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
