I think it makes most sense if you interpret the previous three songs in conjunction with this.
I know, a tetralogy seems outlandish, but hear me out here.
So it begins with Lights in the Sky, which can easily be interpreted to be about sacrificing your own love to stay with a significant other who has lost feelings for you. I'm not going to go deep into this, because it's not the songs page. Moving on.
Based on that, Corona Radiata can be interpreted as the feeling of pretending to consign yourself and be okay with the fact that you love someone who doesn't love you back. It haunts you. Seriously, its something I've been through. It's always in the back of your mind, you dwell on it.
Following that, The Four of us are Dying has a sound that indicates (to me at least) self loathing. Sort of wrestling with yourself about going back on your own word. The narrator can't handle the relationship any more. He keeps pushing down his reservations though. They manifest in Demon Seed...
In Demon Seed, he has hit the breaking point. He can't handle his own self loathing or his resentment of his "Love". This starts to bleed out in a destructive manner. Whether physical abuse, self harm, or just straight up homo/suicide, is open for interpretation. But something very destructive has come of this and he just doesn't care about the consequences anymore.
To me, The Slip is almost an alternative take on The Downward Spiral. This time it's being less about drugs, and more about mental illness, I.e. bipolar disorder and depression
I think it makes most sense if you interpret the previous three songs in conjunction with this.
I know, a tetralogy seems outlandish, but hear me out here.
So it begins with Lights in the Sky, which can easily be interpreted to be about sacrificing your own love to stay with a significant other who has lost feelings for you. I'm not going to go deep into this, because it's not the songs page. Moving on.
Based on that, Corona Radiata can be interpreted as the feeling of pretending to consign yourself and be okay with the fact that you love someone who doesn't love you back. It haunts you. Seriously, its something I've been through. It's always in the back of your mind, you dwell on it.
Following that, The Four of us are Dying has a sound that indicates (to me at least) self loathing. Sort of wrestling with yourself about going back on your own word. The narrator can't handle the relationship any more. He keeps pushing down his reservations though. They manifest in Demon Seed...
In Demon Seed, he has hit the breaking point. He can't handle his own self loathing or his resentment of his "Love". This starts to bleed out in a destructive manner. Whether physical abuse, self harm, or just straight up homo/suicide, is open for interpretation. But something very destructive has come of this and he just doesn't care about the consequences anymore.
To me, The Slip is almost an alternative take on The Downward Spiral. This time it's being less about drugs, and more about mental illness, I.e. bipolar disorder and depression