Gogol's epic form of Dead Souls was (unsuccessfully) modeled on Dante's La Divina Commedia. It is a depressing, astrigent view of the country, and it becomes apparent that the blueprint for understanding Russia is no more than a simulacrum, that the distant memory of the epic and the familiar contact of the present do not share the same field of representation.

Both Joy Division and Nine Inch Nails performed this song (originally by Joy Division). More people have probably heard the NIN version, seeing as how it was on the The Crow soundtrack. They would do themselves a favour by listening to the JD version. Thanks in large part to Ian Curtis's lower and non-whiney voice, it sounds much darker and more ominous. He also sounds, in this song, a lot more paranoid than Trent Reznor ever could.

The problem is that Curtis (requiescat in pace) couldn't sing, at least not as well as Reznor. So maybe the NIN version is better in that respect. You should at least listen to both and find out for yourself.