Music and lyrical content *tw*

letha wrote:I think you're absolutely right.

I've listened to pretty much every type of music at some stage in my life. So I have sometimes listened to very depressing, sad, angry, or emotional music... including Nine Inch Nails. A lot of other bands as well... some that are very lovesick in their lyrics. And I noticed, like you, how much it changed my feelings and perspective. I think it's because my emotional state can be changed too easily by things outside of myself.

I actually consciously decided to stop listening to lovesick music when I'm happy in my relationships, because I will start to relate those lyrics to my relationship... even if they don't fit! And I won't listen to sad or angry music when I'm in a good mood... even if I enjoy that music. I save if for times when I am already sad or angry. For awhile I got rid of all of my "negative" type of music and listened to a lot of 60s pop and glam rock!

See, I'm the opposite of you. If I'm in a good mood, it is okay for me to listen to angry or sad music because it doesn't affect me at that time. Then, it is just music, just a song. but if I'm already angry or sad and listening to it, I'm very stuck.

This is when it gets BAD for me. I kind of drown in the music, the lyrics and thats when it becomes very powerful for me. it will make me more angry or more sad.

I don't doubt that Reznor has at least some Borderline traits, if not the full-blown disorder. There are just too many of us who completely identify with his music to be coincidental, in my books.


BIG TRIGGER WARNING
I remember one time, years ago, my fiancée had just left me a few weeks earlier and we had tickets to see NIN with another friend of mine. I called up a friend who was there for the cause of the breakup (no, she wasn't the cause - I didn't cheat once), and she was more than happy to go to the show. Having floor tickets, it didn't take much convincing. The tour was for The Fragile album, so you know how far back it was.

Try having your girl leave you, then going to hear Reznor sing "Hurt" live. I love the group, and I love their music, but that song is my bad song. It crushes me on a good day. On that day, with that song, I was ready to kill myself by any means necessary, and they both realized it. I remember, she was right with me, hugging me through the whole d**n song. She was the only thing that got me out of Buffalo alive that night.