Terrible Lie chords by Nine Inch Nails (Official Version)

GuitarPianoUkulele

B5
C#m
C#5
Gdim
G
F#sus4
F#
F#5
G5
E5

Verse 1
B5 
C#m 
 (B5) (Hey  (C sharp minor) god)  why are you
B5 
doing this to me  (B5) 
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) Am I not living up
B5 
to what I'm supposed to be  (B5) 
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) Why am I seething with this animosity?
B5 
C#m 
 (B5) (Hey  (C sharp minor) god)  I think you owe me
a great big apology
B5 
 (B5) Terrible lie

Chorus 1
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
Terrible lie  (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
B5 
 (B5) (Hey

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Verse 2
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) god)  I really don't know
B5 
what you mean  (B5) 
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) Seems like salvation comes
B5 
only in our dreams  (B5) 
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) I feel my hatred grow
all the more extreme
B5 
C#m 
 (B5) (Hey  (C sharp minor) god)  can this world really be as sad
as it seems?
B5 
 (B5) Terrible lie

Chorus 2
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
Terrible lie  (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
B5 
 (B5) 

Bridge 1
Don't take it away from me,
I need you to hold on to
Don't take it away from me,
I need you to hold on to
F#5 
 (F sharp5) Don't take it away from me,
G5 
 (G5) I   need you to hold on to
E5 
 (E5) Don't take it away from me,
F# 
 (F sharp major) I   need someone to hold on to
F#5 
 (F sharp5) Don't tear it away from me,
G5 
 (G5) I   need you to hold on to
E5 
 (E5) Don't tear it away from me,
F# 
 (F sharp major) I   need someone to hold on to
F#5 
 (F sharp5) Don't tear it away from me,
G5 
 (G5) I   need you to hold on to
E5 
 (E5) Don't tear it, don't tear it,
F# 
 (F sharp major) don't take it, don't take it, don't
B5 
 (B5) (Hey

Verse 3
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) god)  there's nothing
B5 
left for me to hide  (B5) 
C#m 
B5 
 (C sharp minor) I lost my ignorance, security and pride  (B5) 
C#m 
 (C sharp minor) I'm all alone in a world you must despise
B5 
C#m 
 (B5) (Hey  (C sharp minor) god)  I believed the promises,
your promises and lies
B5 
 (B5) Terrible lie

Chorus 3
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
Terrible lie  (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
Terrible lie  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
B5 
 (B5) (Terrible lie)

Chorus 4
C#5 
Gdim 
 (C sharp5) You made me throw it all away  (Gdim) 
G 
my morals  (G major) left to decay
B5 
 (B5) How many you betray
F#sus4 
F# 
 (F sharpsus4) you've taken everything  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
(terrible lie)  (C sharp5) 
Gdim 
My head is filled with disease,  (Gdim) 
G 
B5 
my skin is  (G major) begging you please  (B5) 
I'm on my hands and knees,
F#sus4 
F# 
B5 
 (F sharpsus4) I want so  (F sharp major) much  (B5) to  believe

Outro 1
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (C sharp5)  (Gdim)  (G major)  (B5)  (F sharpsus4)  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5) I give you  (Gdim) everything  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (B5) my sweet  (F sharpsus4) everything  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5) I give you  (Gdim) everything  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (B5) my sweet  (F sharpsus4) everything  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5) I give you  (Gdim) everything  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (B5) my sweet  (F sharpsus4) everything  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5) I give you  (Gdim) everything  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (B5) my sweet  (F sharpsus4) everything  (F sharp major) 
C#5 
Gdim 
G 
 (C sharp5) I give you  (Gdim) everything  (G major) 
B5 
F#sus4 
F# 
 (B5) my sweet  (F sharpsus4) everything  (F sharp major) 
(I need someone to hold on to

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GuitarPianoUkulele

B5
C#m
C#5
Gdim
G
F#sus4
F#
F#5
G5
E5

Tuning: E A D G B EDifficulty: AdvancedKey: C# minorBPM: 88

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Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

B5: x-2-4-x-x-x
C#m: x-4-6-6-5-x
C#5: x-4-6-x-x-x
Gdim: x-x-5-6-x-6
G: 3-2-0-0-0-3
F#sus4: x-x-4-4-2-2
F#: 2-4-4-3-2-2
F#5: 2-4-x-x-x-x
G5: 3-5-x-x-x-x
E5: 0-2-x-x-x-x

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

Barre chords ask a lot of the fretting hand. The barre course walks through hand position, pressure, and the cleanest way to land each shape. Practice barre chords

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This is the definitive original version of Terrible Lie by Nine Inch Nails, transcribed exactly as it was recorded in the studio. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart preserves the precise chord voicings and progressions in the original key of C# minor. It is designed for experienced players looking to reproduce the full sonic intent and artistic expression of Nine Inch Nails.