This has always fascinated me: the audio sample buried under the beginning of the track, repeated approximately six times before the ambiance fully kicks in..

Most believe it says "The best thing about life, is knowing you put it together"

While others on places like Reddit claim it's saying "The worst thing about life, is seeing where you ended it"

http://www.reddit.com/r/nin/comments...the_beginning/

Others have played around with the audio in search of clarification: https://m.soundcloud.com/2072trioptimumcom/life-35

Other possibilities: "The best thing about life, is always being near you" and "The worst thing about life, is no one wants to be with you"

Anyone have anything to add, or want to take a stab at it? The first two examples are the most fascinating, as you could presumably hear either, depending on how you view life..