Thoughts on All Nightmare Long by Metallica

Word of caution if you haven't heard this song before - if you're epileptic, don't listen. If you're not, you'll be after listening! 

James Hetfield, who also wrote the song, described it has someone having a nightmare (kind of like Entering of the Sandman)  of being hunted by werewolves. Other than that, I don't think there's much actual meaning behind this. But you could read into the music video, and the video is about some Frankenstein-type stuff! Video made no sense, I mean given this song is considered to one of the best of Death Magnetic, they should've done a better job creating a more creative video. In fact, Metallica should've used this song as one of the marquee songs of the album to promote it! Instead, what seems to me is, they did a pretty lazy job with the video. 

That's what went though my head back in 2008 when this came out. I know it's been a while and I haven't really written about this. So why am I writing now? 

Recently I watched Alien, 1979. Need I go any further? Guess what the movie reminded me of? This song perfectly fits into the movie. It's almost as if this song was written based on the movie! 

Alien is one of the greatest movies and you should definitely see it if you haven't. Now word of caution before you watch it - if you're epileptic, don't watch it. If you're not, you'll be afterwards! 

So here's the song analysis from Alien's point of view: 

• Crawl from the wreckage one more time / Horrific memory twists the mind

Crew of Nostromo have visited the derelict and returned back to the spaceship with Facehugger attached to Kane's face! 

• Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn

Hard to turn could be it was hard to turn down from visiting the derelict. In fact it was Kane who said "we have to keep going" when Lambert said "let's get outta here!"

• Path of destruction feel it burn

Facehugger's blood is so corrosive, it'll burnt though multiple stories of the spaceship

• You hide, you hide but will be found / Release your grip without a sound

Chestburster has grown into its final form as a killing machine and it's ready to hunt you down. 

Lyrics: 

Luck. Runs. Out.

Crawl from the wreckage one more time
Horrific memory twists the mind
Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn
Path of destruction feel it burn

	Still life... incarnation
	Still life... infamy
	
	Hallucination 
	Heresy
	Still you run, what's to come, what's to be

		'Cause we...
		Hunt you down without mercy
		Hunt you down all nightmare long
		Feel us breathe upon your face
		Feel us shift, every move we trace
		Hunt you down without mercy
		Hunt you down all nightmare long
		
		Luck. Runs. Out.
		You crawl back in, 
		But your luck runs out

Luck. Runs. Out.

The light that is not light is here
To flush you out with your own fear
You hide, you hide but will be found
Release your grip without a sound

	Still life... immolation
	Still life... infamy
	
	Hallucination 
	Heresy
	Still you run, what's to come, what's to be

		'Cause we...
		Hunt you down without mercy
		Hunt you down all nightmare long
		Feel us breathe upon your face
		Feel us shift, every move we trace
		Hunt you down without mercy
		Hunt you down all nightmare long
		
		Luck. Runs. Out.
		You crawl back in, but your luck runs out

Then you crawl back in,
Into your obsession
Never to return
This is your confession

	Hunt you down without mercy
	Hunt you down all nightmare long
	Feel us breathe upon your face
	Feel us shift, every move we trace
	Hunt you down without mercy
	Hunt you down all nightmare long
	
	Luck. Runs. Out.
	
	You crawl back in, but your luck runs out
	Your luck runs out

Update: so-called geniuses have their own interpretation. Check it out - https://genius.com/Metallica-all-nightmare-long-lyrics