Songs & Lyrics
The Perfect Drug
“The Perfect Drug” opens The Perfect Drug Versions (1997) and has remained in Nine Inch Nails setlists from the Cold and Black and Infinite tour to the present.
- Record type
- Lyrics available
- Classification
- Official NIN composition
- First record
- Halo 11 · The Perfect Drug Versions
- Known versions
- 10
Song details
About This Song
Available on two Halo releases in 10 titled versions.
- Classification
- Official NIN composition
- First documented release
- Halo 11 · The Perfect Drug Versions
- Release date
- May 13, 1997
- Track position
- 1
- Running time
- 5:15
- Tempo
- 149 BPM
- Known versions
- 10
Track Credits
- Writing and performance
- Nine Inch Nails
- Credit
- ©1996 Leaving Hope Music Inc/TVT Music (ASCAP) administered by Leaving Hope Music Inc., D. Lohner/Wish It Away (ASCAP), C. Clouser/Hypercube Music/Warner Tamerlane Music (BMI), C. Vrenna
- Production
- Trent Reznor
- Mix
- Alan Moulder
- Engineering
- Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
- Assistance
- Brian Pollack
Live History
- Performance span
- Cold And Black And Infinite Tour through present
Versions
- The Perfect Drug
- The Perfect Drug (Edit)
- The Perfect Drug (We're In This Together version)
- The Perfect Drug (Instrumental)
- The Perfect Drug (Meat Beat Manifesto)
- The Perfect Drug (Plug)
- The Perfect Drug (Nine Inch Nails)
- The Perfect Drug (Spacetime Continuum)
- The Perfect Drug (The Orb)
- The Perfect Drug (Aphrodite)
Related Records
Sources: NIN Wiki — The Perfect Drug (song), revision 69597 (reviewed September 28, 2026). NIN Wiki song record
Words
Lyrics
Can't keep control, can't keep track of where it's traveling
I got my heart but my heart's no good
And you're the only one that's understood
I come along but I don't know where you're taking me
I shouldn't go but you're wrenching, dragging, shaking me
Turn off the sun, pull the stars from the sky
The more I give to you, the more I die
And I want you
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug
The perfect drug
You make me hard when I'm all soft inside
I see the truth when I'm all stupid-eyed
The arrow goes straight through my heart
Without you everything just falls apart
My blood wants to say hello to you
My fears want to get inside of you
My soul is so afraid to realize
How very little there is left of me
And I want you
You are the perfect drug
The perfect drug
The perfect drug
Take me, with you
Without you
Without you everything falls apart
Without you it's not as much fun to pick up the pieces
Lyrics reproduced with permission for non-profit educational use.
Where it appears
Documented Appearances
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