Songs & Lyrics
Only
“Only” appears on With Teeth (2005) and has returned in setlists across multiple touring eras.
- Record type
- Lyrics available
- Classification
- Official NIN composition
- First record
- Halo 19 · With Teeth
- Known versions
- 10
Song details
About This Song
Available on four Halo releases in 10 titled versions.
- Classification
- Official NIN composition
- First documented release
- Halo 19 · With Teeth
- Release date
- May 3, 2005
- Track position
- 8
- Running time
- 4:22
- Tempo
- 112 BPM
- Known versions
- 10
Track Credits
- Writing and performance
- Trent Reznor
- Production
- Trent Reznor, Alan Moulder
- Programming and additional production
- Atticus Ross
- Mix
- Alan Moulder
Live History
- Performance span
- With Teeth Fall Arena Tour through Lights In The Sky Tour · NIN + QOTSA Tour · NIN 2014 Europe/UK Tour through present
Versions
- Only
- Only (Instrumental)
- Only (Clean Version)
- Only (Radio Edit)
- Only (Richard X Remix)
- Only (El-P Remix)
- Only (Richard X Dub)
- Only (Richard X Edit)
- Only (El-P Instrumental)
- Only (Beside You In Time)
Related Records
- Music video: Only
- Official multitracks available
Sources: NIN Wiki — Only (song), revision 67516 (reviewed September 28, 2026). NIN Wiki song record
Words
Lyrics
As days go by
Fading away
(Well you might say)
I'm losing focus
Kind of drifting into the abstract
In terms of how I see myself
Sometimes I think I can see right through myself
Less concerned about fitting into the world
Your world, that is
Because it doesn't really matter
Anymore
None of this really matters anymore
Yes I am alone
But then again I always was
As far back as I can tell
I think maybe it's because
Because you were never real to begin with
I just made you up
To hurt myself
And it worked
Yes it did
There is no you
There is only me
There is no fucking you
There is only me
Only
[Pt. 2]
Well the tiniest little dot caught my eye
And it turned out to be a scab
And I had this funny feeling
Like I just knew it's something bad
I just couldn't leave alone
And I kept picking at that scab
Like it was a doorway trying to seal itself shut
But I climbed through
And now I'm somewhere I am not supposed to be
And I can see things I know I really shouldn't see
Now I know why
And now I know why
Things aren't as pretty
On the inside
There is no fucking you
There is only me
Only
Is this really all there is?
Is this really all there is?
Lyrics reproduced with permission for non-profit educational use.
Where it appears
Documented Appearances
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