burn

this world rejects me
this world threw me away
this world never gave me a chance
this world's gonna have to pay

i don't believe in your institutions
i did what you wanted me to
like cancer in the system
i've got a little suprise for you

something inside of me has opened up its eyes
why did you put it there did you not realize
this thing inside of me it screams the loudest sound
sometimes i think i could...burn

i look down there where you're standing
flock of sheep out on display
saw your lives burned up around you
i can take it all away

something inside of me has opened up its eyes
why did you put it there did you not realize
this thing inside of me it screams the loudest sound
sometimes i think i could...i'm gonna burn this whole world down

i never was a part of you burn

i am the agent (i never was a part of you burn)
i am corruption (i never was a part of you burn)
i am the angel (i never was a part of you burn)
of your destruction (i never was a part of you burn)
i am subversion (i never was a part of you burn)
secret desire (i never was a part of you burn)
i am your future (i never was a part of you burn)
swallow down all that fire

I think this song is about a man who wants to play God. He has a twisted sense of justice and wants to destroy everyone for some wrong committed against him. He wants to put the world on trial for its sins and he believes he should be the judge jury and executioner. The song is a cry for help although the narrater probably doesn't realise it himself.
-serena

i never saw natural born killers, so i really could be wrong about this, but i think that since natural born killers is about serial killers, trent decided to write this song from the viewpoint of one. first he gives a motive: that he feels the world has been against him from the beginning, and that he wants to make the world pay for it. much of reznor's work, specially pretty hate machine, deal with justice and with wanting the wicked of the world (whether they be people who hurt him or he himself) to get what they deserve. here, writing as he is he is from the viewpoint of someone who has been completely corrupted by "this thing inside of [him that] screams the loudest sound", he explores that theme to the fullest, promising "i am the angel of your destruction".
-alexa

The video for burn, as well as the song, is pretty easy to understand. It's about how Trent is tired of the world treating him like shit and finally, he snaps. "i'm going to burn this whole world down!"
-Devilboy