59 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Discipline Lyrics
Am I - Am I still tough enough?
Feels like I'm wearing down, down, down, down, down
Is my viciousness,
Losing ground, ground, ground, ground, ground?
Am I taking too much?
Did I cross the line, line, line?
I need my role in this
Very clearly defined
(Chorus)
I need your discipline,
I need your help
I need your discipline,
You know once I start I cannot help myself
And now it's starting up,
Feels like I'm losing touch
Nothing matters to me,
Nothing matters as much
I see you left a mark,
Up and down my skin, skin, skin
I don't know where I end,
And where you begin
(Chorus1)
I can not stop myself.
Once I start I can not stop myself.
(x7)And you knew,
That once I start I can not stop myself.
(Chorus2)
I need your discipline,
I need your help.
I need your discipline
Because once I start I cannot stop myself.
Feels like I'm wearing down, down, down, down, down
Is my viciousness,
Losing ground, ground, ground, ground, ground?
Am I taking too much?
Did I cross the line, line, line?
I need my role in this
Very clearly defined
I need your discipline,
I need your help
I need your discipline,
You know once I start I cannot help myself
Feels like I'm losing touch
Nothing matters to me,
Nothing matters as much
Up and down my skin, skin, skin
I don't know where I end,
And where you begin
Once I start I can not stop myself.
That once I start I can not stop myself.
I need your discipline,
I need your help.
I need your discipline
Because once I start I cannot stop myself.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I since a with_teeth vibe from this song as well. It's like, now that he's come to this point and done the hard part getting sober and clean, can he maintain the will and discipline to keep himself that way?
anyone else notice how pudgy trent was in the ghosts festival video? I think discipline is about trent not being able to stop himself from eating krispy kreme donuts, hence "once i start I cannot stop myself" and when eh says "i need your discipine" he's talking about his personal trainer.... also towards the end, it sounds like he's saying "i need your health system" mmm sugar coated pudgy trent lips...
LOL!!!
LOL!!!
Am I the only one who is sensing a sexual tension in this song? Ever since I heard it for the first time... I can not help myself either, but thinking it's about a submissive/dominant relationship. Just a thought.
Does it have to be about any one thing in particular?
I can see how it alludes to drugs, and sex, eating... whatever!
Addiction, whether to drugs, sex (pretty much a drug release in the brain as well, right?) it all requires 'discipline' to stop yourself.
When it says 'left a mark' it can mean past tense, as in in his past.
Even suggesting he is addicted to food is laughable... totally irrelevant.
I agree, this song is about whatever one needs discipline in, and although I certainly think Trent did not write this about food, it could very well apply to someone who binge eats. Love the song!
I agree, this song is about whatever one needs discipline in, and although I certainly think Trent did not write this about food, it could very well apply to someone who binge eats. Love the song!
I'll try to restrain myself from rambling. I agree with you people. Trent seems to be addressing a discipline in a rather broad sense. Although I can see it as a satirical/ sarcastic view of society as well. It was the first song that really stood out on The Slip when I first listened. It still does, but Lights in the Sky has really grown on me now... A lot.
I'll try to restrain myself from rambling. I agree with you people. Trent seems to be addressing a discipline in a rather broad sense. Although I can see it as a satirical/ sarcastic view of society as well. It was the first song that really stood out on The Slip when I first listened. It still does, but Lights in the Sky has really grown on me now... A lot.
with all the connections, and as a long term NIN fan lol, the VERY FIRST THING that came to my head was sex. sexsexsexsexsex. c'mon guys discipline? if any here have been in a sub/dom relationship you will know what i mean.
building on what lilli and sunnyside said earlier and my own impressions
HAHAHA!!! I totally agree! I always feel a little weird listening to this song...
HAHAHA!!! I totally agree! I always feel a little weird listening to this song...
Ok I'm about 90% certain this is NOT about Trent. This is all sarcastic. Tongue-in-cheek, people. He's saying this stuff from the role of the quintessential neo-con fascist running the country. Sort of like what he did with Capital G. He's playing out this role as though the person is finally questioning their war-mongering, oil-grubbing, bull economics methods ("Am I still tough enough? Feels like I'm wearing down. Is my viciousness losing ground, ground, ground?"). There should be a recognizable theme here since With Teeth (I definitely agree that this song is picking up on that aesthetic), which is that Trent is becoming less focused on social revolution and more focused on political revolution, less focused on introversion and more on extroversion. Thus his recent camaraderie with Saul Williams and the use of Year Zero in its entirety as a concept album poised against the Bush regime and its results. While most of his songs still hold some evidence that he is still questioning himself (i.e. Right Where it Belongs), he has spent far less time with the self moralizing and more time to the cause of the struggle. Questions, comments?
i agree, this song is more satirical about society than self motivated: putting up the mirror to society and saying make decisions for yourself! we dont need to be disciplined we dont need to be helped and how ridiculous it sounds to beg for discipline and help. he is pointing out flaws via imatation: discipline and help yourself.
i agree, this song is more satirical about society than self motivated: putting up the mirror to society and saying make decisions for yourself! we dont need to be disciplined we dont need to be helped and how ridiculous it sounds to beg for discipline and help. he is pointing out flaws via imatation: discipline and help yourself.
to be governed is walking along thin line, he is questioning if its crossed the line into oppression - he articulates this suggestion through out the lyrics, by a persona deffo not of his own: a non dominant follower, and ingorant (not offensively ignorant,...
to be governed is walking along thin line, he is questioning if its crossed the line into oppression - he articulates this suggestion through out the lyrics, by a persona deffo not of his own: a non dominant follower, and ingorant (not offensively ignorant, jus more like innocent) person; also displaying pack mentality ie dogs need their roles in daily life defined, and need to be governed and disciplined and poses questions like a scared dog whos done something wrong: "Am I taking too much? Did I cross the line, line, line? I need my role in this Very clearly defined"
it says "you know, once i start i cannot stop myself" YOU KNOW. who is this you he is addressing? once again ironic and satirical we are humans. not animals. we CAN stop ourselves.
asking questions he asks alot of questions... questions where an answer is expected: the answer that "you know".
once again, like an oppressive figure, you've:
"I see you left a mark, Up and down my skin, skin, skin I don't know where I end, And where you begin"
so yeah. thats just touching base. :) harder to identify with, but more or less brilliant still... just in a different (politically concerned) way. what do you think about that? :S plz reply
Going to quickly throw down my opinion. Seems to me it's about him questioning whether or not he still has it in him to keep doing what he does, and he's asking fans for their discipline to keep him from procrastinating. That's just a guess though.
I absolutely loved With Teeth, I thought it was probably the best album Reznor could have written after quitting drugs. Ever since then I have been disappointed with Year Zero, Ghosts I-IV, and now this song. I feel he's lost his touch with his past creativity and the new music has been taking it's toll on him. I believe he kind of addresses this in this song. It sounds like he's questioning whether to get back into drugs to rejuvenate his mind (And now it's starting up, feels like I'm losing touch, nothing matters to me, nothing matters as much). Personally I would love to see him create another "The Fragile" while staying clean but I just don't see that happening. Still an amazing musician in my book nevertheless.
I mean it could be about drugs, but I feel like that era's closed and done. Trent's done so much with himself in recent years, including buffing up and cutting his hair. Seems weird he'd be writing a song about drugs now.
"Is my viciousness, Losing ground, ground, ground, ground, ground?"
Sounds like he's concerned that his flame is dwindling down.
when i first heard this it sounded like he was talking about jacking off...lmao