeply influenced by this album and your insights gave me tons of ideas. It's amazing! I had already thought about many of the things you mentioned during the whole series, especially about "Warm Place" and "Hurt". Thank you again. Hugs from Colombia.

[@tonycoleman7535]

U have a beautiful voice & are a great musician , well done 🎹🎹🎹🎹🎸🎸🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🎼🎼🎼🎼❤️❤️❤️

[@TheSmeltork]

I love this song so much. It’s dragged me out of some dark holes in the past, and it’s now so meaningful and strangely nostalgic for me. It’s perfect.

[@AmbitiousnDelicious]

I can now be super productive for the entire day until this premieres. :)

[@Danny-wv8ec]

it's 9pm now here in Beirut, I'm gonna be the opposite.

[@allanyumul7156]

IxI im a fan of yours here. Thank you for your detailed analysis of one of my favorites. Hurt is my first ever NIN song, and the piece that inspired me to learn how to play piano.

[@amessy]

I love the passion in all your analysis. But your final sentence in this video made me smile. I got to know NIN when I was a girl of 12 years old, back in 1997. It was the video and sound of 'Perfect drug' that captivated me first. Months later the 'Closer' video shocked me in a delightful/scary way. Later on, while watching the good old days of MTV, this song appeared. 'Hurt' stroke my heart, hard. The visuals moved me. The lyrics made me, despite my young age, mature and embrace pain in a reflecting way towards me, humanity and our history as civilization. I felt like the singer was 'God' reflecting about his creation: us, humans. So the last line in your video reminded me of these thoughts in my early teen years. Thank you. Greetings from MX city.

[@ekimevilone]

The piano is just such a perfect instrument to evoke emotion. It's just so beautiful. Many years ago I was having a discussion about NIN with a friend of mine who's a musician and what he said just blew my mind. We were discussing Hurt and I mentioned that the song was just so sad and I cried every time I heard it, having gone through an opioid addiction just brought that much more emotion out of me when I heard it. My friend promptly disagreed with me that it was a sad song and told me he thought it was about hope and inevitable triumph. Like a giant 'fuck you' to sadness. That shit just hit me like a ton of bricks as by that point I was well beyond my addiction. I had broken through to the other side, life. Love your channel ixi, so glad I found it.

[@ricardoazevedo6331]

Greetings from Brazil! You're doing a great job explaining NiN!

[@Azabaxe80]

Thank you for doing this. I love how you closed the piece with one of the themes from "Closer".

[@moliver_xxii]

YEY ! you did it ! the first person on KZbin to have made a comprehensive analysis of the downward spiral, hours worth of content !

[@batstork9435]

As someone who has been listening since Pretty Hate Machine, and for whom listening to The Downward Spiral was a pivotal life experience I have been SO grateful for this series. It feels like you are connecting me back to the 18 year old that was both emotionally flattened and lifted by this song. So, thank you x

[@markwarrensprawson]

I s*** you not, Ixi, that is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. I completely zoned out and was taken through a very strange place by it where time seemed not to exist until the silence at the end brought me out of it. I'd almost be willing to swear that my cats were similarly affected. Total ecstasy in the strictest sense of the term. I'ma listen to this a lot! You're clearly a pianist of great sensitivity. That was just altogether magical. What an incredibly beautiful interpretation. You said that when you, pretty much like me, listened to "The Downward Spiral" when you got it, age 15 or thereabouts, you didn't get "Hurt", and you gave a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why baby you were put off by it. My experience of first buying and listening to this album falls on a similar timeline, but for me, "Hurt" was like home. Whenever I listened to the CD front to back, "Hurt" was always my destination. when those last three super-saturated electric guitar chords exploded out at the very end over the lyric "I will find a way", I'd listen to that last chord ring and ring, sustaining and feeding back into itself like it was never gonna quit until invariably, it did. I've never been able to get enough of it, especially with the rest of the album preceding it. I'm waffling now. My point is damn! You done did that some serious justice! Thanks so much for the profound ride! So great.

[@stumbleine.]

I always interpreted the sound at the beginning and ending of Hurt to be a symbolization of what the protagonist in the story/album has done to himself and the silence that is left behind, I also interpret the actual song itself to be the protagonist explaining everything that led him to that final point. Additionally, I've always loved the lo-fi sound of TDS (which is where this aforementioned hollow/lonely sounding sound first appears). Especially the bitcrushed(?) or tape-manipulated screams, almost like something out of The Disintegration Loops.

[@soaribb32]

Now that we're done I can binge the older videos. Great of you to close the hurt cover with the downward motif ❤️❤️❤️

[@celestialskydancer762]

I got the last ticket to go and see them in Cornwall UK in June, I will certainly cry when he sings this beauty, so gorgeous, delighted I found your channel, I'm revisiting my tortured teens 22 years later and watching you has given me a whole new love and appreciation for the genius of Mr Reznor, thank you ❤

[@iximusic]

Enjoy the show!! That venue looks like magic. I'm seeing them this year too!

[@marclacerte4870]

Thank you for taking the time to make a complete analysis of the Downward Spiral, an album that I've been listening to since I was 14 or 15 years old. I discovered a bunch of new stuff through your videos. I really appreciated your improvisations of the songs too.

[@kaliced9588]

Oh wow...your piano interpretations always inspire me, but I got such sudden chills and started choking up when I heard you playing the Downard Spiral motif in this one. I also really loved those progressions around 31:32. There's a somewhat relieving yet desperately sad sound to them which certainly fits with the song's story. Thank you so much for all of the deep dives into this album. Trent's music has meant such a lot to me over the years, and I'm so thankful to be around to learn more about them from someone with a trained understanding of how he composes. Looking forward to more music analyses! :D

[@MortonGoldthwait]

When you brought Hurt back home to The Downward Spiral theme, you ended me. I feel like Bryce Dallas Howard on the porch with Juaqin during the confession scene in The Village. Thank you so much for your research, your words and your playing.

[@moondog548]

Standing ovation. Open weeping.

[@PerFectCapture]

i just recently found your series and how i wish i found it earlier. TDS has been by fav album since i first heard it when it came out and I have had a million questions about it floating in my mind for over half my life about it and you, you!!! you amazingly describe and explain everything so articulate and with such depth. It was amazing to hear another's understanding of parts that are similar to mine and also very different at times. your analyses are as genius and brilliant as the music itself. i feel like a huge weight has been lifted now understand this album more and many of my questions finally answered. sending lipsticks your way. thank you!!!

[@Nikalette100]

I love the dissonant notes, especially on the unplugged version solo and acoustic piano. They are gorgeous. I think Trent brought in some extra dissonance.

[@gonesavage]

I've been going back through all these again. Thank you so much.

[@bjack7657]

open and blatant mockery of "pop" chord progression of the time...Love it!!

[@zyzzdigller4334]

Meilleur chanson jamais écrite Ixi je découvre ta chaîne bravo pour ton travail t’es la meilleure à avoir parlé de NIN INCH NAILS

[@Seb_Matte]

Oh gods. So many shivers with your improv. Thanks

[@leinadisjourneys]

For the longest time, this song was one of those that I almost couldn't bear to listen to because it felt so emotional. And each time I listened it was like a special moment. It also made me appreciate the value of sound design as an art. The fact that one channel is so garbled and broken down. The sound of non-existence which you describe so well. The chaotic and loud ending to it. Along with some of the dissonance found in the beginning chord of the verse, as you say, it just feels like it's breaking down. It had (has) such a huge effect. I also feel most covers (including THE BIG ONE) don't hold up to the original because of this fact. When removing all those uncomfortable elements, what remains is still a very sad and powerful song but... I don't know. For the me the point of the song was always that darkness, self-destruction, brought on the sadness.

[@thebubonicj]

You are so good at putting words to those feelings. When you described that progression as innocent it was like a slap across my face, you nailed it for me.

[@cito1974tv]

Damnit! Just discovered you and your sublime channel. Love the way you deconstruct and express Reznor's genius... Thank you.

[@bcb1967]

What a series. Thank you! I'll be watching this through many more times.

[@johnywesleyharding]

Yeah thanks, it's 8 am here in Germany and I'm watching this while doing my daily morning sports routine and now I'm crying while trying to do a plank because of you capturing the true essence of humanity in this song (one of the best ever written.EVER). Thanks a lot. No really, thanks and don't ever stop.