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From: Burning.Inside@f929.n273.z1.fidonet.org (Burning Inside)
Date: 25 Dec 95 01:07:41 -0500
Subject: TAB:"Happiness in Slavery" by Nine Inch Nails
Happiness in Slavery by Nine Inch Nails
from the EP "Broken"
words and music by Trent Reznor
tabbed by Tom Mallon
Chorus Bass Riff (at "Don't open your eyes...")
G -------------------------------------------------
D ----------------------5--3-----------------------
A -------------------------------------------------
E -1/3-3-3-4--1/3h4p3-----------------------------
Guitar Riff 1 (After chorus)
PM- - - - - - - -
E -------------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------------
G --1010----------------------------10-------------------------------
D --1010-----------------------9-9--10-------------------------------
A --8-8---8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8--6---9-9--8--------------------------------
E -----------------------------7-7-----------------------------------
(Note: Guitar Riff one is two guitars put together. On the album, the
palm-muted section is played by a second guitar further back in the mix.)
Guitar Riff 2 (Play this really fast in second verse)
E -------------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------------
G -------------------------------------------------------------------
D -3-3-3-3-4-4-4-4-5-5-5-5-6-6-7-8-----------------------------------
A -3-3-3-3-4-4-4-4-5-5-5-5-6-6-7-8-----------------------------------
E -1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-4-4-5-6-----------------------------------
Guitar Riff 3
E -------------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------------
G ---------------------5---------------------------------------------
D --3h4p3------3h4p3------4------------------------------------------
A -------------------------------------------------------------------
E -------------------------------------------------------------------
Synth Line in Outro
E -------------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------------
G -------------------------------------------------------------------
D -----------------------4--3----------------------------------------
A -------------------1-----------------------------------------------
E -1h3--1h4--1h5--1--------------------------------------------------
^if you can do this note as a hammer on on the
sixth string, do so, because it sounds better.
It's kinda hard for me to stretch that far, so
I do it like this.
(Note: this synth line appears in the left channel near the end of the song,
when Trent is screaming "slavery." It's kinda hard to hear unless you're
paying attention. It's more obvious in the version that appears on "Fixed.")
Outro Guitar Riff
E -------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------
G ---10------10^-----------10----------------------------------
D ---10------8-^-----9-9---10----------------------------------
A ---8---------------9-9---8-----------------------------------
E -------------------7-7---------------------------------------
I realized I forgot to include this riff in the original tab I sent over.
--
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
dan Average |
#1 by dan evans at Sep 27, 1970 at 8:46 PM EST |
| its about the world and how the government is telling u wat to do and you will eventually learn to live with it even if u don't really believe it,humans adapt,and most of the world is trapped in this cycle | |
|
No Picture
Dan Lead Player |
#2 by Dan archy at Oct 28, 1971 at 1:00 AM EST |
| Who ever posted these lyrics failed to include the last line of the song. It's after all the music is over when Trent whispers, "Happiness...it controls you...happy-ness..." | |
|
No Picture
julian Average |
#3 by julian at Jul 31, 1972 at 10:20 PM EST |
| It gos with the saying Ignorance is BLiss anyways the Video is really Sic i dunno how it really gos along with the song but its sic and its a great song | |
|
No Picture
Erin Rhythm Player |
#4 by Erin at Mar 17, 1974 at 3:40 PM EST |
| lamb of god and dissolved girl are co-rect. Pat yourselves on the back. | |
|
No Picture
Matt Wanna Be |
#5 by Matt Sakrosky at Feb 29, 1976 at 5:36 PM EST |
| Hey! whats up my buddys at 'SongMeanings'? I love this website. I think the emotions expressed in this song are just what trent was feeling at the time he wrote it partly due to TVT. The whole album (exept for the last 2 songs wich is why I think they were seperated ) has a theme like the reality of this world is depressing. Everyone wants to rip everyone else off,. The line "I wish there was something real, something true" says there is not much to this world, its hard to find pure pleasure. I found some pleasure when I saw the "Broken movie" I downloaded it from Limewire wich I got free from Limewire.com, you should download it too. If you want, post your email address, I will contact you and hook up a copy on dvd. It a great attempt at being THE most fucked up, gory clip you will ever see. It's great. You can get a good copy and you can get a bootleg copy wich has such low quality you can't make everything out but it seems more real and disturbing. Hey Faaip, nice Rage line. Well, I just got 3 tracks from "With Teeth" way before the album came out and I'm enjoying the fuck out of them. I also just paid $140 for a ticket to see them in chicago since they sold out in 1 minute. l\lll/l | |
|
No Picture
metal-cat Average |
#6 by metal-cat stepheria at Nov 13, 1979 at 7:55 AM EST |
| Some meanings here are a little bit off. The whole BROKEN records was a blast from Trent against TVT who hold the copyrights from PHM. The song Happiness in Slavery was written for Steve Gottlieb, head of TVT records. As much as Gave Up, and Help Me am in Hell. | |
|
No Picture
Euroynmous Average |
#7 by Euroynmous at Nov 24, 1979 at 2:42 PM EST |
| i see it totally differently. this song is a warning about government (and religion, which the 2 go hand in hand). its about being a slave to the system. Gov. controls us, with television and stuff. we're constantly conditioned with comercial advertisement...government even convinces millions of people that they are depressed so they can hand out "happy pills" which fuck with our minds so we will all become slaves. many more things but im not gonna get into my views here. basically, the song is about slavery in government, and hes writing about some "anarchist" guy who thinks hes rebelling (he claims he has his own identity, hes gonna cause the system to fall). but trent realizes that this anarchist is really a sheep just like the rest, and he is saying how he (trent) realizes the truth, and so its hard for him to get by in the world. but the peopel (such as this supposed anarchist) who dont realize it, they just go about in their routine life and are "happy" (the blind have been blessed with security) and thats how it goes along with the video...think about it...the guy tortured in the video is the slave because he doesnt realize. trent is saying how people lead themselves into it because of their own ignorance. did that make sense at all? it does in my mind... theres so much more i could have said about the government and the genius of this song but now is neither the time nor the place. trent is GOD. later | |
|
No Picture
brad Rhythm Player |
#8 by brad music at Mar 6, 1980 at 10:15 PM EST |
| This song is insane...and i like it :). The video is quite disturbing, though, definately not for those who are weak of heart. | |
|
No Picture
keith Lead Player |
#9 by keith at May 13, 1980 at 1:27 AM EST |
| it means great part of the lyrics author life in the time he wrote this. it seems he feels as a slave in slavery in the endless routine of life. he feels that way because he did not solve the puzzle of life yet " i don t know who i am i don t know where i ve been". i relate a lot with this too so i found easy to figure it out. this slavery means the fight between good and evil inside the soul and the evil is the slave condition he wants to be free of. | |
|
No Picture
birdman Average |
#10 by birdman ethdh at Mar 19, 1985 at 9:12 PM EST |
| Some meanings here are a little bit off. The whole BROKEN records was a blast from Trent against TVT who hold the copyrights from PHM. The song Happiness in Slavery was written for Steve Gottlieb, head of TVT records. As much as Gave Up, and Help Me am in Hell. | |
|
No Picture
Bodom Lake Murd Average |
#11 by Bodom Lake Murderer at Jan 29, 1990 at 5:22 AM EST |
| Where can I get the "Broken" video? I feel like I have crossed China and back guys. HELP! | |
|
No Picture
Ale Wanna Be |
#12 by Ale Rosado at Aug 30, 1991 at 4:19 AM EST |
| This song is still one of my favourites - it's just incredible in the way that it expresses so many different ideas and concepts. And God, I can relate to this - a rare thing for me. I still wish I had never truly opened my eyes. I love that oft-used line in a lot of the songs on Broken - "this big broken machine". Very powerful - it can be applied to a lot of different things, I think. | |
|
No Picture
guitar girl Rhythm Player |
#13 by guitar girl 13 at Jul 3, 1992 at 12:01 PM EST |
| Come on, you don't know how the video relates to the song? I man is willingly being tortured. He is happy to be a slave. As a sexual reference, some people love to be sex slaves, and are happy to be one. The title (keeping in mind his on-going battle with TVT) is kind of like this: Trent feels that TVT is trying to make him a slave (you figure out what; if you can't think about it, just read some bio's on NIN). Trent can't do anything about his music sometimes, and he feels that TVT feels that this is normal, when it really isn't. In my opinion, TVT are greedy; if they signed the guy, why WOULDN'T they let him go nuts? He coulda made them rich single handedly, for thats all TVT really gives a damn about. In teh video, after BOB gets killed, Trent symbolizes another band falling into the trap...er, I think. Just an opinion. Great song nevertheless. ***Reminder, if you find the BROKEN video, please post the URL!!! | |
|
No Picture
black Rhythm Player |
#14 by black rose at Jul 24, 1992 at 3:20 AM EST |
| To me this song is about fighting against the system and struggling with the fact that going with the system is so much eaiser to just let it or the person take control. Yet he can't stand that fact. We are all the cows on the way to the slughter house! On the other hand I also feel that trent has been on the submissive side of a S&M relationship and he enjoys giving up control...but hate the fact that he does. | |
|
No Picture
jim Professional |
#15 by jim d.f at Mar 13, 1997 at 7:49 AM EST |
| Yep, I go with the government version. The video is definitely sickening ... prepare thyself before viewing. "Don't open your eyes/You won't like what you see/The devils of truth/Steal the souls of the free" Now that's a government reference. Mentions conscription and links to the 'land of the free' label America is so enamoured with. | |
|
No Picture
Doolittle Lead Player |
#16 by Doolittle at Sep 23, 1998 at 10:06 AM EST |
| It gos with the saying Ignorance is BLiss anyways the Video is really Sic i dunno how it really gos along with the song but its sic and its a great song | |
|
No Picture
brad Average |
#17 by brad everett at Sep 26, 1998 at 4:02 AM EST |
| To me this song is about fighting against the system and struggling with the fact that going with the system is so much eaiser to just let it or the person take control. Yet he can't stand that fact. We are all the cows on the way to the slughter house! On the other hand I also feel that trent has been on the submissive side of a S&M relationship and he enjoys giving up control...but hate the fact that he does. | |
|
No Picture
Mauricio Average |
#18 by Mauricio Avendaņo at Mar 11, 1999 at 5:36 AM EST |
| Who ever posted these lyrics failed to include the last line of the song. It's after all the music is over when Trent whispers, "Happiness...it controls you...happy-ness..." | |
|
No Picture
David Average |
#19 by David Turner at May 9, 1999 at 3:05 AM EST |
| I ment sacrifice... not carifice. | |
|
No Picture
Daniel Average |
#20 by Daniel Johnson at Feb 1, 2000 at 2:30 PM EST |
| What makes Trent's songs cool is that he DOESN'T have any answers. His music is his own dialogue with himself. Should we give into happiness and become a slave, or remain free but cursed to never being happy? Slavery can indeed lead to happiness. It's what society was founded on. Does a slave mentality lead to happiness or does happiness lead to a slave mentality? Does unhappiness lead to being independent or does independence lead to unhappiness? This unanswered paradox is Trent's, and our, plight. | |
|
No Picture
Christian Wanna Be |
#21 by Christian Chavez at Mar 1, 2000 at 5:43 PM EST |
| In reference to how nysirk can't unerstand how the video doesn't go with the song... It's a thing called common sense sweetheart. No offense ment at all by that last comment. :) Anyway,The video shows a man making himself a carifice to the "Great big broken machiene". He sits in the chair, it pokes and prods him, giving him sexual pleasure. Since the chair had arm and leg bands that hold him in place, it represents slavery. His feelings of extacy represent the happiness. However, the machiene begins to hurt him. (The smashing of the balls, for one..) Then he is turned into mashed up bits of man, and is fed to the Pot plants. The video ends with Trent coming into the room. Too bad we didn't get to see him naked... Ahh well. If we did, that would ruin my imagination... better get off that subject.. | |
|
No Picture
Erik Lead Player |
#22 by Erik StJimmy at Mar 31, 2001 at 9:17 AM EST |
| i see it totally differently. this song is a warning about government (and religion, which the 2 go hand in hand). its about being a slave to the system. Gov. controls us, with television and stuff. we're constantly conditioned with comercial advertisement...government even convinces millions of people that they are depressed so they can hand out "happy pills" which fuck with our minds so we will all become slaves. many more things but im not gonna get into my views here. basically, the song is about slavery in government, and hes writing about some "anarchist" guy who thinks hes rebelling (he claims he has his own identity, hes gonna cause the system to fall). but trent realizes that this anarchist is really a sheep just like the rest, and he is saying how he (trent) realizes the truth, and so its hard for him to get by in the world. but the peopel (such as this supposed anarchist) who dont realize it, they just go about in their routine life and are "happy" (the blind have been blessed with security) and thats how it goes along with the video...think about it...the guy tortured in the video is the slave because he doesnt realize. trent is saying how people lead themselves into it because of their own ignorance. did that make sense at all? it does in my mind... theres so much more i could have said about the government and the genius of this song but now is neither the time nor the place. trent is GOD. later | |
|
No Picture
Ĵǿ Wanna Be |
#23 by Ĵǿħŋ Ĝęřđěŋĭţ at Nov 20, 2001 at 11:11 PM EST |
| It gos with the saying Ignorance is BLiss anyways the Video is really Sic i dunno how it really gos along with the song but its sic and its a great song | |
|
No Picture
john Wanna Be |
#24 by john dolmayan at Aug 17, 2002 at 10:10 AM EST |
| Hey! Land of the free? Whoever told you that is your ENEMY! | |
|
No Picture
sebastian Professional |
#25 by sebastian at Feb 3, 2006 at 9:01 PM EST |
| This song is a great song, i must say. It deals with having to be kept a prisoner in this world. The video for this song is very unique, it def portreys how people do think and feel. | |
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