“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails is the kind of sex song that you’d expect a serial killer to write to a potential victim. Everyone, movie directors in particular, thinks that. And if so, that’s fine by Trent Reznor, the man who orchestrated the group’s enduring success.
Shock value and incredible production aside, the meaning of “Closer” likely goes over the head of many listeners.
That’s why I’d like to take advantage of the time having passed and of Reznor’s newfound artistic respectability, and discuss the song. This is the meaning of the lyrics of “Closer, the context in which it was made and its legacy.
Nine Inch Nails’ Journey to Making “Closer”
Trent Reznor, in some ways, reinvented what it was to be a rock frontman. His band did not form organically. He had not played in many other bands, nor had he written/performed for famous artists. And his band’s songs introduced a kind of pessimism that not even Lou Reed had sprung up in the musical mainstream.
Reznor was an enfant terrible with a very clear goal – superstardom. He grew up in a small town. Reznor spent time daydreaming and listening to concept records by David Bowie and Pink Floyd.
He taught himself to play the piano. By the late 1980s, he was writing songs. He also taught himself modern production techniques and found a fondness for Ministry.
That’s why when TVT Records signed Nine Inch Nails on the back of a demo on which Reznor played nearly all the instruments, in reality, the group was a solo project.
However, rock groups dominated the burgeoning alternative rock and industrial metal scenes. Reznor chose NIN’s members and orchestrated how the group presented itself.
The debut album, “Pretty Hate Machine”, owed a great deal to Ministry’s sound. But its songs were hooky, memorable and quickly embraced by a new generation of alternative rock fans.
Legal entanglements prohibited Nine Inch Nails from releasing another full-length album for another five years. “The Downward Spiral” was greeted as an instant classic and earned the dubious reputation as “The Most Depressing Album in the World.”
Assembling “The Downward Spiral”
In 1994, Trent Reznor was an a precise trajectory toward superstardom. He’d earned it. Once his original plans had fallen through, Reznor had adapted, fighting record labels, creating controversy and developing his musical abilities.
“The Downward Spiral” wasn’t merely a gloomy record. It wasn’t just one of the most successful industrial-tinged releases. It displayed incredible musical proficiency and an extraordinary understanding of modern production (Reznor co-produced the album with Flood).
Still, Nine Inch Nails was, for a while, known as the most shocking group allowed into the mainstream establishment. Reznor’s protégé, Marilyn Manson, would soon usurp that role.
Living up to the band’s negative, creepy vibes, Reznor requested that the album be recorded on the street famous for the Manson Family murders of Sharon Tate and others. The singer would later regret this decision. However, it was one more piece of news that played into his image as the new Dark Prince of Rock.
“Closer” was also a concept album, not unlike those Reznor had spent his teenage years admiring. Like “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Ziggy Stardust,” it told a semi-coherent story. It was the story of a terrible decline, of personal anger and disaster. In 1994, with grunge on its last legs, it resonated with audiences the world over.
Composing “Closer”
“Closer” was the second and final single from the album. It cemented the group’s reputation and made Reznor infamous.
It was a rock hit while, essentially, being a fantastic exploration into electronic sounds. For example, the famous groove was created by sampling and modifying the drum machine pattern from “Nightclubbing” by Iggy Pop.
The song is a multi-layered piece containing avant-garde soundscapes, funk rhythms, electronic loops and feedback echo. The Akai S1100 sampler is heavily featured. Reznor had been seen as someone who had jumped on the industrial rock bandwagon. However, with this song, he’d proven to be a creative equal of anyone in the scene.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “Closer”
Blame it on the creepy music video or the fact that it was featured in many thriller movies, but the lyrics of “Closer” are often misinterpreted.
“The Downward Spiral” tells the story of an artist destroying themselves in a bid to find freedom and inspiration. All routes for this are tested.
“Closer” is featured halfway through the album. It is the moment that the artist finds sex, possibly of the kinky variety, as an escape from routine, boredom and convention.
The famous line, “You bring me closer to God,” is the artist’s interpretation of these sensations. These acts, usually deemed unholy by religious figures, feel like a shortcut toward godliness.
There are other theories, of course. One popular internet one claims that the song might be the confession of an aggressor trying to justify his heinous actions.
The Meaning of the “Closer” Music Video
The music video to “Closer” is, in no small part, responsible for its success. This was directed by Mark Romanek, a future movie director of films like “Never Let Me Go.”
Visually shocking and heavily copied, the video seemed to depict a 19th-century mad scientist’s laboratory. In this place of experiments, audiences were treated to images of a crucified, bald woman, a severed pig’s head, or a beating heart connected to a device.
Certain scenes were removed for television broadcasts and, instead, replaced with a card that reads “Scene Missing.”
The imagery was inspired by Brothers Quay’s animations (of which Kurt Cobain and TOOL were also fans) as well as the photographer Joel-Peter Witkin.
Predictably, the music video was first banned by MTV. It later became one of the most famous videos shown on MTV during the 1990s. The channel only showed the unedited version on a late-night presentation of shocking music videos aired in 2002.
The Legacy of “Closer” and Nine Inch Nails
In 1994, besides Nirvana, there was arguably no band more beloved or groundbreaking than Nine Inch Nails. “The Downward Spiral” was controversial, but also very successful.
Reznor did become a rock star as originally intended. But this did not offer quite what he expected. Band releases during the late 1990s became sporadic.
However, fortunately, Trent Reznor regained his love for music by the mid-2000s. Nine Inch Nails was revived. And Reznor became a highly successful soundtrack composer. Along with frequent collaborator Atticus Ross, he’s won the Oscar and Golden Globes for his work.
Meanwhile, a remix of “Closer” was famously featured in the crime thriller “Se7en.” The band’s music, in fact, is often included in crime dramas from the same period.
“Closer” is both infamous and celebrated. It was one of the most shocking songs and music videos of the mid-1990s. It is now viewed as a great song from one of the most important albums of the period. Reznor’s plan worked out.
