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| length = 3:46
| BPM = 104
| versions =Down In It <br>Down In It (Skin)<br>Down In It (Shred)<br>Down In It (Singe)<br>Down In It (Demo- ''Head Like A Hole'')<br>Down In It (Demo III- ''[[Purest Feeling (halo)|Purest Feeling]]'')<br>Down In It (Demo IV- ''Demos & Remixes'')<br>Down In It (Demo - Martin Atkins tape)<br>Down In It (Big Whole Mix)<br>Down In It (''[[Closure]]'')<br>| live = [[VIVIsectVI Tour]] through [[Wave Goodbye Tour]]<br>[[NIN 2022]]}}'''"Down In It"''' was the first single for the 1989 album ''[[Pretty Hate Machine]]'' and the third track on the disc. It has been stated by [[Trent Reznor]] that this song is the first he ever wrote and is a rare treat to hear live. Following the "''[[Down In It (halo)|Down In It]]" '' single release, a music video was made.
"[[Kinda I Want To]]" specifically uses this song's beat and drum patch in its bridge, while "[[That's What I Get]]" and "[[The Only Time]]" both use its recognizable melodic synth voice.
Reznor has openly admitted that this song "was a total rip-off of 'Dig It' by [[Skinny Puppy]]."
<blockquote>That was the first song I'd ever written and when I sat down I took a very experimental approach to it, and the original version was about half-speed of the one on the record, and it was a total rip-off of 'Dig It' by Skinny Puppy.[https://www.theninhotline.com/archives/articles/display/580]</blockquote>
===Song Credits===
*Production: Trent Reznor, [[Adrian Sherwood]], [[Keith LeBlanc]]*Engineering: Trent Reznor, Adrian Sherwood, Keith LeBlanc, [[Kennan Keating]]
*Mix: Adrian Sherwood
==Versions==
===Down In It===
===Down In It (Demo)=Song Credits====Appears on ''Head Like a Hole'' (US) as the last track*Reproduced and remixed by Adrian Sherwood, running 3:52. It is the same as the Skin version except for the synth being removed.Keith LeBlanc
====Song Credits=Down In It (Skin)===*Writing, performance, production, mixing'''''Running Time: 3: Trent Reznor46'''''
====Down In It (Demo IVShred)====Appears on the ''Demos and Remixes'' bootleg, running 4'Running Time:09. It6:51'''''s an odd version with Reznor whispering a good portion of his vocals under an odd beat. It also includes faux-Oriental sounding synths which are noticeably absent in any of the other versions of the song. This is often referred to as the Big Whole Mix.
====Song Credits====
*Reproduced and remixed by Adrian Sherwood, Keith LeBlanc
===Down In It (ShredSinge)==='''''Running Time: 7:04 and 7:21''''' A mix that appears on both the ''Down In It'' and ''Head Like a Hole'' singles, running 7:00. It's basically retains a mostly instrumental "dub" mix of the original song with an extended intro minimal vocals and strange warping and a long instrumental area mixing of the beats with heavy bass emphasis. It should be noted that makes up this mix is actually 18 seconds longer on the ''Head Like A Hole'' (US) single than it was on the entire latter half of ''Down In It'' single. The reason for this is unknown, though it's probably due to the songtime constraints imposed on vinyl singles compared to a full sized LP Maxi Single.
====Song Credits====
*Reproduced and remixed by Adrian Sherwood, Keith LeBlanc
===Down In It (SingeDemo - ''Head Like A Hole'')===A mix that appears on both the ''Down In It'' and 'Running Time: 3:55''''' Appears on ''Head Like a Hole'' singles, running 7:21 (US) as the last track. Also appears on the latter. It's a mostly instrumental "dub" mix of the song with minimal vocals 'Demos and strange warping Remixes'' and mixing of the beats with heavy bass emphasis. It should be noted that this mix is actually 18 seconds longer on the ''Head Like A HolePurest Feeling II'' (US) single than it was on bootlegs. On the UK ''Down In It'' single. The reason for this is unknown, though itthe [[Untitled (from Head Like A Hole)|unlisted track]] from ''Head Like A Hole's probably due ' is appended to the time constraints imposed on Vinyl singles compared to a full sized LP Maxi Singlethis track.
====Song Credits====
*Reproduced Writing, performance, production, mixing: Trent Reznor ===Down In It (Demo - ''Purest Feeling'')===Appears on ''Purest Feeling'' as the last track, differing from its official counterparts as that it has an extended intro with strange screams and remixed odd static. It also includes about one minute and eight seconds of distorted clippings of the song at the end as a finish to the album. Musically it's extremely close to the "(Demo)" version from the ''Head Like a Hole'' US single. ===Down In It (Demo - ''Demos & Remixes'')===Appears on the ''Demos and Remixes'' bootleg, running 4:35. Almost exactly the same as the ''Purest Feeling'' version, simply lacking the extra layering and sound effects as well as the distorted outro, though it does retain the extended drumbeat intro. ===Down In It (Demo - Martin Atkins tape)==='''''Running Time: 4:26''''' Only exists on a cassette tape handed out by Adrian SherwoodReznor to important figures. This cassette is also in the possession of [[Martin Atkins]], Keith LeBlancwho has allowed fans to hear excerpts. ===Down In It (Big Whole Mix)==='''''Running Time: 4:09''''' Appears on the ''Demos and Remixes'' bootleg. It's an odd version with Reznor whispering a good portion of his vocals under an odd beat. It also includes faux-Oriental sounding synths which are noticeably absent in any of the other versions of the song.
===Down In It (''Closure'')===
==Music Video==
[[Image:Downinitstill.jpg|thumb|Screenshot from the "Down In It" video]]"Down In It" was the first Nine Inch Nails [[Nine Inch Nails music videos|music video]], completed in September 1989 to accompany the single release. [https://cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/iiif/p16014coll5/39203/full/full/0/default.jpg] It was directed by [[Eric Zimmerman]] and [[Benjamin Stokes]], who also directed "[[Head Like A Hole (song)|Head Like A Hole]]." The video depicts Reznor running through downtown Chicago and climbing to the roof of a building, where he slips and falls to his death. Bandmates [[Richard Patrick]] and [[Chris Vrenna]] discover the body days later. An extended version of the video also exists, which is set to the "Shred" mix.
This was the first video to be met with controversy. To film the shots of lifeless Reznor, he was covered with cornstarch to create the illusion of decay and cameras were tied to heavy-duty balloons that were tied down. During the filming of these scenes, one of the balloons broke free and took the camera with it, drifting some 200 miles before being found by a farmer in Michigan. The camera was turned over to local police who, upon seeing the raw video footage, assumed it was a snuff film and the FBI was called in to investigate. The incident was even reported on ''Hard Copy'' and recalled in an interview for ''SPIN'' magazine. Because MTV and its US affiliates were uncomfortable with the video's subject matter, all scenes that depict Reznor's body lying on the ground behind the building were deleted.
*Director: Eric Zimmerman & Benjamin Stokes
*Producer: Jim Deloye
I was up above it
Now I'm down in it
The fourth line is changed on the final recording to:
But I watched it way too long, it was pulling me down
Backing vocals in ''Pretty Hate Machine'' version:
==External Links==
*[httphttps://vimeo.com/3608189 17071944 "Down In It" music video (Director's CutRemastered)]*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVgBeNLGJuY "Down In It" (Shred) music video]*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkphW38WyYo "Down In It" live in Europe 2000]
*[http://vimeo.com/17037838 ''Hard Copy'' segment about the FBI investigation]
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