Changes

| BPM = 150| versions = The Becoming<br>The Becoming (Instrumental)<br>The Becoming (''[[Still]]'')| live = [[Dissonance]] tour <br> [[Performance 2007]]<br>[[Wave Goodbye Tour]]<br>[[NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour]]}}'''"The Becoming"''' is made from many loops of industrial sounds, thus typical of the seventh track on the 1994 album ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]].'' Its main body is in a 13/8 time signature before switching to a 6/8 time signature at the breakdown. It then goes back to 13/8 before ending in 6/8, crossfading into "[[I Do Not Want This]]."

A semi-acoustic version can be found on ''[[Still]],'' which has an accompanying performance video released at the time on [[nin.com]].

===MeaningAnnie===The lyrics describe In a man fighting against himself2004 interview for ''Alternative Press'', trying to avoid his "becoming," transforming him into a machine without human characteristics and feelings. Its structure, described below, is indicative [[Trent Reznor]] was asked about the use of the name Annie in this strugglesong.

This is a rare example of Reznor directly referencing a name (<blockquote><p>"Oh, and "Annie") in his lyrics. Usuallywas abstractly referring to a college sweetheart/ heartbreak situation that, he uses ambiguous pronouns. This expresses at the need for attachmenttime I was writing that song, the need was a valid source of emotional pain to interact intimately with another human despite the narrator's extreme attempts to detach himself draw from the world.Her real name is Andrea Mulrain, and her phone number is [number deleted for privacy purposes. -Patriot Act Ed.]"</p> <p>—Reznor [http://www.theninhotline.net/archives/articles/manager/display_article.php?id=11]</p></blockquote>

This is the original album version. It begins in a 13/8 time signature with industrial noises such as a manipulated piano line, then bursts into drum machine and sample loops of screams taken from the film ''Robot Joxx''. The drum loop pattern is also nearly identical in "[[The Way Out Is Through]]." At the 3-minute mark, it mellows into an acoustic guitar-led passagein 6/8, with swooshy sounds machine-like loops and synthesized chorus pads sampled from Reznor's voice. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before returning to the acoustic section, which fades crossfades with the opening of "[[I Do Not Want This]]." ===The Becoming (Instrumental)==='''''Running Time: 6:24''''' Released by Reznor via his [[remix.nin.com]] account, this unmastered instrumental version is extended in length, as it does not fade outthe ending, rather looping the acoustic guitar riff many times until stopping.

'''''Running Time: 4:30''''' This version appears on the ''Still'' CD, which was Disc 2 of the Deluxe Edition CD of ''And All That Could Have Been'' and is currently available through nin.com. Simpler in its instrumentation and without the sample loops, it transitions immediately from the end of "[[The_Fragile_%28song%29#The_Fragile_.28Still.29|The Fragile]]" and ends suddenly after the final "noisy" section. Though he is absent from the credits, [[Danny Lohner]] is clearly seen performing in the video.