What is Trent Reznor Telling Us About Aliens?

I've debated over this for a long time, and I'm interested in hearing others' opinions. I searched and found nothing, so I'll post here in hopes someone knows more about this.

In 2007, Nine Inch Nails(Trent Reznor) released "Year Zero". (Which by the way, is a great album. I recommend it to anyone and everyone that hasn't had the opportunity to hear the story being told.) Included on the album is a song called "The Warning", which I think is a strong reference to other intelligent life visiting Earth.

Here's the lyrics for those that aren't familiar(with my emphasis):

"The Warning"

Some say it was a warning
Some say it was a sign
I was standing right there
When it came down from the sky
The way it spoke to us
We felt it from inside
Said it was up to us
Up to us to decide

"You've become a virus
That's killing off it's/his host
We've been watching you with all our eyes
And what you seem to value most
So much potential or so we used to say
Your greed, self-importance and your arrogance
You piss it all away
We heard her cry
We've come to intervene
You will change your ways and you will make amends
or we will wipe this place clean"

Your time is tick-tick-ticking away

If there's any Nine Inch Nails fans here, you know the name of the 2008 tour is "Lights in the Sky Over North America 2008" which is(to me anyway) obviously in reference to UFOs.

I'm a big fan of NIN, have been for years, and these things make me anxious because Trent Reznor has never touched on this subject in any previous songs or albums. If you've heard "Year Zero", you know the story being told is a dark, downward spiral from beginning to end. I think Trent Reznor knows something about an upcoming event, or maybe I'm looking to far into the matter. Maybe I want to see an alien so damn bad, I'm going crazy and looking everywhere to find one. I really don't know.

I would post a link to where you can find the song, but that would be illegal. I'm sure it won't be too hard to find.

LOL NIN is one of those bands that should've stopped many albums ago. Just an opinion.

as for the lyrics, they're just lyrics and he built all of it off a concept. Artists from time to time will find a certain viewpoint or concept and write the whole album from it.

Years ago, and even a bit to this day, Fear Factory based song and album concepts off of machines/robots taking over the world. LOL does this mean they know that Bill Gates is building XBOX A-Live to take over the world?!

just a concept for the album, nothing more.

NIN-great music. Haven't heard this one yet. he is certainly not the first to write about aliens. if you want to really go back check out David Bowie. He's has been writing excellent tunes about aliens for 40 years.

As another poster stated, Year Zero is arguably NIN's first "concept album". It goes far beyond just UFO implications and is really meant to be a scathing criticism of the current administration and alludes to conspiracy-ridden police states.

I wouldn't put much into it beyond that.

Although, IMHO, NIN's last few albums have been far better than previous ones.

Not to plug my own work, but my second novel comes out in October. It, too, is about aliens. Prophetic? I doubt it. Cryptically revealing truths about a conspiracy? Not that I know of. It is what artists do-- we imagine. A lot of times we take bits and pieces of the stuff around us and build a story around it or even to explain it.

I don't think there is anything more to this that just that: an artist doing what an artist does.

Now, if an astronaut or NASA insider were to write this....lol.

good song.
here's trent with a known alien. or marilyn manson

Thanks for the opinions.

Year Zero is a concept album, and I do realize that. But personally, I think "The Warning" is out of place on the album. None of the other songs have anything to do with the subject (well maybe "Zero Sum", but that's a stretch).

As mentioned by thrashee:

Originally posted by thrashee
...and is really meant to be a scathing criticism of the current administration and alludes to conspiracy-ridden police states.

I never thought of the "conspiracy-ridden" part(hmm...thanks for that), because only "The Warning" would fit into that category. I do agree with the rest 100% and it's the exact reason this song stands out to me, as well as the 2008 tour.

Call me crazy or just looking into this too deep, but I think Trent Reznor knows something. Why else would he name the 2008 tour "Light in The Sky Over North America" and release wallpapers with triangle-shaped lights?



On the other hand, he could just be messin' with us, but he's never been known to do so, so I see no reason for him to start now.

This reminds me, I need to get tickets

Not sure about why he picked this motif for the tour, but these are the lyrics from the song Lights in the Sky:

she's mostly gone
some other place
i'm getting by
in other ways
everything they whispered in our ear
is coming true
try to justify the things
i used to do
believe in you

watching you drown
i'll follow you down
and i am here right beside you
the lights in the sky
have finally arrived
i am staying right beside you

i tried to stay away
you know
just in case
i've come to realize
we all have our place
time has a way you know
to make it clear
i have my role in this
i can't disappear
or leave you here

watching you drown
i'll follow you down
and i am here right beside you
the lights in the sky
are waving goodbye
i am staying right beside you

Those lyrics look more like they were in reference to the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that was launched before the release of that CD. I cant remember exactly what it was called, but I followed it for a while.

en.wikipedia.org...(alternate_reality_game)

Year Zero is an alternate reality game based on the Nine Inch Nails concept album of the same name, its expected follow-up, and a possible accompanying film or television project.[1] Although the album was released on April 16, 2007 in Europe, and the following day worldwide,[2] the game has been underway since roughly February 12, 2007 and is expected to continue for approximately eighteen months.

[edit on 20-8-2008 by Dronetek]

I'll ask him next time I see him.

Originally posted by StefanO
I'll ask him next time I see him.

I'll give you attention, StefanO.

Really??? You know Trent Reznor??? OMG, how??? Can you get me his autograph???

i cant really say i know him that well. My ex-girlfriend was his personal assistant. Ive met him numerous times and used to be his personal "handyman" you could say

Originally posted by StefanO
i cant really say i know him that well. My ex-girlfriend was his personal assistant. Ive met him numerous times and used to be his personal "handyman" you could say

Really?? That is SO cool. So just when is the next time you'll see him?

reply to post by thrashee


Next time they play LA

reply to post by Niobis


That song is ABAB end-rhyme scheme, typical.

This is my fav song of his, one of many actually.

www.youtube.com...

As far as UFO's in the song, probably, I think he produced a number of albums at 10050 Cielo Drive, the site of Sharon Tate's murder.

en.wikipedia.org...



[edit on 20-8-2008 by pluckynoonez]

Originally posted by Dronetek
Those lyrics look more like they were in reference to the ARG (Alternate Reality Game) that was launched before the release of that CD. I cant remember exactly what it was called, but I followed it for a while.

I don't see the reference, but it is fun to (as the ninwiki says) "try so hard to make the pieces all fit". I can only image all the work put into those pages.

www.ninwiki.com...

Ok, all kidding aside, if you do really know him that's pretty cool. I heard through someone who got to meet him after a concert that he was kind of rude to the fans, but I don't put much weight into that.

reply to post by pluckynoonez


I don't think it's so much about UFOs more than it is about the aliens themselves. (Sorry for being picky) He refers to them as 'it' and 'we'. So maybe they spoke to humanity while they were still in the UFO. Told us we gotta change or they're gonna "wipe this place clean".

Oh how I beg for the day aliens kill all of humanity. We as a whole, are a disgrace to all life forms.

Originally posted by Niobis
Oh how I beg for the day aliens kill all of humanity. We as a whole, are a disgrace to all life forms.

Do you need a hug?