mod, Administrators
11,711
edits
Changes
→External Links
| BPM = 90
| versions = Closer<br>Closer (Instrumental)<br>Closer (Clean Pussy Radio Edit)<br>Closer To God<br>Closer (Precursor)<br>Closer (Further Away)<br>Closer (Deviation)<br>Closer (Internal)<br>Closer (Thrust)<br>Closer (Unrecalled)<br>Closer (''[[And All That Could Have Been (halo)|And All That Could Have Been]]'')<br>Closer (''[[Beside You In Time (halo)|Beside You In Time]]'')
| live = [[Self Destruct Touring Cycle]] through [[Live 2013-2014|NIN 2013 Festival Tour]]<br>[[Live 2013-2014|NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour]]throught present
}}'''"Closer"''' is the fifth track on the 1994 release ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]]'' and is perhaps the most well-known song by [[Nine Inch Nails]], as it received much airplay both on radio and music video television. The subject matter seems to be about a feeling of worthlessness being quelled through control over others using sex. The song was at the number 2 position on AOL's "69 Sexiest Songs of All Time," mostly due to the explicit frankness of its chorus.
==Versions==
===Closer===
This is the original album version, found on both ''The Downward Spiral'' and ''Closer To God.'' It begins with an electronic beat, of which the bass drum is sampled from the Iggy Pop song "[[Nightclubbing]]". A keyboard pattern and sixteenth-note cymbal pattern join in along with the vocals. Layers are continuously added before dropping out at the end, leaving a simple chromatic piano melody to end the song and segue into "[[Ruiner]]". The version on ''Closer To God,'' however, allows the final piano note and background noise to ring out completely. The track also features a reversed and heavily processed sample from "Take A Chance With Me" by Roxy Music, which is most easily heard during the ending (starting from 5:52.) The sample is also used as an intro when the song is played live. Being the third song on the album to contain the famous "Downward Spiral Motif," "Closer" plays the motif in similar structure to "[[The Downward Spiral (song)|The Downward Spiral]]," but in a different key:
[[Image:Closer_(Lower)_Motif_Tab.JPG|The Downward Spiral Motif, found in the cacophony of sound in the closing seconds of "Closer."]]
===Closer (Instrumental)===
'''''Running Time: 6:26'''''
Released by Reznor via his [[remix.nin.com]] account, this is an unmastered and complete version of the album cut, sans his vocals.
===Closer (Clean Pussy Radio Edit)===
'''''Running Time: 4:31'''''
This version is shortened and censored for radio airplay.
===Closer To God===
'''''Running Time: 5:05'''''
This is a major reworking of "Closer," and is quite different in sound and structure. The vocals were re-recorded (with a few lines of new lyrics) to fit the sound of this song:
You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you
You can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings
You can have my absence of faith, you can have my everything
You tear down all my reason, you see through what I hide
You make me perfect, help me get inside
I want to be you
====Song Credits====
* Manipulation: Trent Reznor, [[Sean Beavan]], [[Brian Pollack]]
===Closer (Precursor)===
'''''Running Time: 7:16''''' This is an atmospheric remix, made up of heavily distorted synth and percussion loops that sound like machinery. The line "I want to fuck you like an animal" is repeated heavily in the last half. When the song reaches its ending, it changes from the mechanical sound of the rest of the remix to a stripped down form, consisting of only the first verse lyrics, a piano, and the synth drone from the beginning and end of the original song. A special edit was used in the credits of [[David Fincher]]'s ''Se7en''.
====Song Credits====
* Manipulation: [[Coil]], [[Danny Hyde]]
===Closer (Deviation)===
'''''Running Time: 6:15'''''
This is one of the lesser reworked remixes of "Closer." It adds an interesting loop in the background the consists of what appears to be a bass guitar and a high-pitched drone. At the end it repeats the two lines "Help me get away from myself" and "You get me closer to God".
====Song Credits====
===Closer (Internal)===
'''''Running Time: 4:15'''''
This remix uses stereo panning in which the phrases "You get me closer to god" and "I want to fuck you like an animal" switch between left and right speaker.
====Song Credits====
===Closer (Further Away)===
'''''Running Time: 5:45'''''
This remix begins with a significantly modified drumbeat, similar to the drums heard in "[[A Violet Fluid]]." Slowly the song picks up and a sound similar to a lion's roar is heard with the cry "I want to fuck you like an animal." Lyrics are then whispered and vocoded. A loud drum solo features, backed by the looped synth whine from the end of the original, and then the lyrics from the choruses are heard.
====Song Credits====
===Closer (Thrust)===
'''''Running Time: 5:54'''''
This remix didn't make it onto the ''Closer To God'' EP, but can be streamed or downloaded from remix.nin.com. This is essentially a variation on "Closer (Internal)".
====Song Credits====
===Closer (Unrecalled)===
'''''Running Time: 7:41''''' Released on the semi-official ''[[Recoiled]]'' EP. A variation on An early iteration of Coil's "Precursor" mix, created specially for the credits of [[David Fincher]]'s ''Se7en''.
===Closer (''And All That Could Have Been'')===
"Closer" has been regularly performed live since 1994. Starting from [[Live: With Teeth]] tour, the instrumental breakdown of "The Only Time" was incorporated into the breakdown of "Closer". Also, the second to last line of the song has been sung as "I am the honey inside your hive" instead of "I drink the honey inside your hive." An example of this can be seen on ''Beside You In Time.''
After being in setlist rotation for 14 years, Reznor stated in a web interview that the song is "nowhere on the setlist" for the [[Wave Goodbye Tour]], despite it later being played a handful of times on that tour, with Trent playing the breakdown from "The Only Time" instead of [[Alessandro Cortini]]. During the [[Live 2013-2014|Tension 2013 tourTour]], "Closer" has been was referenced during some live performances of "[[All Time Low]]".
==Covers==
*[http://vimeo.com/3704806 The making of the "Closer" music video]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdXaR0dnH-M "Closer" live from ''Beside You In Time'']
*[http://archive.org/details/remix.-nin.-com/play/mix?id=139 -audio-00139 "Closer" (Thrust Remix) at remixarchive.nin.comorg]
*[http://ninlive.com/audio/NiNterviews%20Set%201/1995_02_09%2006%20Recording%20Process.mp3 Interview] disc mentioning the source of the bass drum sample
*[http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep12/articles/classic-tracks-0912.htm Sound On Sound article about "Closer" and ''The Downward Spiral'']