We Look Back on Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” Because I’m in the Car With My Dad and of Fucking Course It’s Playing on the Radio
“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails was released in May of 1994 as the second single off their sophomore album “The Downward Spiral”, and of fucking course it just started playing on the radio right after Dad picked me up from O’Hare for the McLaughlin family reunion on Thursday. What the fuck was 95.9 The River doing on the radio dial to begin with? Ugh, it was probably my little sister Kaitlyn. He really needs to stop letting her drive the Honda Pilot. Still, he drove all the way down here from Winthrop Harbor without changing the station? What’s that all about? Dude listens to Led Zeppelin almost exclusively. I would’ve for sure thought he’d have some classic rock station blaring. I could handle hearing “Peace of Mind” or “Sultans of Swing” for the millionth time. Anything but this.
Anyway, the song was met with critical praise and is regarded as one of their best, and ugh, there was just a brief lull in Dad’s rant about his ordeal getting tables and chairs for the reunion, and of course it was right where Trent Reznor sings “I wanna fuck you like an animal”. I mean, they censored the “fuck” of course, but it’s still pretty obvious. Why do they even play this on the radio? Nothing against Nine Inch Nails, man, but this is the furthest thing from a radio-friendly hit. I can’t even change the station at this point, either. That would make it so much more awkward.
Few people know this, but “Closer” actually uses a modified drum sample from Iggy Pop’s 1977 tune “Nightclubbing”, but that’s kind of hard to appreciate with the lyric “it’s your sex I can smell” resounding through the walls of the SUV clearer than quartz. I need to think of something else to talk about, and fast. Work? My mind is frantically trying to think of something interesting to say, but I’m realizing my job as a Logistics Analyst is actually pretty boring. The Bulls? They haven’t been good for decades, and that’ll just get Dad pissed off. It seems like there’s nothing to do but ride this out. Ugh.
The tune’s end has a manipulated sample of Roxy Music’s “Take a Chance With Me,” which we can fully appreciate now because the lyrics are done. To conclude, “Closer” perfectly captured the raw aggression and angst that was beginning to pervade our culture in the early nineties, and, oh fuck me. “Sex and Candy” just came on. That’s it. I’m changing the station.
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