I'd listen to the words he'd say
But in his voice I heard decay
The plastic face forced to portray
All the insides left cold and gray
There is a place that still remains
It eats the fear it eats the pain
The sweetest price he'll have to pay
The day the whole world went away
Na na nah
Na na na, nah
Na na nah
Na na na , nah


Lyrics submitted by thewhitepony33, edited by Mellow_Harsher

The Day the World Went Away song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

62 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +13
    General Comment

    "I'd listen to the words he'd say, but in his voice I heard decay" ---- the person he's referring to acts like he's okay, but even the tone in his voice contradicts him. He's pretending to be okay, but it's obvious he's living a lie.

    "the plastic face forced to portray, all the insides left cold and gray. . ." ----The subject he's referring to is forced to portray something he's not, while he's falling apart on the inside.

    "there is a place that still remains,it eats the fear it eats the pain. . . " --- 'The place' refers to a center of self-abuse, whether that he a drug, alcohol or self-mutilation.

    "the sweetest price he'll have to pay, the day the whole world went away. . . " --The subject eventually paid the price for fooling everyone, he himself couldn't take it anymore and destroyed the empire of lies he had created.

    LittleUrantiaGirlon July 03, 2003   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I think this song shows us that trent reznor is actually a buddhist and he is talking about experiencing zen. It is a buddhist tenet that the world is an illusion yet its presence is before us. In a state of zen the illusion of the world vanishes and the original nature of the mind is seen. Its about acheiviing that level of spiritial fulfillment befcause it is necessary to fill the spiritual void that a life of illusion creates. it is about the quest for deeper meaning with life and the relaisation that life must disappear for that meaning to become apparent. The day the whole world went away

    the_toolshedon March 03, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I was listening to this song and at the last 12 seconds I heard him saying "I love you" six times, really quietly, I think thats what he says, just listen to it closely and look out for it

    tdtwwwa21on February 18, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Watch the new Terminator: Salvation trailer... One of the best uses I've seen for this song so far.

    MrSelfxDestructon March 05, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    that's right... supress the pain... don't struggle... that's right

    greymatterareaon June 02, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is all about Space Travel. See, Trent has always wanted to go into space, and because Earth will be so far away, that day that he finally acheives his dream will be the day the world went away.

    All the lyrics are about his hero, Neil Armstrong, because he listened tot he words he'd say "One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind" (if you listen to this song in reverse and diagonally, this phrase is actually hidden in the song) and the part about "all the insides left cold and gray" actually refers to the fact that space is cold, because it's like a vaccum.

    The biggest give away is at the end of the song, where it's all silent, and then suddenly you hear the big instrumental sound, which is the shuttle taking off, and then Trent and the other members of the crew are like "nah nah nah!" at everyone on Earth, because they get to go into space and we don't, bastards.

    Shockaon October 14, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I'm living a lie. I'm a happy laughing guy at school, but inside I'm an angsty on the verge of suicide nobody. No social life, no relationship, no future.

    I always listen to this song. It helps me prepare for my suicide

    dsgfsdgson November 13, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    on the fragile... i heard that Left was about the death of Trent's grandmother, Clara. So, my interpretation of this song must fit the enterpretation of Left. Trent said himself on the NIN site a couple of days ago, You don't build a house a room at a time, you design the whole thing, then get to work. If Left is about the death of his grandmother, TDTWWA is about the day he found out that she was terminally ill. The plastic face is the doctor revealing to Trent and his Clara that she is going to die. When he knew she was terminal, nothing else mattered, the world went away. I can only imagine that a moment like that would burn deeply into Trent. He would write a song about that moment. The albumn moves on to The Frail, a song devoted to his grandmother...

    zambaion April 16, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is about the death of Trent's grandmother.

    Not only that, but it's more specifically about her funeral.

    The entire bunch of lyrics is Trent speaking about the funeral priest guy burying his grandmother/cremating her.

    On the outside, he looks calm and collected, knowing it's his job, it's what he has to do. But on the inside, it pains him to have to lay someone to rest forever. After years and years of doing this, it's left him with a plastic face forced to portray no emotion towards death even though he wants to. It leaves him knowing he just has to do his job and get it over with. Thus cold and grey.

    The place that still remains and eats his fear and pain away, is his mind. His mind forces him remain apathetic about having to put someone to rest infront of many loved ones, breaking down.

    The sweetest price the priest will have to pay? When he has to lay the entire world to rest and the whole world goes away.

    This is actually the CONFIRMED AND REAL meaning to the song The Day The World Went Away.

    It's Trent speaking to a priest about how he's so calm and collected while he burys someone/cremates them, while loved ones, and friends all around him, break down over the death of the dead person. In this case, his grandmother. He broke down...the priest remained calm, and just did his job as if he didn't care at all about her death.

    The song is dedicated to him. And this is actually the TRUE meaning to the song.

    BLEEDTHROUGHon April 30, 2005   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    The song in my understanding is about depersonalization disorder. He has to put on a face for other people; a personality because he's numb inside. The sweetest price is his life, and the place that still remains is an afterlife if there is one - where he won't feel fear or pain anymore. The world and all of your problems don't matter when you're dead.

    Thorpon June 18, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Album art
Another Love
Tom Odell
I think the meaning is pretty clear. This person got really burned in a previous relationship, and because of this is unable to love and show care in his present one, even though he so badly wants to. It's lovely song, and very sad. You can really feel how defeated and frustrated he is with himself.