Gave Up (song)

Gave Up is a song by American industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails. Written by frontman Trent Reznor and co-produced by Flood, the song serves as the sixth track of Nine Inch Nails' 1992 EP, Broken. The song is noted for its multiplie music videos and became a concert favorite during the band's live performances.

Music and lyrics

The song is noted for its aggressive tone, fast tempo and heavier use of guitars, in contrast to Reznor's dance-oriented previous songs from the album Pretty Hate Machine. The song also features prominent use of Mellotron MKIV, which was previously owned by The Beatles' deceased frontman John Lennon.Robotic vocal effects are also present in the song.

Lyrically, the song deals with the themes of isolation, belongingness, self-hatred and agony. Reznor's angst-filled lyrics in this song, such as "After everything I've done I hate myself for what I've become" was described as a solidification of his status as "the dark lord of doom."

Music videos

Three different videos exist for "Gave Up". A video of the band recording the song in the Tate Mansion, A video of the band performing the song live, and the original footage of the finale to the Broken Movie.