The Hand That Feeds

Album: With Teeth (2005)
Charted: 7 31
Play Video
  • You're keeping in step
    In the line
    Got your chin held high and you feel just fine
    'Cause you do
    What you're told
    But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold

    Just how deep do you believe?
    Will you bite the hand that feeds?
    Will you chew until it bleeds?
    Can you get up off your knees?
    Are you brave enough to see?
    Do you wanna change it?

    What if this whole crusade's a charade
    And behind it all there's a price to be paid
    For the blood on which we dine
    Justified in the name of the holy and the divine

    Just how deep do you believe?
    Will you bite the hand that feeds?
    Will you chew until it bleeds?
    Can you get up off your knees?
    Are you brave enough to see?
    Do you wanna change it?

    So naive
    I keep holding on to what I wanna believe
    I can see
    But I keep holding on and on and on and on

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees?

    Will you bite the hand that feeds you?
    Will you stay down on your knees? Writer/s: Trent Reznor
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Red Brick Music Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 17

  • Thisguy from FloridaKinda sounds like he's talking to himself about the you-know-whos running his industry, but ok.
  • Stephen from Marrero, LaThis is a song all about quitting addiction. Another awesome song by this band is closer
  • Joel2point0 from Nashville, TnThis song means trying to kick anything your addicted to. "What if this whole crusades a charade?" could mean, what if everything you have worked for is in vein?
  • Joel2point0 from Nashville, TnI think this song has more than one meaning, just like any good song. Its about trying to get off something your addicted to. "What if this whole crusade is a charade?" Means, what if everything you are working for, in order to feed your addiction, is in vein?
  • Joel2point0 from Nashville, TnThis song could also mean about any person who is addicted to anything and wanting to change. It has multiple meanings, just like any good song should.
  • Kat from Chicago, IlI didn't realize that this was a political attack until I looked it up. I always thought it was just about religion and blindly following the teachings of an angry leader. Though I suppose the two concepts are similar.
  • Matt from Glen Burnie, MdI was wondering if it has any similarities with the Aerosmith song of the same title but there isn't any info her.
  • Michael from Morris County, NjAlso steve, if you think anarchy is so great take a trip down to Somalia and see how it's working out for them. Ask them what they think of anarchy.
  • Michael from Morris County, NjAnarchy is a impossible desperate philosiphy that will never achive what it wishes to achive
  • Steve from Los Angeles, CaAnarchy is Freedom
  • Ernest from Northfield Center, United StatesMore than just political.
  • Chuck from Joppa, Md, MdI always took it to mean (and I saw where Reznor said something very similar) that the verses are directed at Bush and the choruses are directed toward Americans as a whole.
  • Name from Nowhere, Coi think this song is about people not being brave enught o rebel agains our government....there afraid opf the consiquences.
  • Jorge from Codoba, South AmericaTrent is a good writer, no doubt about that, but he isnt he greatest, if you want good lyrics against American Society, and telling the truth, listen to rage against the machine, (Zack De La Rocha) leadersinger/songwriter, is also friends with NIN today
  • Eric from Sanford, NcI think the American people are in fact "the hand that feeds" because we give the power to all those who have it, and I think saying "Will you bite the hand that feeds you?" is asking the president if he is going to screw us over, breaking our "trust".
  • Danny from Sydney, AustraliaTrent Reznor is one of the greatest songwriters of his time, if not, ever.
  • Erik from Willow Hill, Pait means that will other countries not bite the hand that feeds and let us push them around or will they stick up for themselves even though we provide them support.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.