Metallica - Blackened - Meaning of the song
"Blackened" is about the end of the world as it is described in the Bible. Pollution, deforestation, and other social issues are also addressed.
This is one of three Metallica songs co-written by Jason Newsted, who played bass for the band from 1986 to 2001. The others being "My Friend Of Misery" and "Where the Wild Things Are."
And Justice for All was his first studio album with the group, and "Blackened" was the first song he contributed to.
Composing the song with James Hetfield was a memorable experience for Newsted, who was still star-struck and ecstatic to be bouncing ideas off the Metallica frontman. According to Jason Newsted,
My one-bedroom apartment was where we were. We were jamming on our guitars, just playing through some riffs, and I had my little four-track Tascam set up in the corner of the bedroom. "Dude, what is that?" he says after hearing the "Blackened" riff. Because that was completely insane. The original is an extremely quick alternating item. It's actually quite difficult. I mean, the one that wound up on the record is difficult as well, but the original is even more difficult.
That was caught up on by him, and we videotaped it. "Let's build it to this, and build it to this," he says. It was a beautiful moment. "This is going to be a Metallica song," James from Metallica said as I was writing a song with him. That was a life-changing experience for me. I had a huge Damage Inc. tour banner on my bedroom wall, just above my small station with my speakers, my little four-track, and the two or three guitars in my collection, because we had already been on tour together.
And there we were, I could clearly paint that scene for you. It was a watershed moment for me because I was obtaining approval from The Man to have one of my tunes included on a Metallica album for the first time. That was a very special time in my life.
Blackened - Lyrics
Blackened is the end
Winter it will send
Throwing all you see
Into obscurity
Death of Mother Earth
Never a rebirth
Evolution’s end
Never will it mend
Never
Fire
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Color our world blackened
Blistering of earth
Terminate its worth
Deadly nicotine
Kills what might have been
Callous frigid chill
Nothing left to kill
Never seen before
Breathing nevermore
Never
Fire
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Color our world blackened
Blackened
Opposition...contradiction...premonition...compromise
Agitation...violation...mutilation...planet dies
Darkest color
Blistered earth
True death of life
Termination...expiration...cancellation...human race
Expectation...liberation...population...lay to waste
See our mother
Put to death
See our mother die
Smoldering decay
Take her breath away
Millions of our years
In minutes disappears
Darkening in vain
Decadence remains
All is said and done
Never is the sun
Never
Fire
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Blackened is the end
To begin whipping dance of the dead
Fire
Is the outcome of hypocrisy
Darkest potency
In the exit of humanity
Color our world blackened
Blackened
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