Nine Inch Light Sabers 
You may not realize this (in fact if you do you've
probably got some serious problems), but the song "The Becoming" by Nine
Inch Nails is eerily similar to the life cycle of Star Wars hero-turned
villain Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. This connection, of course, couldn't
possibly have been intentional. The song is mainly about Trent Reznor's
own upfuct psyche, but it's still pretty cool. Below is a line by line
analysis of the song in terms of the Skywalker/Vader story, concocted by
a deranged lunatic who has way too much time on his hands (that would be
me, Matt Holohan, Fistonian Sea Captain).
***
the becoming
lyrics by Trent Reznor
*
i beat my machine it's a
part of me it's inside of me
"He's more machine now than
man. Twisted and evil." (Oni Wan Kenobi, ROTJ)
*
i'm stuck in this dream
it's changing me i am becoming
Anakin Skywalker "becomes"
Darth Vader.
*
the me that you know had
some second thoughts
Anakin has "second thoughts"
about being a Jedi and instead helps Palpatine destroy them.
*
he's covered with scabs
and he is broken and sore
When Vader's mask and helmet
are removed, scabs, sores, and bruises are visible on his head. Similar
wounds are presumably present on what's left of his organic body.
the me that you know doesn't
come around much
that part of me isn't here
anymore
"That name [Anakin Skywalker]
no longer has any meaning for me." (DV, ROTJ)
*
all pain disappears it's
the nature of my circuitry
Vader's suit (made up of
"circuitry") is primarily a life support system, meant to alleviate the
"pain" associated with his mangled body.
*
drowns out all i hear there's
no escape from this my new consciousness
Anakin's consciousness is
invaded by the Dark Side, drowning out his communication with the microscopic
organisms that embody the Force.
*
that me that you know used
to have feelings
Luke insists that there
is good left in Vader, but Vader acknowledges that it is "too late" for
him.
*
but the blood has stopped
pumping and he's left to decay
the me that you know is
now made up of wires
See the "more machine now
than man" quote above.
*
and even when i'm right
with you i'm so far away
Even when I [Vader] am right
with you, I [Anakin] am so far away.
*
i can try to get away but
i've strapped myself in
Vader wishes to escape the
Dark Side, but the decision to turn is one that he has made, and so he's
(s)trapped.
*
i can try to scratch away
the sound in my ears
More language dealing with
attempted escape from the Dark Side.
*
i can see it killing away
all my bad parts
Vader's life support suit
has "killed away" (replaced) all of his "bad" (dysfunctional) parts, including,
it would seem, his penchant for goodness.
*
i don't want to listen but
it's all too clear
Vader possesses mastery
of the Dark Side of the Force, disgusted with it though he may be. Thus
although he wishes to ignore it, the Dark Side is "all too clear" to him.
*
hiding backwards inside
of me i feel so unafraid
Anakin remains (hiding)
within Darth Vader, although his attitude is now inverted (backwards) from
good to evil. "Fear is the path to the Dark Side" (Yoda, PM), but now that
Vader's journey is complete he has mastered the Dark Side and no longer
fears it.
*
annie, hold a little tighter
i might just slip away
"annie" is a homonym of
"Ani," the diminutive form of "Anakin" used by Anakin's mother and friends
when he is a child. Vader is urging "Ani" to "hold a little tighter," indicating
his desire to retain the purity and innocence of his youth. This fails,
however, and Anakin/Vader cannot avoid "just slipping away" to the Dark
Side.
*
it won't give up it wants
me dead
goddamn this noise inside
my head
The power of the Dark Side
is relentless, dedicating to killing Anakin and replacing him with Vader,
and (as stated above) invades and dominates Vader's mind.
***
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