"Something I Can Never Have" is the fifth track on the 1989 release Pretty Hate Machine. It is apparently a song about suicide, lost love and missed chances, though the true story about the song isn't widely (or at all) known. It is the first chronological song in which Trent Reznor plays a piano and in which he uses the word "fuck" ("fading fucking reminder"). A stripped-down version can be found on Still, which has an accompanying performance video released at the time on nin.com.

lyrics

Open in browser ↗

View on Last.fm →More by Nine Inch Nails →Pretty Hate Machine →