The Only Time
The Only Time (Purest Feeling)
The Only Time (Closure)
"The Only Time" is the ninth track on the 1989 release Pretty Hate Machine. It's a rather dancable track about new experiences and indulging in the dirty side of life.
The song references "Down In It" in its use of the same recognizable melodic synth voice.
Contents
Song Credits
- Production: Trent Reznor, Keith LeBlanc, John Fryer
- Engineering: John Fryer, Keith LeBlanc, Kennan Keating, Ken Quartarone
- Mix: Keith LeBlanc
Appearances
Versions
The Only Time
This is the final album version.
The Only Time (Demo)
An early version of the song found on Purest Feeling.
The Only Time (Closure)
This live version begins with Reznor explaining that "this is a song about fucking."
Live
Last performed during the Self-Destruct Tour with new guitar riffs, the song has pushed its way back to the surface in brief, its melody being used for an interpolation/breakdown during the final verse of "Closer" on the Live: With Teeth tour and continuing to this day.
Lyrics
I'm drunk
And right now I'm so in love with you
And I don't want to think too much about what we should or shouldn't do
Lay my hands on Heaven and the sun and the moon and the stars
While the Devil wants to fuck me in the back of his car
Nothing quite like the feel of something new
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
But this is the only time I really feel alive
This is the only time I really feel alive
I swear
I just found everything I need
The sweat in your eyes the blood in your veins are listening to me
Well I want to drink it up and swim in it until I drown
My moral standing is lying down
Nothing quite like the feel of something new
Maybe I'm all messed up
Maybe I'm all messed up in you
But this is the only time I really feel alive
This is the only time I really feel alive
I can't help thinking Christ never had it like this
The final line appears only in the liner notes.
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