Ride The Lightning
Metallica · Ride The Lightning
Guilty as charged
But damn it, it ain't right
There is someone else controlling me
Death in the air
Strapped in the electric chair
This can't be happening to me
Who made you god to say
"i'll take your life from you!"
[chorus:]
Flash before my eyes
Now it's time to die
Burning in my brain
I can feel the flames
Wait for the sign
To flick the switch of death
It's the beginning of the end
Sweat, chilling cold
As i watch death unfold
Consciousness my only friend
My fingers grip with fear
What i am doing here?
[chorus]
Someone help me
Oh please god help me
They are trying to take it all away
I don't want to die
Time moving slowly
The minutes seem like hours
The final curtain call i see
How true is this?
Just get it over with
If this is true, just let it be
Wakened by the horrid cream
Freed from the frightening dream
[chorus]
But damn it, it ain't right
There is someone else controlling me
Death in the air
Strapped in the electric chair
This can't be happening to me
Who made you god to say
"i'll take your life from you!"
[chorus:]
Flash before my eyes
Now it's time to die
Burning in my brain
I can feel the flames
Wait for the sign
To flick the switch of death
It's the beginning of the end
Sweat, chilling cold
As i watch death unfold
Consciousness my only friend
My fingers grip with fear
What i am doing here?
[chorus]
Someone help me
Oh please god help me
They are trying to take it all away
I don't want to die
Time moving slowly
The minutes seem like hours
The final curtain call i see
How true is this?
Just get it over with
If this is true, just let it be
Wakened by the horrid cream
Freed from the frightening dream
[chorus]
Ride The Lightning
Released in 1984, 'Ride The Lightning' by Metallica serves as the title track and central theme of their landmark debut album. The song exemplifies the band's transition from thrash metal to a heavier, more polished hard rock sound, featuring James Hetfield's iconic drumming and Lars Ulrich's driving percussion. Lyrically, it explores the concept of a runaway train, serving as a metaphor for the band's own journey and the destructive power of unchecked momentum. As a defining recording of the early 1980s metal scene, the track established Metallica's signature sonic identity and remains a cornerstone of their discography, influencing countless artists in the heavy metal and hard rock genres for decades.