Happiness in Slavery
Encyclopedia
"Happiness in Slavery" is a song by the American act Nine Inch Nails
. The song takes its title and refrain from Jean Paulhan
's preface to Story of O
. It is available on the Broken EP and was also released as a 12" promotional single in November 1992. The song peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Nine Inch Nails' performance of "Happiness in Slavery" at Woodstock '94
, included on the concert's compilation album, won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
in 1996.
The music video
for "Happiness in Slavery," directed by Jon Reiss
, features performance artist Bob Flanagan
entering a large room. He places a flower and a candle on an altar and in a ritualistic style prepares for something; by washing himself before becoming strapped into a machine with long robotic claws that arise from the machine and subsequently tear apart his skin and stab him in a crucifix style. (Through the hands and feet). The man reacts in pleasure as this occurs. There are also drills that appears to drill into his skin in various places letting the man's blood drip on the floor, where there is an unspecified garden that is fertilized by human blood.
Later in the video, large grinders emerge from the machine to cause extreme injury to the man's skin. As he continues to scream in a mixture of pleasure and pain, the machine promptly starts to disembowel him, ultimately finishing him off. It then engulfs the man's body in a metal cask and minces it into fertilizer on to the garden below. In the conclusion, Trent Reznor
, who had been singing the lyrics inside a cell, now enters the room revealing to the viewer that he is next.
The video was almost universally banned once released. It was later included in Closure
and the Broken Movie. It was featured on Too Much 4 Much
, MuchMusic
's showcase of videos banned from their regular programming.
Reznor commented that the video was not created for shock value
, but that "these were the most appropriate visuals for the song." It had to do with his artistic freedom at the time after his fallout with TVT Records.
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. The song takes its title and refrain from Jean Paulhan
Jean Paulhan
Jean Paulhan was a French writer, literary critic and publisher, director of the literary magazine Nouvelle Revue Française from 1925 to 1940 and from 1946 to 1968. He was a member of the Académie Française...
's preface to Story of O
Story of O
Story of O is an erotic novel published in 1954 about love, dominance and submission by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.Desclos did not reveal herself as the author for forty years after the initial publication...
. It is available on the Broken EP and was also released as a 12" promotional single in November 1992. The song peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Nine Inch Nails' performance of "Happiness in Slavery" at Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
, included on the concert's compilation album, won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
in 1996.
Music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Happiness in Slavery," directed by Jon Reiss
Jon Reiss
Jon Reiss is an award-winning producer and director, named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety. His work has screened at prestigious film festivals around the world, including Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Seattle, New Directors/New Films, and Sao...
, features performance artist Bob Flanagan
Bob Flanagan
Bob Flanagan was an American performance artist, comic, writer, poet, and musician.-Early life:...
entering a large room. He places a flower and a candle on an altar and in a ritualistic style prepares for something; by washing himself before becoming strapped into a machine with long robotic claws that arise from the machine and subsequently tear apart his skin and stab him in a crucifix style. (Through the hands and feet). The man reacts in pleasure as this occurs. There are also drills that appears to drill into his skin in various places letting the man's blood drip on the floor, where there is an unspecified garden that is fertilized by human blood.
Later in the video, large grinders emerge from the machine to cause extreme injury to the man's skin. As he continues to scream in a mixture of pleasure and pain, the machine promptly starts to disembowel him, ultimately finishing him off. It then engulfs the man's body in a metal cask and minces it into fertilizer on to the garden below. In the conclusion, Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, who had been singing the lyrics inside a cell, now enters the room revealing to the viewer that he is next.
The video was almost universally banned once released. It was later included in Closure
Closure (Nine Inch Nails VHS)
Closure is a double VHS set by Nine Inch Nails released in 1997. Closure is the 12th official Nine Inch Nails release. It consists of one tape of live concert and behind-the-scenes footage from the Self-Destruct tour and one tape of music videos....
and the Broken Movie. It was featured on Too Much 4 Much
Too Much 4 Much
Too Much 4 Much was a Canadian television series, which aired on MuchMusic. The series, which aired after midnight Eastern time, played controversial videos which had, for one reason or another, been banned from regular rotation on the network, and featured panel discussions on the issues raised by...
, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's showcase of videos banned from their regular programming.
Reznor commented that the video was not created for shock value
Shock value
Shock value is the potential of an action , image, text, or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions.-Shock value as humor:...
, but that "these were the most appropriate visuals for the song." It had to do with his artistic freedom at the time after his fallout with TVT Records.
Track listing for promotional single
A promotional CD containing only the track as it appears on the Broken EP was also released during this same timeframe.External links
- "Happiness in Slavery" promos at NIN Collector
- "Happiness in Slavery" at the NinWiki