The next time you feel awkward at Parents Night at your child's school, just think how it must feel to be industrial rocker Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who spent most of the '90s singing songs with the F-word in them.
Nine Inch Nails has been nominated for 2020 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In a 2017 interview with Vulture, Reznor, now 54, admitted that his past can make it tricky for him now that he is a father to Lazarus Echo, Balthazar, Nova Lux, and a fourth child whose name is not publicly known, according to Vulture, with wife Mariqueen Maandig. "I’m not looking forward to the 'Closer' talk, which is probably going to happen quicker than I’d like," he told the magazine, referring to Nine Inch Nails's iconic 1994 hit "Closer," which features the line, "I want to f--k you like an animal" prominently.
Reznor recounted that recently, his two older sons told him their mother had played his new EP for them, and they told him their favorite song was "Less Than." "That’s sweet, but then I’m thinking, Don’t I say ‘f--k’ in that one?" said Reznor. "Same thing when they were at sound check: What song don’t I say ‘f--k’ in?"
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And now that his children are school age, Reznor is facing a challenge he never imagined back in the 1990s. "I’m now thrust into adult events — school things with other parents," he said. "You’re not really thinking about how lyrics that seemed cool at the time are going to register with parents at your kid’s school 20 years later."
So when you go to a parent-teacher conference or PTA meeting, just imagine that you were the one who is famous for singing this song. But a warning: the content below is not safe for work, home, or Parents Night. Good luck, Trent Reznor!