“Death greets me warm”
How “Fade to Black” gave Metallica a new life
When I look at the crowd [while we’re playing “Fade to Black”]… I saw somebody just sobbing. This was a younger girl, had long dark hair; she was in tears.
-James Hetfield
When most think about metal, they picture violence and hostility when in reality it’s just like any other genre. Except maybe a little louder. Metallica, being the apex of metal across the globe, set the stage for how this genre is recognized.
Metallica’s first album, ‘Kill Em’ All’ (1983) was thrash metal to the core. It was a combination of fast, virtuosic, raw, and angry. At the time, no one had heard music with such relentless intensity. Metallica’s second album ‘Ride the Lighting’ (1984) was slightly more reserved and melodic, yet still retained aspects of invigoratingly fast guitar and fierceness.
Specifically, the song “Fade to Black” was one that allowed metal to evolve.
“Fade to Black” is classified as a suicide song. Sure, it’s dark, and angry, but life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. “Fade to Black” represents what people deny about themselves and the entirety of humanity. Metallica’s lead singer James Hetfield poured his heart out writing these lyrics. “Fade to Black” ensured people that they were not alone.
“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”No one but me
Can save myself
But it’s too late
Now I can’t think
Think why I should even try
“When “Fade to Black” was originally written, this was real. Like, ‘I f*cking hate life. Our gear just got stolen, we can’t live our dream, we’re not gonna make it to Europe,’ all these things. — James Hetfield
Metallica’s James Hetfield received hundreds of letters relating to the “Fade to Black” track and stating that it was a reminder that no one was alone. Everyone at some point in life will go through some shape of adversity. Rich or poor, strong or weak, everyone struggles in life….We are all human. “Fade to Black” is a song about facing adversity. Whatever life throws at you, perseverance and faith will stand true.
This last verse stands out the most
“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,
Goodbye.”
Reading this verse, I immediately picture a man falling, wishing that he never jumped.
“But it’s too late”
Is a line that hits excruciatingly hard. I depict this as a regretful realization that the protagonist will die, and can’t do anything to change it. An anti-suicide connotation can be received when analyzing the lyrics of this track. suicide is an impulse that most wish to take back, but cannot.
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, anywhere from one-third to 80% of all suicide attempts are impulsive acts. Furthermore, 90% of people who survive an attempted suicide refrain from attempting to kill themselves again.
Although Metallica’s “Fade to Black” gets a bad rap, it truly is a song filled with hope. Momentary suffering will pass; mental toughness is a trait needed to persevere through the hardships of life. When feeling down in the dumps, go throw on “Fade to Black” and remember this life God gave us is great and worth cherishing.
“Fade to Black” is the best of both worlds. It has a significant message, and you also can't forget about the heavy and rhythmic masterpiece of a guitar solo. This song changed the way metal was perceived by non-headbangers. It truly is an evolutionary masterpiece in the metal industry.
Before Metallica was Metallica, they were just another bunch of guys idolizing Iron Maiden and strumming guitars in their basements. Now they are on the throne of metal across the globe. Songs like “Fade to Black” propelled Metallica to the very top.
