Changes

| live = [[Dissonance]] tour <br> [[Performance 2007]]<br>[[Wave Goodbye Tour]]<br>[[NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour]]}}'''"The Becoming"''' is the seventh track on the 1994 album ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]].''

A semi-acoustic version can be found on ''[[Still]],'"The Becoming"''' is which has an accompanying performance video released at the seventh track time on the 1994 album ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiralnin.com]].''

A semi-acoustic version can be found on ===Annie===In a 2004 interview for ''Alternative Press'', [[StillTrent Reznor]],'' which has an accompanying video released at was asked about the use of the time on nin.comname Annie in this song.

===Meaning===<blockquote>The lyrics describe <p>"Oh, and "Annie" was abstractly referring to a man fighting against himselfcollege sweetheart/ heartbreak situation that, trying to avoid his "becomingat the time I was writing that song," transforming him into was a machine without human characteristics and feelingsvalid source of emotional pain to draw from. Its structure, described belowHer real name is Andrea Mulrain, and her phone number is indicative of this struggle[number deleted for privacy purposes. -Patriot Act Ed.]"</p> This is a rare example of Reznor directly referencing a name ("Annie") in his lyrics<p>—Reznor [http://www. Usually, he uses ambiguous pronounstheninhotline. This expresses the need for attachment, the need to interact intimately with another human despite the narrator's extreme attempts to detach himself from the worldnet/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 a manipulated piano line, then bursts into drum 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 passage in 6/8, with 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 crossfades with the opening of "[[I Do Not Want This]]."

'''''Running Time: 6:24''''' Released by Reznor via his [[remix.nin.com ]] account, this unmastered instrumental version is extended to six minutes in length, as it does not fade out the 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.

This song, played live frequently on the [[Dissonance]] Tour and relegated to rarity status until its brief return on the [[Performance 2007]] Tour, was resurrected for the [[Wave Goodbye Tour]], where during which it featured more was characterized by [[Robin Finck]]'s use of an acoustic guitar riffs and live pianothroughout. However, the structure of the song stayed close to the album version, with distortion used on the acoustic guitar for the loud parts. These performances also dropped the ''Robot Joxx'' sample loop.

*[http://www.rob-sheridanvimeo.com/61677369 "The Becoming" (''Still'') music video]*[http:/becoming/vimeo.html com/5133409 "StillThe Becoming" videolive from on stage at the Sasquatch Festival, 5.24.09]