Nine Inch Nails

Closer To God

Halo 9 • May 30, 1994
Broken album cover
1. Closer To God 5:05 2. Closer (Precursor) 7:16 3. Closer (Deviation) 6:15 4. Heresy (Blind) 5:32 5. Memorabilia 7:22 6. Closer (Internal) 4:15 7. March Of The Fuckheads 4:43 8. Closer (Further Away) 5:45 9. Closer 6:13
Album Artwork
Joseph Cultice
Other Versions
• Closer (Cassette)
• Closer (UK)
• Closer 12"
• Closer 12" (Version 2)
• Closer 12" Vinyl Promo
• Closer To God (UK)
1. Closer To God
Duration: 5:05 • ninwiki
Live
Performed 17 times
First time: September 14, 1995
Last time: October 28, 1995
Personnel
Remixer(s):
Sean Beaven , Brian Pollack , Trent Reznor
Lyrics
you let me violate you, you let me desecrate you
you let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you
i broke apart my insides, i've got no soul to sell
the only thing that works for me, help me get away
i want to fuck you
i want to taste you
i want to feel you
i want to be you
just like an animal

you can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings
you can have my absence of faith, you can have my everything
you tear down all my reason, you see through what i hide
you make me perfect, help me get inside
i want to fuck you
i want to taste you
i want to feel you
i want to be you
2. Closer (Precursor)
Duration: 7:16
Original Track
Closer
Personnel
Remixer(s):
Coil , Danny Hyde
3. Closer (Deviation)
Duration: 6:15
Original Track
Closer
Personnel
Remixer(s):
Jack Dangers , Craig Silvey
4. Heresy (Blind)
Duration: 5:32
Original Track
Heresy
Personnel
Remixer(s):
Joseph Bishara , Dave Ogilvie , Anthony Valcic
5. Memorabilia
Duration: 7:22 • BPM: 134 • ninwiki
Lyrics
wherever i go
i take a little piece of you
i collect
i reject
photographs i took of you

the towns i passed through
so many faces
so many places
i have got to have a memory
or i have never been there
i have never had you

i can't remember
give me a reminder
i collect
i reject

memorabilia
(now girl… only it's flavor… bow down here)

keychains and snowstorms
the taste of your sweat
the look in your eye
i have been inside you
i know what it feels like
(wet as it is… the whiter the honey)
i collect
i reject

memorabilia
(goodies come in here all day)
give me a reminder
i can't remember
i collect
i reject
6. Closer (Internal)
Duration: 4:15
Original Track
Closer
7. March Of The Fuckheads
Duration: 4:43 • ninwiki
Personnel
Composer(s):
Adrian Sherwood
8. Closer (Further Away)
Duration: 5:45
Original Track
Closer
9. Closer
Duration: 6:13 • BPM: 90 • ninwiki
Appearances
• The Downward Spiral (March 08, 1994)
• Closer (UK)
• Closer (Cassette)
• Closer 12"
• Closer 12" Vinyl Promo
Live
Performed 647 times
First time: March 14, 1994
Last time: August 15, 2025
Versions
Closer To God:
• Closer (Precursor) (1994) (7:16)
• Closer (Deviation) (1994) (6:15)
• Closer (Internal) (1994) (4:15)
• Closer (Further Away) (1994) (5:45)
Closer (UK):
• Closer (Deviation) (6:15)
• Further Away (5:45)
• Closer (Precursor) (7:16)
• Closer (Internal) (4:15)
Closer 12":
• Closer (Deviation) (6:15)
• Closer (Precursor) (7:16)
• Closer (Internal) (4:15)
• Further Away (5:45)
Closer 12" Vinyl Promo:
• Closer (Deviation) (6:15)
• Further Away (5:45)
• Closer (Internal) (4:15)
• Closer (Precursor) (7:16)
Personnel
Composer(s):
Trent Reznor
Producer(s):
Flood , Trent Reznor
Engineer(s):
Alan Moulder
Mixer(s):
Alan Moulder
Lyrics
you let me violate you, you let me desecrate you
you let me penetrate you, you let me complicate you
help me i broke apart my insides, help me i've got no soul to sell
help me the only thing that works for me, help me get away from myself

i want to fuck you like an animal
i want to feel you from the inside
i want to fuck you like an animal
my whole existence is flawed
you get me closer to god

you can have my isolation, you can have the hate that it brings
you can have my absence of faith, you can have my everything
help me tear down my reason, help me it's your sex i can smell
help me you make me perfect, help me become somebody else

i want to fuck you like an animal
i want to feel you from the inside
i want to fuck you like an animal
my whole existence is flawed
you get me closer to god

through every forest, above the trees
within my stomach, scraped off my knees
i drink the honey inside your hive
you are the reason i stay alive