You didn't hurt me, nothing can hurt me

I'm feeling rather bummed today. One of my all-time favorite bands is playing at Chicago's Charter One Pavilion tonight, and I'm missing out because I snoozed on buying tickets in advance. I really need to stop procrastinating so much.

Nine Inch Nails is one of the very first bands that got me into industrial rock music. Ministry and KMFDM fall under the same category, as far as musicians that influenced my childhood taste buds... which is pretty odd. I didn't know too many 13-year-old's who were jamming to this dark, edgy, industrial music back then. The Downward Spiral was one of the very first CDs I ever purchased (it was actually third, right behind The Offspring's Smash and Sheryl Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club...don't laugh at me).

I have never seen Nine Inch Nails live, and that needs to change. They've been around as long as I can remember, and who knows how many good years they have in them? I'm sure they'll still be rocking for the next few years, so I'm not too worried about it. But today, I'm bummed. Rather than be sad about it, I think I'm just going to share some of my favorite NIN tracks with you today.

One of the reasons I like them so much, besides their aggressive electro-rock sound, is because their lyrics can be so gritty and intense. I don't know it it's just me, but when I try to figure out most of the song meanings, the only thing that comes to mind is sex. Sometimes passionate, loving sex. Other times dirty, heavy sex. Another recurring theme I find...pain. Pain which leads to anger and devastation. And I guess when I really think about it, love and pain are the two strongest emotions one can feel. And Nine Inch Nails do an excellent job evoking these sentiments through lyrics and music.

I'm going to dissect just one song here for you, because I'm listening to it right now as I type and my mind is swimming with thoughts. "Ruiner" is the perfect song to blast when you find yourself hurt by another. Someone came into your life, turned your world upside down and failed to apologize for his mistake. And now you're hurt, upset, angry, full of rage. Just blast "Ruiner," and those feelings will quickly turn into relief and satisfaction, because you realize this person was a waste of your time in the first place. Lesson learned.

Here's a breakdown of some of the lyrics: "You had all of them on your side, didn't you? You believed in all your lies, didn't you? The ruiner's got a lot to prove, he's got nothing to lose and now he made you believe... The raping of the innocent, you know the ruiner ruins everything he sees. Now the only pure thing left in my f*cking world is wearing your disease... You had to give them all a sign, didn't you? You had to covet what was mine, didn't you? The ruiner is a collector, he's an infector serving his sh*t to his flies. Maybe there will come a day when those that you keep blind will suddenly realize. Maybe its a part of me you took to a place I hoped it would never go. And maybe that f*cked me up so much more than youll ever know."

And the best line, which Reznor sings repeatedly to close out the track: "You didn't hurt me, nothing can hurt me, you didn't hurt me, nothing can stop me now."

So to those of you attending tonight's show, have a blast for me. I hope they play the following songs, because I am positive they'd kill these tracks live.

I dedicate this post to you, Bati ;-)

Nine Inch Nails - Ruiner
Nine Inch Nails - Sunspots
Nine Inch Nails - Sin
Nine Inch Nails - The Persistence of Loss
Nine Inch Nails - Reptile