Lyrically, the song addresses the themes of isolation, belongingness, self-hatred and agony.[7][8] Reznor's angst-filled lyrics in this song, such as "After everything I've done I hate myself for what I've become" was regarded as a solidification of his status as "the dark lord of doom."[7][9][10]
Two different videos exist for "Gave Up". One is footage of the band featuring Marilyn Manson performing the song at the Le Pig studio at 10050 Cielo Drive, where NIN recorded The Downward Spiral and parts of Broken (directed by Jon Reiss). The other one is the original footage of the finale to the Broken movie.
In popular culture
The song was extensively played during the shooting of the Lost Highway's bowling alley scene, by the demand of the director David Lynch.[11]