I pushed the button and elected him to office and
He pushed the button and he dropped the bomb
You pushed the button and could watch it on the television
Those motherfuckers didn't last too long
I'm sick of hearing 'bout the have's and have-not's
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we've been doing things is
The more we let you have, the less that I'll be keeping for me

Well, I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Traded in my god for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

Don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala
Don't really see what all the fuss is about
Ain't gonna worry about no future generations and I
Am sure somebody's gonna figure it out
Don't try to tell me that some power can corrupt a person
You haven't had enough to know what it's like
You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position
Now nod your head because you know that I'm right, all right!

Well, I used to stand for something
But forgot what that could be
There's a lot of me inside you
Maybe you're afraid to see

Well, I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Traded in my god for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

Well, I used to stand for something
But forgot what that could be
There's a lot of me inside you
Maybe you're afraid to see

Well, I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Traded in my god for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G


Lyrics submitted by SMUSER17012811, edited by blackcats111, shadowcat9

Capital G Lyrics as written by Trent Reznor

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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Capital G song meanings
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181 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    G=Greed Everyone has it Hes clearly talking about greed all throughout this song

    "theres alot of me inside you"

    heyoka_loganon November 12, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    abhpro: Yes it takes place in 2022. But great art imitates real life.

    George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948 but was commenting on the political changes of england and Europe post WWII.

    Terry Giliams Brazil was about the ever growing bureaucracy and overprotective intrusions of governments in the late 1980's

    Fritz Lang's Metropolis made in the 1920s, which is the story of a large futuristic city in the year 2026, dealt with the issues of the then emerging communism and capitalism.

    There are many more dsytopian pieces of art that reflect off of current events of the time they were created.

    So YZ is about a fictional dystopia in 2022, but is based on the political and historical situations of today.

    squareloveron April 06, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love the way Trent sings this song. The chorus is amazing.

    As for the meaning, I'd imagine the speaker is someone in a government position while people are rebelling against the Parepin dosage in the water. I love how Year Zero shows viewpoints from all kinds of people in 2022.

    abhproon April 04, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think the G either stands for government/god

    The George Bush thing is just bush bashers trying to turn every song into an anti bush, when I'm pretty sure Trent could give enough of a fuck to write an anti-bush song like every one else. Government has always been this way, just with different faces, and this song is basically saying that.

    D4MVPon April 09, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    To me this song is about that sort of thing, society become more and more capitalised, business orientated, people just taking things for themselves, hedonistic, greedy leaders of countries, companies, etc. "The biggest problem with the way that we've been doing things is, The more we let you have the less that I'll be keeping for me"

    psychedanon February 12, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Does anybody else think its not a coincidence that in the last chorus, when he echoes "Stand for something" for the first time, it almost makes the line sound like "Maybe you're afraid to stand for something"?

    As much of an attack this is on corruption and government, it also very indirectly and cleverly condemns us. There is a lot of corruption inside every last one of us; as he says, we're just afraid to see, its in our nature to think we're right. Along with that is the follower instinct, comparing people to sheep who just listen and obey and are too scared to stand up for what they believe in. This all ties into the entire Year Zero concept to me; the entire album ends with the line "and all we ever were, just zeros and ones". Just my thoughts.

    HammerFloydon July 16, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    1. (The inside view of those who voted for a president. Beginning with 'I'): I pushed the button and elected him to office, and He pushed the button, and he dropped the bomb

    (The outside view of those watching it unfold. Beginning with 'You'): You pushed the button, and could watch it on the television Those motherfuckers didn't last too long

    (This first verse sets up the typical I verses You argument. Or us versus them.)

    1. (View of the wealthy pragmatist) I'm sick of hearing 'bout the have and have-not's Have some personal accountability The biggest problem with the way that we are doing things is The more we let you have, the less that I'll be keeping for me

    2. (The view of the capitalist consumer) Don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala Don't really see what all the fuss is about Ain't gonna worry about no future generations I'm sure somebody gonna figure it out

    3. (The view of the wealthy pragmatist) Don't try to tell me that some power can corrupt a person You haven't had enough to know what it's like You're only angry 'cause you wish you were in my position Now nod your head because you know that I'm right, all right!

    Chorus:

    (This is Trent's cynical view on the lack of moral guidance in consumer culture) Well, I used to stand for something But forgot what that could be (Now he says also that this attitude is inside everyone) There's a lot of me inside you Maybe you're afraid to see

    (We are a slave to the power of the culture) Well, I used to stand for something Now I'm on my hands and knees (Now he says that God has been replaced by the Capital, which is capitalism, and the G now stands for the God of Capitalism) Turning in my god for this one And he signs his name with a capital G

    Cathexiconon October 16, 2018   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    What if G stands for something a little more simple like Government? Trent could be writing about George Bush, but don't you think he'd rather keep blaming Government.

    desiredroseon April 07, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Your only angry cause you wish you were in my position

    should be You're, not Your

    xenodolfon April 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    ok, so thusfar we've got: George Bush Greed Government Global Warming Genocide God

    Here are my additions: G - the gravitational constant Gorgonzola Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft thats all

    rockbassarton April 22, 2007   Link

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