“Only”
by Nine Inch Nails
from the album With Teeth
2005
Buy the album on Amazon

Totally ripping of Lance today, since I thought I should as soon as he posted this and since he actually called out this song pick in his post (even if he did also bad mouth Pinkerton). I’ve only actually done this song once or twice, and I remember it made me happy that Lance thought it was a great pick (I’m sometimes ok with completely obscure songs that no one else will appreciate as long as he gets it), but I wouldn’t call it a karaoke success.

Expanding on what Lance described, NIN is tough to do at karaoke. I like to imagine in a live band setting or something I could give one of their songs the angst and rawness it deserves, but in a karaoke setting, not so much (see also Killing in the Name). The timing of the song is also a little wonky at times, but I dig the speak/sing delivery and the lyrics touch a chord. I also like the The Hand That Feeds, but unlike Lance, this album doesn’t do a lot for me beyond that. It’s not so much an opinion towards the album as it is a reflection on me and my tastes. I was so into Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, but after that I think I just largely got over NIN and similar bands in that genre. I think I became a bit more boring and mellow. Those two albums, plus others like Psalm 69 are still so embedded in me that at times they’re just what I need to hear, but other times I switch into old man mood and have the subconscious thought of “what’s with all the yelling and screaming?” I’ve still picked up most of the other NIN albums, but it’s mostly out of habit, and none of them have latched on to me, with the occasional song like this sticking.

I’m becoming less defined as days go by
Fading away
And well you might say
I’m losing focus
Kinda drifting into the abstract in terms of how I see myself

Sometimes I think I can see right through myself [x2]
Sometimes I can see right through myself

Less concerned about fitting into the world
Your world that is
Cause it doesn’t really matter anymore
(no it doesn’t really matter anymore)
No it doesn’t really matter anymore
None of this really matters anymore

Yes I am alone but then again I always was
As far back as I can tell
I think maybe it’s because
Because you were never really real to begin with
I just made you up to hurt myself

[x2]
I just made you up to hurt myself, yeah
And I just made you up to hurt myself

And it worked.
Yes it did!

[Chorus:]
There is no you
There is only me
There is no you
There is only me
There is no fucking you
There is only me
There is no fucking you
There is only me

Only [x4]

Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye and it turned out to be a scab
And I had this funny feeling like I just knew it’s something bad
I just couldn’t leave it alone, I kept picking at the scab
It was a doorway trying to seal itself shut
But I climbed through

Now I am somewhere I am not supposed to be, and I can see things I know I really shouldn’t see
And now I know why, now, now, now I know why
Things aren’t as pretty
On the inside

[Chorus]

Only [x8]