La Mer

i think this song represents a calming acceptance of death (the great below)

The perfect build up to "The Great Below", this track on The Fragile confirms that "The Great Below" is about death.

Long-time NIN fan, La Mer is among my very favorites.

You guys debate the literal translation of the lyrics. Maybe thats why they're in french, I think this is the only containing a foreign language.

My interpretation of this isn't literally the sea.

It is imagery for sex with a woman. The whispered words spoken in the language of romance, mysterious, conveying sensuality. The steady positive beat, gaining momentum until the crescendo, at which the music becomes slower, peaceful, and she whispers again.

This physical act is something the subject loses himself in, the basic primal instinct that a man can feel at one with the entire universe, that pulse throughout your body until nothing else matters, and the peace that comes after, lying in your lovers arms.

But, maybe that's just me.

La Mer was written while Trent rented a house by the ocean to create music. While at the house he seriously contemplated suicide, and this is the only song which emerged from his stay at that house.

La Mer is about suicide.

http://www.ninwiki.com/La_Mer

OK GUYS, I am Haitian and the is HAITIAN CREOLE NOT FRENCH You can put your money on me being right since I am fluent in both languages (LOL)

Here are the CORRECT lyrics:

ET QUAN LE JOU ARRIVE MAP TOUNE EN CIEL MAP TOUNE LAN ME

ET LA MER VA EMBRASSER MWEN ET DELIVRE MWEN LAKAY

AN RIEN PAP ARRITE MWEN KONIN LA AN RIEN PAP ARRITE MWEN ENKO AN RIEN PAP ARRITE MWEN ENKO AN RIEN PAP ARRITE MWEN ENKO

and the ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

AND WHEN THE DAY ARRIVES I WILL RETURN TO THE SKY I WILL RETURN TO THE SEA

AND THE SEA WILL EMBRACE ME AND DELIVER ME HOME

NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW NOTHING CAN STOP ME EVER NOTHING CAN STOP ME EVER NOTHING CAN STOP ME EVER

NOTES:

LAN ME IS THE HAITIAN CREOLE VERSION "LA MER"

"NOTHING CAN STOP ME EVER" is the word for word translation but its meaning translates to "NOTHING WILL EVER STOP ME AGAIN"

I hope that clears it up.

I agree, gotterdam. I thought the addition of one of Trent's most often-used lyric: 'nothing can stop me now' was the perfect touch to this song.

actually this song is about death, but not in a bad way in a hopeful way.

I have to agree with the first two comments posted on here. La Mer is about death (in this case drowning) but its actually somewhat hopeful. The way the sea is taking him sounds like he's gaining some release from his strife into a greater world. Reminds me of a line from "The Haunting" (the good 1963 version) "Why is everything so ugly and yet so comfortable? Like drowning I guess."

What disturbs his happy peacefulness is the next song, "The Great Below" where he finds hmself after the fact.

I consulted my French teacher about this song not too long ago. This is what we got:

The speaker/singer is speaking/singing in Creole French. (Most common in New Orleans)

The Creole lyrics are: " Et quand le jour se lève Je deviendrai le ciel Et je deviendrai la mer

Et la mer viendra m'embrasser Pour que j'aille à la maison

Rien ne peut m'arrêter maintenant"

A close to literal translation:

" And the day has arrived To thresh the sky And to thresh the sea

And the sea has embraced me
And it has dispensed me from my cage

Nothing can stop me now"

And a more...English translation (makes a little more sense): " And when the day arrives I’ll become the sky And I’ll become the sea

And the sea will come to kiss me
For I am going
Home

Nothing can stop me now"

The sea, openness, being without memory. This song is about embracing and accepting death, and knowing there is something greater out there.