Difference between revisions of "The Background World"

Latest revision as of 22:04, 16 March 2025

Album:Add Violence

Length:11:44

Versions:The Background World
The Background World (Main)
The Background World (Instrumental)
The Background World (Acapella)

Live:I Can't Seem To Wake Up 2017 through Cold And Black And Infinite Tour

"The Background World" is the fifth track on the 2017 EP Add Violence.

Multitracks exist for this song, but were only available on a disc that was sold on eBay.

Appearances

Halos

Add Violence

Versions

The Background World

This is the original version. The looping degradation that closes out the track is likely inspired by ambient musician William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops. Basinski was mentioned by Trent Reznor in a 2019 interview with Revolver magazine.[1] The snare drum is sampled from "Closer".[2]

The Background World (Main)

Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Slightly different, unmastered version of the final track. This track may be unofficial.

The Background World (Instrumental)

Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Instrumental of the "main" version. This track may be unofficial.

The Background World (Acapella)

Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Acapella of the "main" version. This track may be unofficial.

Live

"The Background World" made its live debut at the Riot Fest show of the I Can't Seem To Wake Up 2017 tour, with the lengthy outro not performed. It was a frequent song throughout that tour, but rare afterwards.

Trivia

The song was featured on Season 3, Episode 7 of TNT's Animal Kingdom on July 10, 2018. A portion of the lyrics are sung during a final scene, with the looped outro segueing into the credits.

Lyrics

  You left me here 
  What am I supposed to do? 
  I never dared to look inside 
  Just like you told me to 
  I'm going into you again 
  And I know you saw it too 
  And I will keep myself awake 
  I know what’s coming
  I feel it reaching through 
  There is no moving past 
  There is no better place 
  There is no future point in time 
  We will not get away 
  
  The world is bleeding out 
  It folds itself in two  
  Behind the background world 
  Is always bleeding through 

  Are you sure this is what you want?
  As hard as you try not to see it

Further lyrics are printed on the physical component:

  The Floating Shadow of Thought
  all The Dead smell of perfume whispers
  secrets surges maybe I will just stay awake
  
  Red swine eyelids
  You shut up, you saw him too, you see The Curse 
  The Mirror
  
  If you could see inside
  If you were here to see
  My dreams are showing through
  Maybe this is what it appears to be

Previous track - "Not Anymore"

Track 5 from The Background World

Next track - "N/A"

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | album=''[[Add Violence]]''
 | length= 11:44
-| BPM =
+| BPM = 79
-| versions=The Background World
+| versions=The Background World<br>The Background World (Main)<br>The Background World (Instrumental)<br>The Background World (Acapella)
-| live=This song has not been performed live.
+| live=[[I Can't Seem To Wake Up 2017]] through [[Cold And Black And Infinite Tour]]
 }}'''"The Background World"''' is the fifth track on the 2017 EP ''[[Add Violence]]''.
+[[Multitracks]] exist for this song, but were only available on a disc that was sold on eBay.
 ==Appearances==
+===Halos===
 *''Add Violence''
 ==Versions==
 ===The Background World===
-This is the only known version. To date it is the longest original song (remixes not included) on an official Nine Inch Nails release.
+This is the original version. The looping degradation that closes out the track is likely inspired by ambient musician William Basinski's ''The Disintegration Loops''. Basinski was mentioned by [[Trent Reznor]] in a 2019 interview with ''Revolver'' magazine.[https://www.revolvermag.com/music/revolutionary-vision-nine-inch-nails-studio-visit-trent-reznor] The snare drum is [[samples|sampled]] from "[[Closer]]".[https://www.discogs.com/release/21291574-Nine-Inch-Nails-The-Background-World-Master-Tracks]
+===The Background World (Main)===
+Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Slightly different, unmastered version of the final track. This track may be unofficial.
+===The Background World (Instrumental)===
+Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Instrumental of the "main" version. This track may be unofficial.
+===The Background World (Acapella)===
+Released on a three-track CD-R promo from Capitol Records. Acapella of the "main" version. This track may be unofficial.
 ==Live==
-"The Background World" has not been performed live.
+"The Background World" made its live debut at the [[2017/09/15_Chicago,_IL|Riot Fest show]] of the [[I Can't Seem To Wake Up 2017]] tour, with the lengthy outro not performed. It was a frequent song throughout that tour, but rare afterwards.
+==Trivia==
+The song was featured on Season 3, Episode 7 of TNT's ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Animal_Kingdom_episodes Animal Kingdom]'' on July 10, 2018. A portion of the lyrics are sung during a final scene, with the looped outro segueing into the credits.
 ==Lyrics==
-    you left me here what am i supposed to do? i never dared to look inside just like you told me to i'm
+    You left me here
-   going into you again and i know you saw it too i’m going to keep myself awake i know what’s coming
+   What am I supposed to do?
-    i feel it reaching through there is no moving past there is no better place there is no future point
+   I never dared to look inside
-    in time we will not get away the world is bleeding out it folds itself in two
+   Just like you told me to
-    behind the background world is always bleeding through
+   I'm going into you again
-    are you sure this is what you want?
+   And I know you saw it too
-    as hard as you try not to see it
+   And I will keep myself awake
+   I know what’s coming
+    I feel it reaching through
+   There is no moving past
+   There is no better place
+   There is no future point in time
+    We will not get away
+   The world is bleeding out
+   It folds itself in two
+    Behind the background world
+   Is always bleeding through
+    Are you sure this is what you want?
+    As hard as you try not to see it
+Further lyrics are printed on the physical component:
+   The Floating Shadow of Thought
+   all The Dead smell of perfume whispers
+   secrets surges maybe I will just stay awake
+   Red swine eyelids
+   You shut up, you saw him too, you see The Curse
+   The Mirror
+   If you could see inside
+   If you were here to see
+   My dreams are showing through
+   Maybe this is what it appears to be
 <BR>
@@ Line 34: / Line 79: @@
 | track= 5
 }}
-[[Category:NIN Songs]][[Category:NIN Songs Never Played Live]]
+[[Category:NIN Songs]][[Category:Songs With Unused Lyrics]][[Category:NIN Songs Released as Multitracks]]