God Break Down The Door
"God Break Down The Door" is the fourth track on the 2018 LP Bad Witch. It was first leaked through the official Nine Inch Nails YouTube channel on May 16, 2018 and officially released via all digital outlets and nin.com store on May 17th, 2018. The vocal and musical composition of this song seem to be influenced by David Bowie.
Contents
Song Credits
- N/A
About
In an interview with Zane Lowe [1], Trent Reznor explained the song's unusual style:
We find if we don’t watch ourselves we tend to try to get somewhere comfortable, because it feels better. And from the sound of the drums to the kind of frantic drumbeat to looking around the studio and seeing the untouched baritone, tenor and alto sax that are sitting there. They’re there because they remind me that I can’t play them as well as I used to be able to. For 20 years, I’ve been saying I’m going to really get my technique back because it would be fun to do. And there they sit taunting me in the corner. We pulled them out and we just started fucking around really, led with Atticus [Ross] arranging. I was just kind of going, an hour performance kind of turned into this thing that felt like we hadn’t been there before and that started to reveal a whole different character. The space changed and then we felt motivated. When it came time to sing I was really just trying things out, just to see. I never had the courage to sing like that, I didn’t know I could sing like that.
Appearances
- Bad Witch
Versions
This is the only known version.
Live
"God Break Down The Door" debuted live on June 13, 2018 at The Joint in Las Vegas. It was performed at every show on the Europe + Asia 2018 tour, and about half of the shows for the Cold And Black And Infinite Tour.
In addition, lyrics from the song were sung in 2018 performances of "Subterraneans."
Music Video
A low-concept music video, much like the one for "Burning Bright (Field On Fire)", was posted to the official NIN YouTube account on May 17, 2018. It features the "solar flare"[2] from the Bad Witch album cover, which slowly expands as the song progresses.
Lyrics
God break down the door God break down the door You won't find the answers here Not the ones you came looking for God break down the door Everything all at once* There aren't any answers here No, no, not anymore God break down the door God break down the door You won't find the answers here Not the ones you came looking for God break down the door Everything all at once There aren't any answers here No, no Remove the pain and push it back in Remove the pain and push it back in Remove the pain and push it back in (Remove the pain and push it back in) Remove the pain and push it back in (Remove the pain and push it back in) Remove the pain and push it back in (Remove the pain and push it back in) Remove the pain and push it back in (Remove the pain and push it back in) Remove the pain and push it back in (Pull it out, push it back, pull it out, push it back) Remove the pain and push it back in (Pull it out, push it back, pull it out, push it back) Remove the pain and push it back in
*Initial lyrics provided with the digital single had the line written as "Everything I want," though the official album release has it as "Everything all at once".
Additional lyrics found in the digital distribution, including references to "I'm Not From This World" and the wake/sleep themes of "Dear World,", "The Lovers" and "Not Anymore":
We are a treacherous people As night falls down again In this house of dust The shades are drawn in All of the thousands of rooms We sleep hypnotized from the center Yes in this new place we call home Is there anybody but you sitting in the dark Wondering if you'll remove my skin Not so different after all Remove the pain or push it back in Maybe not so different after all That kind of thing just doesn’t happen here I didn’t think that could happen around here I didn’t think that could happen to me Can you see what is happening Pull it out, and push it back see, I’m not from this world not anymore Not me and I’ve come to believe that’s OK I know who I am yes, I believe I am sleeping after all
External Links
- "God Break Down the Door" music video
- Excerpt from Mix With The Masters w/ Atticus Ross, dicussing "God Break Down The Door"
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