“The Hand that Feeds” Nine Inch Nails
You're keeping in step Just how deep do you believe? In the line Will you bite the hand that feeds? Got your chin held high and you feel just Will you chew until it bleeds? fine Can you get up off your knees? Because you do Are you brave enough to see? What you're told Do you want to change it? But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold So naive I keep holding on to what I want to believe Just how deep do you believe? I can see Will you bite the hand that feeds? But I keep holding on and on and on and Will you chew until it bleeds? on Can you get up off your knees? Are you brave enough to see? Will you bite the hand that feeds you? Do you want to change it? Will you stay down on your knees? [8X]
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
Nine Inch Nails Named one of the “Most Influential People in America” by Time Magazine and “The Most Vital Artist in Music Today,” Trent Reznor has turned music on its ear. Using electronic music to fully explore the genre of Industrial music as the “group” Nine Inch Nails, Reznor has had one hit after another. The group’s debut album Pretty Hate Machine tore up the charts and cemented Reznor as one of the most important new musicians of the twentieth century. Reznor has performed and recorded with a number of artists over the years including David Bowie (look for “I’m Afraid of Americans”). Most recently, Nine Inch Nails created a bit of controversy for pulling out of the MTV Music Awards due to a dispute over their song “The Hand that Feeds.” Reznor wanted to perform the song in front of a large picture of George W. Bush but MTV had some reservations. NIN decided to pull out of the performance rather than reach a compromise with MTV.
Directions: on a sheet of paper, compare this lyrical poem to Animal Farm. 1. How is this poem related to the novel? 2. Choose a line from the poem that might describe an animal in the novel. Explain your choice. 3. What does it mean to “bite the hand that feeds?” Explain the literal and figurative meaning behind the saying.