The Perfect Drug
"The Perfect Drug" is a song by Nine Inch Nails written for the David Lynch film Lost Highway. It was released in 1997 on the [Lost Highway |Lost Highway soundtrack] and as a single from the score. Remixes of the song were released as an EP called "The Perfect Drug" Versions, on which the original version does not appear.
The track has also been included on international singles "We're in This Together, Part 3" and "Into [the Void |Into the Void]" without the truncated ending; the only audio release of it in North America was on the Lost Highway soundtrack. A music video for the song, directed by Mark Romanek, was included with the VHS compilation Closure and in The Work of Director Mark Romanek.
Initially regarded by Reznor as his least favorite work, the song was noted among Nine Inch Nails fans for his refusal to perform it at concerts, until it finally made its live debut after more than two decades at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in September 2018.
Overview
"The Perfect Drug" was described by Entertainment Weekly as a "drum and bass-infused industrial pop song". The Guardian also noted the drum and bass influence in the song. In May 2004, a fan posted on the band's website to ask whether the track had not been performed live because "the drum solo would make Jerome's arms fall off". Then-drummer Jerome Dillon replied that they "never rule out the possibility of playing any of the songs live".In April 2005, while guest-hosting an episode of the British late-night Rock Show on BBC Radio 1, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor answered questions sent in by fans. When asked to name which of his works he was least satisfied with and why, he responded:
Despite being released as a single, "The Perfect Drug" was not performed live by Nine Inch Nails until September 2018, more than 21 years after its release.
Music video
A music video for the single was directed by Mark Romanek and released on January 18, 1997. The theme was inspired by the illustrations of 20th-century artist Edward Gorey, with familiar Gorey elements including oversized urns and glum, pale characters in full Edwardian costume. The most obvious reference to Gorey is the boy sitting on a cushion in front of a painting. Other references include an unidentified painting resembling Gustav Klimt's The Kiss and a "Scanning Machine" designed by Frenchman François Willème in 1860.Charlie Clouser, Danny Lohner, and Chris Vrenna also appear in the video, most notably playing string instruments at the beginning of the video. The first half of the video was filmed with a blue tint, switching to a flashing green light during the drum breakdown and reverting to blue for the remainder of the song. Joanne Gair's work with Nine Inch Nails on "The Perfect Drug" won her the makeup portion of the award for best hair/makeup in a music video at the Music Video Production Awards.
EP
"The Perfect Drug" Versions is the eleventh official Nine Inch Nails release and consists of five remixes of the song "The Perfect Drug." The European, Australian, and Japanese releases append the original version of the song, while a promotional vinyl set adds an exclusive sixth remix, by Aphrodite.Track listing
Available as United States, Australia, Japan or EU single.Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
| Chart | Position |
| Canada | 98 |