Reptile

Album:The Downward Spiral

Length:6:51

Tempo:{{{BPM}}} BPM

Versions:Reptile
Reptilian
Underneath The Skin
Reptile (And All That Could Have Been) DVD
Liar (Reptile Demo)

Live:Self-Destruct Tour through present

"Reptile" is the twelfth track on 1994's The Downward Spiral. This song is characteristic of the band's early 90s "industrial" sound, as it opens with an eerie, quiet machine-like sound collage that transitions into a nearly identical-sounding musical composition. Allegedly, it is a sample of a machine that slaughters pigs, though no sources have been found that indicate this.

The lyrics seem to be directed towards an old cohort of Trent Reznor's, possibly a woman with whom he had some sort of relation.

Song Credits

• Production: Trent Reznor
• Mixing Engineer: Alan Moulder

Appearances

Halos

• March Of The Pigs
• The Downward Spiral
• And All That Could Have Been (DVD)

Versions

Reptile

This is the original album version.

Reptilian

Coming soon.

Underneath The Skin

Coming soon.

Liar (Reptile Demo)

Relatively the same as the version that found its way onto The Downward Spiral throughout the intro and verses, however the chorus is somewhat altered featuring a dancier beat and different vocals layered over.

Reptile (And All That Could Have Been)

This live version is an Easter Egg on the DVD version of And All That Could Have Been.

Live

The song has always been performed with the beeps as an introduction. During the breakdown, Reznor sings "please don't hurt me" followed by a desperate cry. Recently on the Year Zero Warm-Up Tour, the intro is further extended with a more articulate sound and Reznor whispering over it.

This song was also featured in the Boston, MA radio performance, (Peter Murphy, Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jeordie White) on June 23, 2006.

Lyrics

    She spreads herself wide open
    To let the insects in
    She leaves a trail of honey
    To show me where she’s been
    
    She has the blood of reptile
    Just underneath her skin
    Seeds from a thousand lovers
    Drip down from within
    
    Oh my beautiful liar
    Oh my precious whore
    My disease my infection
    I am so impure
    
    Get it?
    
    Devils speak of the ways
    In which she’ll manifest
    Angels bleed
    From the tainted touch of my caress
    
    Need to contaminate
    To alleviate, this loneliness
    I now know
    The depths I reach are limitless
    
    Oh my beautiful liar
    Oh my precious whore
    My disease my infection
    I am so impure