A theory I have on Metallica's "Ride The Lightning"

[40footwolf]

I think they secretly buried a mini-opera in the middle of the album.

I usually make up stories while I'm listening to music, but this one seemed to fit eerily well: "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade to Black" and "Trapped Under Ice" are about a man who's been to war, commits suicide over the things he's seen and who he's become, only to find himself unable to go to heaven or hell(maybe hell)-he's only trapped in his own body. The lyrics fit together for the most part, and "Trapped Under Ice" can be seen as metaphorically being trapped in your own body, I think.

Does anyone see where I'm coming from? Or am I seeing connections where there aren't any?

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Interesting theory. Honestly, I had never thought of it that way. Perhaps it was a happy coincidence or a well-thought thing on Metallica's part? In any case, it's worthy of note that war and death is a recurrent issue in Metallica's albums.

[Deathstroke]

Interesting theory. Honestly, I had never thought of it that way. Perhaps it was a happy coincidence or a well-thought thing on Metallica's part? In any case, it's worthy of note that war and death is a recurrent issue in Metallica's albums.

Though that is a recurrent theme/issue in a lot of thrash band's material from the 80's-90's.

[40footwolf]

Here are the lyrics to those three songs, clumped into one mass to help support my theory.

Make us fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless gray
On they fight, for they're right, yes, but who's to say?
For a hill, men would kill. Why? They do not know
Stiffened wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Take a look to the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will.
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery
Hears the silence so loud
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes do see

For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls

Life it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters no one else
I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this Can t be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel
Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now he 's gone

No one but me can save myself, but it's too late
Now, I can't think, think why I should even try
Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye

I don't know how to live through this hell
Woken up, I'm still locked in this shell
Frozen soul, frozen down to the core
Break the ice, I can't take anymore

[chorus:]
Freezing
Can't move at all
Screaming
Can't hear my call
I am dying to live
Cry out
I'm trapped under ice

Crystallized, as I lay here and rest
Eyes of glass stare directly at death
From deep sleep I have broken away
No one knows, no one hears what I say

[Chorus]

Scream from my soul
Fate, mystified
Hell, forever more

Scream from my soul
Fate, mystified
Hell, forever more

No release from my cryonic state
What is this? I've been stricken by fate
Wrapped up tight, cannot move, can't break free
Hand of doom has a tight grip on me

[Ullar]

You might have a point there.

[howyadoin]

Does anyone see where I'm coming from? Or am I seeing connections where there aren't any?I'd say 666 here has the right idea:
In any case, it's worthy of note that war and death is a recurrent issue in Metallica's albums.

[rabidrage]

It works, but it's hard to say if it was intentional or not. If I had the patience at the moment I'd read through it all to look for small details that form a common thread, instead of the larger, overarching theme you've presented us with. Are there any small details worthy of note?

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Though that is a recurrent theme/issue in a lot of thrash band's material from the 80's-90's.

That is true. And wolf's latest post sheds a new light on this particular issue, wouldn't you say? Again, happy coincidence or intentional?

[Deathstroke]

That is true. And wolf's latest post sheds a new light on this particular issue, wouldn't you say? Again, happy coincidence or intentional?

Guess I'll have to call up Lars and James and ask them.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Guess I'll have to call up Lars and James and ask them.

Man, YOU KNOW THEM????? AWESOME!!!!!

:biggrin: :tongue:

[Deathstroke]

Man, YOU KNOW THEM????? AWESOME!!!!!

:biggrin: :tongue:

I wish it was that easy.

[40footwolf]

It works, but it's hard to say if it was intentional or not. If I had the patience at the moment I'd read through it all to look for small details that form a common thread, instead of the larger, overarching theme you've presented us with. Are there any small details worthy of note?
I might make a list of linking lyrics and themes.

One that I noticed just now is that the last line in "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is "Time Marches On" and the first of Fade To Black is "Life it seems will fade away", which could suggest that time isn't moving on precisely as the protagonist had planned, or it could mean that time has passed and he isn't processing it.

There's also the lyric in the first song of "Take a look to the sky just before you die" and in Trapped Under Ice there's "Eyes of glass stare directly at death", which could be interpreted to mean the actual specter of death and not the act of dying, in itself.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I wish it was that easy.

I know. I'm just messing with you a little.:wink:

[ghostrider666]

Youre just reading into things.
For Whom The Bell Tolls, is a song based on the Hemmingway book of the same name. A story about war.
Trapped under Ice is a song about cryonic freezing. This was a topical issue back when the album was being written. The ethics of freezing a person, only to live again at a later time.
Fade to Black is a song about suicide. Another topical theme at the time. That of music leading to America's youth killing themselves.

[40footwolf]

I know what For Whom The Bell Tolls is about. I've read For Whom The Bell Tolls. I just think there's more of a connection between them.

[HectorP]

The one theory I have is that Lightning is their best album also including advancement of metal. Doesn't have to go deeper than that.

[40footwolf]

It doesn't HAVE to, but sometimes it's fun to go deeper.

(Also, I agree)