Into The Void (Radio Edit)
Slipping Away
Tension
"Into The Void" is the second track on the Right side of the double album The Fragile. It was featured heavily in many promos for the album, although it was only released as a single in Australia. The track "Slipping Away" is an extended and remixed form of an earlier version of this song, and is included on the remix album Things Falling Apart.
Contents
Musical Themes
"Into The Void" is one of several songs on The Fragile that shares a melody with one or more other songs. "Into the Void" is a sister-track to "La Mer," also from The Fragile; both songs grew out of the same initial track and feature the same bass line and melody. As well, the melody played by gamelan at the beginning of the song is echoed as a piano theme at the end of "We're in This Together."
Song Credits
- Backing Vocals: Kim Prevost
- Drum Programming: Charlie Clouser
Appearances
Halos
- The Fragile
- Things Falling Apart
Seeds
Soundtracks
- Final Destination
Versions
Into The Void
This is the original album version. Quietly transitioning from "The Way Out Is Through," it begins by building layers of percussion and melody before launching into the main body of the song, featuring a danceable beat loop and synthesized bassline. Reznor's layered vocals are a prominent feature of the track, overlapping through the wordless choruses, during which they are joined by sustaining guitars playing a noisy, descending guitar part. This riff is similar in structure to the one at the peak of "The Mark Has Been Made." The instrumental bridge of the song stops suddenly, only to re-emerge soon after with a squealing synthesizer solo. A final, extended chorus ends the song, with a trademark NIN wall-of-sound buildup around the lyric "Tried to save myself, but myself keeps slipping away". This line is the final moment of the song, sung a capella.
Into The Void (Edit)
Radio edit released on the "Into The Void" 2-track promo, shortening its length.
Slipping Away
This remix, on Things Falling Apart, contains many musical and rhythmic references to "Into The Void," but the lyrics consist solely of different vocal takes of the lines "I keep slipping away" and "Tried to save myself." Building instrumentally from percussive loops and guitars, a brief stop introduces the lyrics. Consistent in its thumping beat throughout the track, it continues to build through different melodies and synthesizer layers, eventually being overcome by distorted layers of guitar. It segues directly into the quieter "The Great Collapse."
Song Credits
- Manipulation: Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder
Music Video
A music video was made for this song. Released on January 14, 2000, it was directed by Walter Stern and Jeff Richter. It features macrophotography, offering extreme close-up shots of Reznor until zooming out and revealing the entire band performing the song in a red room, with Reznor on keyboards. The band destroys the set at the end of the video.
An alternate version of this video has recently surfaced, directed entirely by Stern. The scenes of the band in the red room are gone and have been replaced by scenes of the band performing the song in an all-white room, with a woman seen in some of the shots of the band. This woman can also be seen in extreme close-up in some of the scenes in the first 2/3 of the video. There are also some extreme close-up shots used that didn't make it into the Stern/Richter version of the video. Intercut with the band scenes at the end are more extreme close-ups of Reznor.
Near the end of the original video, the band ends up smashing their equipment. One of the casualties is a Nord Modular Keyboard that Trent Reznor is playing. That specific keyboard went up for sale on eBay on December 3rd, 2009 and was listed with the serial number MA97110098.
Live
"Into The Void" was performed live several times on the Fragility tours, and began seeing regular rotation starting with the With Teeth: Summer Amphitheater Tour.
Lyrics
Tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away Talking to myself all the way to the station Pictures in my head of the final destination All lined up (All the ones that aren't allowed to stay) Tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away Tried to save a place from the cuts and the scratches Tried to overcome the complications and the catches Nothing ever grows and the sun doesn't shine all day Tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away Tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away
External Links
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