Terrible Lie

Album: Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about someone going through a really bad time in their life and blaming it on God. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Aaron - Des Moines, IA

Comments: 4

  • Connor from Albany, NyYea seriously, trent wrote this song due to emotions of feeling betrayed by everything he loved, imagine the hate rushing through his veins. Trent was a drug addict, but that doesnt mean that he writes every song about drug abuse.
  • William from Rochester, NySee again I read these comments and I can?t help but to think how hopeless the human race is. You really think that it is all about drugs and all this other stuff when it is more a matter of life and death. He is trying to describe the feeling of being ?mentally fried? (as I like to put it) by a person who is so pissed off at everyone and everything including god himself that he found braking peoples minds is his mission in life. It is comparable to having gotten AIDS and being in a severe depression and coming to the conclusion that you need to give AIDS to everyone. And about the being raped mentally, ill let you use you imagination.
  • Jeff from Atlanta, GaTrent's Hatred expressed vividly to God!
    i mean thats what i get, if it is drug related, it still makes a good point. What i like about it is that you can use as a release to damn near anything!
  • Marius from LüneburgIn their Lollapalooza concert in '91 Trent Reznor added an intro called "Now I'm Nothing" which surely expresses the deepest feeling Reznor had while his cocain addiction this time. It goes like "I smashed myself to pieces, I am gonna f***myself up, I'm sifting through the ashes, Oh what I have become, I gave myself away - now I'm nothing..."
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.