Genre Industrial metal Writer(s) Trent Reznor | Length 4:08 Producer(s) Trent Reznor, Flood | |
Released September 22, 1992 (1992-09-22) Label Nothing, TVT, Interscope | ||
Gave Up is a song by American industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails. Written by frontman Trent Reznor and co-produced by Flood, the song serves as the sixth track of Nine Inch Nails' 1992 EP, Broken. The song is noted for its multiplie music videos and became a concert favorite during the band's live performances.
Contents
Music and lyrics
The song is noted for its aggressive tone, fast tempo and heavier use of guitars, in contrast to Reznor's dance-oriented previous songs from the album Pretty Hate Machine. The song also features prominent use of Mellotron MKIV, which was previously owned by The Beatles' deceased frontman John Lennon. Robotic vocal effects are also present in the song.
Lyrically, the song deals with the themes of isolation, belongingness, self-hatred and agony. Reznor's angst-filled lyrics in this song, such as "After everything I've done I hate myself for what I've become" was described as a solidification of his status as "the dark lord of doom."
Music videos
Three different videos exist for "Gave Up". One is footage of the band recording the song in the Tate Mansion, another is footage of the band performing the song live, and one is the original footage of the finale to the Broken movie.
In popular culture
The song was extensively played during the shooting of the Lost Highway's bowling alley scene, by the demand of the director David Lynch.