The Day the World Went Away

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“The Day the World Went Away”
“The Day the World Went Away” cover
Single by Nine Inch Nails
from the album The Fragile
Released July 20, 1999
Format CD, 12"
Recorded  ??
Genre Industrial rock
Length 15 min 47 sec (CD)
17 min 27 sec (12")
Label Nothing Records
Producer Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder
Nine Inch Nails singles chronology
"The Perfect Drug"
(1997)
"The Day the World Went Away"
(1999)
"We're in This Together"
(1999)

"The Day the World Went Away" is a song by Nine Inch Nails, released in 1999 as the first single from the act's then-forthcoming album The Fragile (1999). The single (also known as Halo 13) is the thirteenth official Nine Inch Nails release.

Contents

[edit] The song

"The Day the World Went Away" contains no drums.[1] To date, it is the only NIN single to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was a staple in the encore during the Fragility tour,[2][3] and has been performed in many shows since.

[edit] The single

The compact disc single contains three songs: the original version and a "quiet" remix of "The Day the World Went Away," and "Starfuckers, Inc." another song from The Fragile. The 12" vinyl single replaced "Starfuckers, Inc." with another version of "The Day the World Went Away," this one remixed by electronic music artist Porter Ricks.

The main version of the title track featured on the single is approximately 30 seconds shorter than the version found on The Fragile and features slightly different vocals.

The version of "Starfuckers, Inc." featured on the single is almost identical to the album version, except that this version ends with the sound of Paul Stanley yelling "Goodnight!" to a cheering crowd. The yelling and crowd cheering are sampled from a KISS concert recording. The opening to "Complication", the track which follows "Starfuckers, Inc." on The Fragile, can be heard faintly alongside the crowd noise, augmented to sound like part of the concert.

The flower depicted on the cover of the single is a Kangaroo paw.

[edit] Music video

Trent Reznor in the "The Day the World Went Away" music video.
Trent Reznor in the "The Day the World Went Away" music video.

A music video was made for the song, but never released. Still images that were used on the official NIN website indicate that the video takes place at a funeral. It is rumored that the video was too personal for Trent Reznor to release because the song's lyrics are about the death of his grandmother.

An alternate video for the song, using live audio and a combination of live and original footage, is included as an Easter egg on the second disc of the And All That Could Have Been DVD.

[edit] CD single

Nothing Records / Interscope Records INTDS-97026

[edit] Track listing

  1. "The Day the World Went Away" - 4:03
  2. "Starfuckers, Inc." - 5:24
  3. "The Day the World Went Away (Quiet)" (remixed by Trent Reznor) - 6:20

[edit] 12" Single

Nothing Records / Interscope Records INT12-97026

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side A
  1. "The Day the World Went Away" - 4:03
  2. "The Day the World Went Away (Quiet)" - 6:20

[edit] Side B
  1. "The Day the World Went Away (Porter Ricks)" - 7:04


[edit] References

  1. ^ Cliff Hicks. "Nine Inch Nails returns", Daily Nebraskan, 1999-07-29. Retrieved on 2008-02-19. 
  2. ^ Adam Graham. "Still-depressed Reznor reveals "Fragility v. 2.0"", Central Michigan Life, 2000-04-17. Retrieved on 2008-02-19. 
  3. ^ "Nine Inch Nails; A Perfect Circle (review)", Variety, 2000-06-12. Retrieved on 2008-02-19. 

[edit] External links