Changes

| album = '' [[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]]''

| BPM = 150| versions = The Becoming<br>The Becoming (Instrumental)<br>The Becoming (''[[Still]]'')| live = [[Dissonance]] tour <br> [[Year Zero Warm-Up Performance 2007]]<br>[[Wave Goodbye Tour]]<br>[[NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour]]<br>[[Cold And Black And Infinite Tour]]}}'''"The Becoming"''' is the seventh track on the 1994 album ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward Spiral]].''

==About=Annie==="In a 2004 interview for ''Alternative Press'The Becoming'''" is made from many loops of industrial sounds, showcasing the hard sound from [[The Downward Spiral]]. A more acoustic version (with [[Trent Reznor]] on piano, [[Danny Lohner]] on guitar, [[Jerome Dillon]] on drums, with drum machine and samples) can be found on [[Still]], with an accompanying video on [[nin.com]] ([http://youtube.com/watch?v=eaX4Ac2-Fww YouTube upload])was asked about the use of the name 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 at the time I was writing that song, was a valid source of emotional pain to avoid his "becomingdraw from. Her real name is Andrea Mulrain,and her phone number is [number deleted for privacy purposes. -Patriot Act Ed.]" transforming him into a machine without human characteristics and feelings</p> <p>—Reznor [http://www.theninhotline.net/archives/articles/manager/display_article.php?id=11]</p></blockquote>

This is a rare example of ===Song Credits===*Production: [[Flood]] and TrentReznor*Mixing Engineer: [[Alan Moulder]]*Ring Mod Guitar: [[Adrian Belew] directly referencing a name ]*ARP2600: Flood ==Appearances=====Halos===*''The Downward Spiral'' (1994)*''[[And All That Could Have Been (halo)|And All That Could Have Been]]'' ("Annie"Deluxe Edition CD; 2002) *''Still'' ===Seeds===*''[[The Definitive NIN - Deep Cuts]]'' ==Versions=====The Becoming===This is the original album version. It begins in his lyricsa 13/8 time signature with a manipulated piano line, then bursts into drum and sample loops of screams taken from the film ''Robot Joxx''. Usually, he uses ambiguous pronounsThe drum loop pattern is also nearly identical in "[[The Way Out Is Through]]. This expresses " At the need for attachment3-minute mark, it mellows into an acoustic guitar-led passage in 6/8, the need to interact intimately with another human despite the narratormachine-like loops and synthesized chorus pads sampled from Reznor's extreme attempts voice. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before returning to detach himself from the worldacoustic section, which crossfades with the opening of "[[I Do Not Want This]]."

===The song begins with industrial noises such as those from a drum machine and what appears to be distorted screams. At the 3-minute mark it mellows into swooshy sounds with Becoming (Instrumental)===''ahh''ing from more emotive voices. There is a final outburst of noise and screaming before fading out with the 'Running Time: 6:24'''ahh''s again. This song structure is indicative of the struggle between the narrator and the noise/machine.

===Versions===*The Becoming*The Becoming (''Still'')==='''''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. ====Song Credits====*ProductionPerformance: [[Flood]] and Trent Reznor, Jerome Dillon*Mix engineering: Alan Moulder*Mixing EngineerEngineering: Alan Moulder*Second Engineering: [[Alan MoulderLeo Herrera]]*Ring Mod GuitarProgramming:[[ Adrian BelewKeith Hillebrandt]]*ARP2600: Flood==Live==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]], during which it was characterized by [[Robin Finck]]'s use of an acoustic guitar throughout. 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.

I beat my machine it’s it's a part of me it’s it's inside of me I’m I'm stuck in this dream it’s it's changing me I am becoming The me that you know, he had some second thoughts He’s He's covered with scabs, he is broken and sore The me that you know doesn’t doesn't come around much

All pain disappears it’s it's the nature of my circuitry Drowns out all I hear no escape from this my new consciousness

But the blood has stopped pumping and he’s he's left to decay

And even when I’m I'm right with you I’m I'm so far away

I can try to get away but I’ve I've strapped myself in

I don’t don't want to listen but it’s it's all too clear

It won’t won't give up it wants me dead