Nine Inch Nails’ Initial Twin Peaks: The Return Song Was Rejected for Not Being ‘Aggressive and Ugly’ Enough

Photo: Showtime

In one of the most spectacular episodes in recent television history, Twin Peaks: The Return, among other atomic-bomb-related endeavors in “Part 8,” aired a Nine Inch Nails performance of “She’s Gone Away.” It was a long, unsettling song choice that segued the narrative from the present to the past, and the song was specifically created by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the series. However, it wasn’t the only tune the duo had in mind for Twin Peaks — in fact, they revealed that the first song they presented to David Lynch was swiftly declined for a very Lynchian reason. It was simply too meek and pleasant for his liking. “Actually we wrote a different song initially, [Lynch] said, ‘How about something less Twin Peaks–y sounding, and more aggressive and ugly,’” Reznor said in a new radio interview. “I think he said, ‘Make my hair stand on end,’” Ross added. Our nightmares can confirm the second time really was the charm for this one.