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

All pain disappears
It's the nature of, of my circuitry
Drowns out all I hear
No escape from this, my new consciousness
The me that you know
He used to have feelings
But the blood has stopped pumping
And he is left to decay
The me that you know
Is now made up of wires
And even when I'm right with you
I'm so far away

I can try to get away
But I've strapped myself in
I can try to scratch away
The sound in my ears
I can see it killing away
All of my bad parts
I don't want to listen
But it's all too clear

Hiding backwards inside of me
I feel so unafraid
Annie, hold a little tighter
I might just slip away

It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head
It won't give up, it wants me dead
Goddamn this noise inside my head


Lyrics submitted by implode

The Becoming Lyrics as written by Trent Reznor

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

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Becoming song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

70 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +7
    General Comment

    When life really begins to wear you down, you start to become sort of numb. With so many disappointments, failures, and so on, the narrator starts to get somewhat of an alter-ego. This alter-ego operates like a machine in that it has no real emotions or feelings. The narrator slowly feels as if he's being taken over by it.

    Ramzaon June 12, 2002   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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
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.