The Day the World Went Away
{{short description|Nine Inch Nails song}}
{{About|the song|the episode of Person of Interest|The Day the World Went Away (Person of Interest)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The Day the World Went Away
| cover = The day the world went away.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Nine Inch Nails
| album = The Fragile
| released = {{Start date|1999|07|20}}
| recorded = August 1997–April 1999
| studio =
| genre = * Art rock
- alternative rock
- ambient{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/515915/nin-mastermind-gets-provocative-on-new-songs/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724115450/http://www.mtv.com/news/515915/nin-mastermind-gets-provocative-on-new-songs/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2021 |title=NIN Mastermind Gets Provocative On New Songs |publisher=MTV |date=July 14, 1999 |last=Kaufman |first=Gil}}
| length = * {{Duration|m=4|s=33}} (album version)
- {{Duration|m=4|s=3}} (single version)
| label = * Nothing
| writer = Trent Reznor
| producer = * Trent Reznor
| prev_title = The Perfect Drug
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = We're in This Together
| next_year = 1999
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Halo numbers
| type = studio
| prev_title = Halo 12
| prev_year = 1997
| title = Halo 13
| year = 1999
| next_title = Halo 14
| next_year = 1999
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}[http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-day-the-world-went-away-mw0000248433 AllMusic Review]}}
"The Day the World Went Away" is a song by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on July 20, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album The Fragile (1999). The song was the band's first top-forty hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 17, which remains their highest-ever position on the chart.{{cite web|title=Nine Inch Nails - Chart history - The Hot 100|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/312326/nine-inch-nails/chart?f=379|website=www.billboard.com|access-date=June 29, 2017|language=en}}
Background
"The Day the World Went Away" contains no drums.{{cite news|url=http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/1999/07/29/Arts/Nine-Inch.Nails.Returns-1736737.shtml|title=Nine Inch Nails returns|first=Cliff|last=Hicks|work=Daily Nebraskan|date=July 29, 1999|access-date=February 19, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610045022/http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/1999/07/29/Arts/Nine-Inch.Nails.Returns-1736737.shtml|archive-date=June 10, 2008|df=mdy-all}} It was the only single credited to Reznor to reach the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 until "Old Town Road" hit number one in 2019.{{cite news|url=https://genius.com/a/how-lil-nas-xs-old-town-road-landed-nine-inch-nails-their-first-no-1-hit-on-the-billboard-hot-100|title=How Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" Landed Nine Inch Nails Their First No. 1 Hit On The Billboard Hot 100|first=Eddie|last=Fu|date=April 9, 2019}} The song was a staple in the encore during the Fragility tour,{{cite news|url=http://media.www.cm-life.com/media/storage/paper906/news/2000/04/17/EtCeter/StillDepressed.Reznor.Reveals.fragility.V.2.0-2477932.shtml|title=Still-depressed Reznor reveals "Fragility v. 2.0"|first=Adam|last=Graham|work=Central Michigan Life|date=April 17, 2000|access-date=February 19, 2008|df=mdy-all}}{{dead link|date=July 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27982282_ITM|title=Nine Inch Nails; A Perfect Circle (review)|work=Variety|date=June 12, 2000|access-date=February 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617130212/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27982282_ITM|archive-date=June 17, 2008}} and has been performed in many shows since.
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 the electronic music duo 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.
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.
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.
In popular culture
A remixed version of the song was featured in the third theatrical trailer of Terminator Salvation. It is also used again in the television series Person of Interest, from the episode of the same name.
The song is featured in the 2012 video game Spec Ops: The Line.{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}
An orchestral version arranged by Ramin Djawadi was used in the trailer for the fourth season of Westworld.
The Still version of the song that appears on the album And All That Could Have Been was featured in "Omelette", the penultimate episode of the second season of The Bear.
Formats and track listings
=CD single=
Nothing Records / Interscope Records INTDS-97026
- "The Day the World Went Away" (single version) – 4:03
- "Starfuckers, Inc." (long) – 5:24
- "The Day the World Went Away (Quiet)" (remixed by Trent Reznor) – 6:20
=12" single=
Nothing Records / Interscope Records INT12-97026
==Side A==
- "The Day the World Went Away" (single version) – 4:01
- "The Day the World Went Away (Quiet)" – 6:20
==Side B==
- "The Day the World Went Away (Porter Ricks)" – 7:04
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1999) !Peak |
| {{singlechart|Australia|31|artist=Nine Inch Nails|song=The Day the World Went Away}} |
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/nine-inch-nails/chart-history/cns/|title=Nine Inch Nails - Canadian Digital Song Sales|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 7, 2022}}
|align="center"|1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|17 |
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2001) !Position |
| scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite web|url=http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2001_singles.html|archivedate=January 26, 2003|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030126204339/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2001_singles.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001|publisher=Jam!|access-date=March 26, 2022}}
|align="center"|93 |
|---|
= Decade-end charts =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Decade-end chart performance for "The Day the World Went Away" !Chart (1990s) !Position |
| scope="row"|Canada (Nielsen SoundScan){{cite web|last=Lwin|first=Nanda|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000829070927/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|archivedate=August 29, 2000|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100_1990.html|title=Top 100 singles of the 1990s|website=Jam!|accessdate=March 26, 2022}}
|align="center"|73 |
|---|
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.nin.com Nine Inch Nails' official site]
- [http://www.ninwiki.com/The_Day_The_World_Went_Away_(halo) The Day The World Went Away] at the NinWiki
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070105173849/http://www.nincollector.com/archive/releases/halo_13/halo13.htm Halo 13 at NINCollector.com]}}
- [http://www.discogs.com/release/5238 "The Day the World Went Away" (US CD5")] at Discogs.com
- [http://www.discogs.com/release/94156 "The Day the World Went Away" (US 12")] at Discogs.com
{{Nine Inch Nails}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day The World Went Away, The}}
Category:Interscope Records singles
Category:Nine Inch Nails songs
Category:Nothing Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Trent Reznor
Category:Song recordings produced by Alan Moulder