Head Like a Hole Lyrics
God money just tell me what you want me to.
God money nail me up against the wall.
God money don't want everything he wants it all.
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
God money's not looking for the cure.
God money's not concerned with the sick among the pure.
God money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised.
God money's not one to choose
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
No you can't take it
No you can't take it
No you can't take that away from me
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Head like a hole.
Black as your soul.
I'd rather die than give you control.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
Bow down before the one you serve.
You're going to get what you deserve.
You know who you are.

well obviously he referring to people who worship their money and how they don't care about anything else
No. It's about people who worship God
No. It's about people who worship God
God = Money = God's Money
God = Money = God's Money
I am amazed at how seldom people on this site realize songs are anti-religion. Maybe they have a head like a hole...
I am amazed at how seldom people on this site realize songs are anti-religion. Maybe they have a head like a hole...
How would you explain the following lines then?
How would you explain the following lines then?
god money's not looking for the cure god money's not concerned about the sick among the pure god money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised god money's not one to choose
god money's not looking for the cure god money's not concerned about the sick among the pure god money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised god money's not one to choose
Would they better apply to: 1) A person consumed with gaining wealth. 2) A person who worships God.
Would they better apply to: 1) A person consumed with gaining wealth. 2) A person who worships God.
Sounds like more of an Ebenezer Scrooge type to me.
Sounds like more of an Ebenezer Scrooge type to me.

I can relate to crick23, it is my pick up song. I need to dance like a fucking maniac every time i hear it, sweet.

ohk ohk calm down everyone sex is all well and good! nice nice yeah ohk and back to analising music.... its straight hatred of religion and materialists. and support of the people who arent part of either.
"id rather die, than give you control"
we aint going to heaven if its gonna cost us the freedom of an entire lifetime, and in the end, there may not even be a heaven! going to hell and proud i am. if there is one

I have a different take on this song. I think it expresses anger towards the fact that we are all slaves to money. Nobody works because they like doing it, they do it for the money; they serve the "god of money". The god of money cannot be destroyed or avoided, and will never relent, and, because of that, this person has no choice but to do exactly what the god of money wants him to. At the same time, he hates it so much, and he doesn't want his life and his time taken away. That is, of course, just the way I relate to this song.
Good observation! Perhaps some cognitive dissonance there. I can totally relate.
Good observation! Perhaps some cognitive dissonance there. I can totally relate.
@invalid Man I’ve been listening to this album for over five months straight, the only CD, and nearly the only music going in my ears and through my head. And I JUST REALIZE RIGHT NOW!! Thank you so much, it makes so much more sense now! :)
@invalid Man I’ve been listening to this album for over five months straight, the only CD, and nearly the only music going in my ears and through my head. And I JUST REALIZE RIGHT NOW!! Thank you so much, it makes so much more sense now! :)

I work for an awful, just god awful company named Gamestop and it's been about two years...quitting shortly, this song makes me feel better about it heh, fucking money just runs over everything these days, apparently good customer service doesn't mean shit anymore
love NIN
@Aparanoidandroi amazingly… Gamestop became a meme stock and the stop has been inflated 300x
@Aparanoidandroi amazingly… Gamestop became a meme stock and the stop has been inflated 300x

The first time I heard it, and ever since then despite knowing the lyrics as they're written, I can't help but hear the lyrics as;
Got money? I'll do anything for you. Got money? Just tell me what you want me to. Got money? Nail me up against the wall. Got money? Don't want everything he wants it all.
In short, yeah, this song has always sounded to me like it's about prostitution. "Got money?" coming from our main character.
No, you can't take it - (The payment for sex) No, you can't take that away from me - (Take away your innocence)
Head like a hole - (Empty mind) Black as your soul - (Impure, loss of innocence) I'd rather die than give you control - (Wants to fight back after putting themself in a vulnerable state, but let's themselves be used for someone else's pleasure)
Bow down before the one you serve You're going to get what you deserve
Got money's not looking for the cure - (The cure to fix their drug habit? Their sexual disease? Their mental illness? Their life?) Got money's not concerned about the sick among the pure - ("Got Money?" The main character's catchphrase has become their nickname. Got Money doesn't care about the quality of their clients and the imminent risk they may carry an STD) Got money, let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised - ("Dancing" being analgous for sexual activity, "on the backs of the bruised" being down and out people who have been beaten down in life and seek prostitutes to relieve them of the pain they carry) Got money's not one to choose - (Got Money doesn't discriminate against any of their clients, all they care about is getting payment)
@Troggers I just realized that when I posted this the formatting got completely botched for some reason, so apologies to anyone reading this in advance.
@Troggers I just realized that when I posted this the formatting got completely botched for some reason, so apologies to anyone reading this in advance.
@Troggers Same. I've been listening to the song since 1991 and despite knowing otherwise I too hear it as got money. I don't think it really matters because it works both ways half the time.
@Troggers Same. I've been listening to the song since 1991 and despite knowing otherwise I too hear it as got money. I don't think it really matters because it works both ways half the time.
Those who worship money and care about nothing else are prostituting themselves out to it. It becomes their god. But I don't necessarily think it's about sex in particular.
Those who worship money and care about nothing else are prostituting themselves out to it. It becomes their god. But I don't necessarily think it's about sex in particular.

For the person who asked what does "Head like a hole" mean I would venture to guess that he means to say empty headed.
As for the meaning of the song, I recall reading an interview with Reznor in an underground magazine back when this album first came out and no one had really heard of him yet. In the interview he discussed how he had been raised by his ultra religious grandparents on a farm in, I believe it was, Pennsylvania. He spoke of how the album was at the same time about both his loathing of religion and his love affair with his crack pipe.
Based on that, I'll leave it to ya'll to decide what this song is actually about :-)

That sounds about right to me. All I can add is this song makes me hot as fuck.

This song is about obsessing over money,
Either that or its about S&M bondage humiliation sex.

This song is about resisting one's own greed for money and thus denying its power to control one's life. Many people's lives are controlled by the desire to accumulate more and more money until they become a slave to it's allure. Many Nine Nails song are ultimately about powerlessness of the self--the internal desires that often bring destruction and unhappiness into one's life.