Nine Inch Nails band name meaning

In fact a solo project by Trent Reznor from Cleveland, Ohio, who as record producer, singer, composer and musician puts together industrial rock music.

One common explanation for the name of Reznors band is that Jesus Christ was crucified with nails nine inches long. This is highly unlikely: the industry standard is that crucifixion nails are between four and seven inches long. A different story - that the human body contains an amount of iron sufficient to make a nine inch long nail out of - is also nonsense. Our body contains only three grams of iron, and for such a nail at least some sixty grams are needed. 

In a song by Tori Amos from 1992, Precious Things, there is mention of the long nails involved:

'Those demigods

With their nine-inch nails

And little fascist panties

Tucked inside the heart

Of every nice girl.'

Problem: Nine Inch Nails was founded in 1988, four years before Tori recorded her number. 

The most likely explanation is the one given by Trent Reznor himself. In an interview in Axcess Magazine (1994) he said: 'I don't know if you've ever tried to think of band names, but usually you think you have a great one and you look at it the next day and it's stupid. I had about 200 of those. Nine Inch Nails lasted the two week test, looked great in print, and could be abbreviated easily. It really doesn't have any literal meaning. It seemed kind of frightening. Tough and manly! It's a curse trying to come up with band names.'

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