Difference between revisions of "Big Man With A Gun"

Latest revision as of 09:14, 6 September 2025

Album:The Downward Spiral

Length:1:36

Tempo:100 BPM

Versions:Big Man With A Gun
Big Man With A Gun (The Downward Spiral DE)

Live:Self Destruct Tour
Wave Goodbye Tour

"Big Man With A Gun" is the ninth track on The Downward Spiral. It is one of the many songs to include the phrase "nothing can stop me now."

In a 2024 article from Spin magazine, it was revealed that this track was recorded as an afterthought.[1] The song's lyrics were also the subject of controversy when they were cited by conservatives William Bennett and C. Delores Tucker during their crusade against explicit lyrics in rap and hip-hop, egregiously mislabeling Nine Inch Nails as one of these acts.

It is rumored that the sound effect at the beginning of the song is an adult film actress in the throes of passion. The sound was reportedly run through a program by Tommy Lee, who called the resulting sound "Steakhouse."

Meaning

In the March 1996 issue of Spin Magazine[2], Trent Reznor said the following about this song:

The record was nearing completion. I had written those lyrics pretty quickly and I didn't know if I was going to use them or not. To me, Downward Spiral builds to a certain degree of madness, then it changes. That would be the last stage of delirium. So the original point of "Big Man With A Gun" was madness. But it was also making fun of the whole misogynistic gangsta-rap bulls**t. ... I listen to a lot of it, and I enjoy it. But I could do without the degree of misogny and hatred of women and abuse. Then, my song got misinterpreted as exactly that. It was probably a lack of being able to write. I've been taken out of context, and it's ridiculous.

Appearances

Halos

The Downward Spiral
March Of The Pigs (UK version, pt.1 of 2 disc set)

Versions

Big Man With A Gun

This is the original version. Short, fast, violent, and energetic, this song contains many layers of different distorted guitar riffs, and features Reznor nearly speaking most of the lyrics with an equalizer filter on his voice. The drums before the final vocal refrain resemble the sound of semi-automatic gunshots.

Big Man With A Gun (The Downward Spiral DE)

In the 5.1 surround edition of the 2004 re-release of The Downward Spiral, the sample heard at the beginning is replaced with a lower-pitched, distant wail, which echoes around the speakers.

Live

"Big Man With A Gun" was played regularly on the Self Destruct Tour as the penultimate song of the main set, with Reznor frequently encouraging the audience to "fuck yourself up" or "hurt yourself to this song". It had not been played live since then until its appearance at the Webster Hall and Hollywood Palladium full album performances of The Downward Spiral.

Rehearsal and live footage of the song appear in brief on the leaked Closure DVD appendage.

Lyrics

    I am a big man
    (Yes I am)
    And I have a big gun
    Got me a big old dick and I
    I like to have fun
    Held against your forehead
    I'll make you suck it
    Maybe I'll put a hole in your head
    You know, just for the fuck of it
    
    I can reduce you if I want
    I can devour
    I'm hard as fucking steel, and I've got the power
    I'm every inch a man, and I'll show you somehow
    Me and my fucking gun
    Nothing can stop me now
    
    Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot
    I'm going to come all over you
    
    Me and my fucking gun
    Me and my fucking gun

The third line was changed on the final album cut:

    And I've got a big gun

External Links

"Sympathy for the Devil" interview in Spin Magazine, March 1996

Previous track - "I Do Not Want This"

Track 9 from The Downward Spiral

Next track - "A Warm Place"

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | album =''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]]''
 | length =1:36
-| versions =Big Man With A Gun
+| BPM = 100
-| live =[[Self-Destruct Tour]]
+| versions =Big Man With A Gun<br>Big Man With A Gun (''The Downward Spiral'' DE)
-}}'''"Big Man With A Gun"''' is the ninth track on The Downward Spiral and is the most violent song on the entire album, and arguably, in NIN's entire discography.
+| live =[[Self Destruct Tour]]<br>[[Wave Goodbye Tour]]
+}}'''"Big Man With A Gun"''' is the ninth track on ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]]''. It is one of the many songs to include the phrase "[[Nothing Can Stop Me Now|nothing can stop me now]]."
-It is rumored that the sound effect at the beginning of the song is an adult film actress in the throes of passion. The sound was repotertedly run through a program by [[Tommy Lee]], who called the resulting sound "Steakhouse."
+In a 2024 article from ''Spin'' magazine, it was revealed that this track was recorded as an afterthought.[https://www.spin.com/2024/03/nine-inch-nails-the-downward-spiral-turns-30/] The song's lyrics were also the subject of controversy when they were cited by conservatives William Bennett and C. Delores Tucker during their crusade against explicit lyrics in rap and hip-hop, egregiously mislabeling [[Nine Inch Nails]] as one of these acts.
-===Meaning===
+It is rumored that the sound effect at the beginning of the song is an adult film actress in the throes of passion. The sound was reportedly run through a program by Tommy Lee, who called the resulting sound "Steakhouse."
-On the surface, it appears to be about a man forcing someone at gunpoint to fellate him, but [[Trent Reznor]] has said that it's more of a commentary on the glorification of violence in mainstream rap music at the time.
 ===Song Credits===
-*Production: Trent Reznor
+*Production: [[Trent Reznor]]
-*Mixing engineers: [[Bill Kennedy]], [[Sean Beavan]]
+*Mixing engineers: Bill Kennedy, [[Sean Beavan]]
 *Additional guitars: [[Danny Lohner]]
 *Steakhouse: Tommy Lee
+==Meaning==
+In the March 1996 issue of ''Spin Magazine''[https://www.theninhotline.com/archives/articles/display/625], Trent Reznor said the following about this song:
+<blockquote>The record was nearing completion. I had written those lyrics pretty quickly and I didn't know if I was going to use them or not. To me, ''Downward Spiral'' builds to a certain degree of madness, then it changes. That would be the last stage of delirium. So the original point of "Big Man With A Gun" was madness. But it was also making fun of the whole misogynistic gangsta-rap bulls**t. ... I listen to a lot of it, and I enjoy it. But I could do without the degree of misogny and hatred of women and abuse. Then, my song got misinterpreted as exactly that. It was probably a lack of being able to write. I've been taken out of context, and it's ridiculous.</blockquote>
 ==Appearances==
 ===Halos===
 *''The Downward Spiral''
-*''[[March of the Pigs (halo)|March Of The Pigs]]'' (French edition)
+*''[[March of the Pigs (halo)|March Of The Pigs]]'' (UK version, pt.1 of 2 disc set)
 ==Versions==
 ===Big Man With A Gun===
-This is the original version.
+This is the original version. Short, fast, violent, and energetic, this song contains many layers of different distorted guitar riffs, and features Reznor nearly speaking most of the lyrics with an equalizer filter on his voice. The drums before the final vocal refrain resemble the sound of semi-automatic gunshots.
-===Big Man With A Gun (''The Downward Spiral 2004 re-release'')===
+===Big Man With A Gun (''The Downward Spiral DE'')===
-In the 5.1 surround edition of the 2004 re-release of ''The Downward Spiral'', the scream heard at the beginning is replaced with surreal and abstract voice samples, which echo around the speakers.
+In the 5.1 surround edition of the 2004 re-release of ''The Downward Spiral'', the [[samples|sample]] heard at the beginning is replaced with a lower-pitched, distant wail, which echoes around the speakers.
 ==Live==
-"Big Man With A Gun" has been played live on the [[Self-Destruct Tour]].
+"Big Man With A Gun" was played regularly on the [[Self Destruct Tour]] as the penultimate song of the main set, with Reznor frequently encouraging the audience to "fuck yourself up" or "hurt yourself to this song". It had not been played live since then until its appearance at the [[2009/08/23 New York, NY|Webster Hall]] and [[2009/09/02 Los Angeles, CA|Hollywood Palladium]] full album performances of ''The Downward Spiral.''
+Rehearsal and live footage of the song appear in brief on the leaked ''Closure'' DVD appendage.
 ==Lyrics==
@@ Line 40: / Line 46: @@
       I like to have fun
       Held against your forehead
-      I’ll make you suck it
+      I'll make you suck it
-      Maybe I’ll put a hole in your head
+      Maybe I'll put a hole in your head
       You know, just for the fuck of it
       I can reduce you if I want
       I can devour
-      I’m hard as fucking steel, and I’ve got the power
+      I'm hard as fucking steel, and I've got the power
-      I’m every inch a man, and I’ll show you somehow
+      I'm every inch a man, and I'll show you somehow
       Me and my fucking gun
       Nothing can stop me now
       Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot
-      I’m going to come all over you
+      I'm going to come all over you
       Me and my fucking gun
       Me and my fucking gun
+The third line was changed on the final album cut:
+     And I've got a big gun
+==External Links==
+*[https://www.theninhotline.com/archives/articles/display/625 "Sympathy for the Devil"] interview in Spin Magazine, March 1996
+{{Succession box
+| title=[[The Downward Spiral (halo)#Track Listing (original release and DVD-A release)|The Downward Spiral]]
+| before=[[I Do Not Want This]]
+| after=[[A Warm Place]]
+| track=9}}
 [[Category: NIN Songs]]