Fade To Black

From MetallicaWiki

Fade To Black is the fourth track on Metallica's 1984 album Ride The Lightning.

The lyrics suggest a man contemplating, and eventually committing suicide. Musically, the song begins with a clean, undistorted guitar introduction and becomes progressively heavier, similar to Metallica's future ballads, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), One, and The Day That Never Comes.

Kirk Hammett's guitar solo on the song was ranked number 24 on the 100 Best Solos Ever Reader's Choice in the September 1998 issue of Guitar World.

Jason Newsted, the long time bassist, played "Fade To Black" during his very last performance as a member of Metallica at My VH-1 Music Awards in November 2000.

Lyrics

Life, it seems, will fade away
Drifting further every day
Getting lost within myself
Nothing matters, no one else

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

Things not what they used to be
Missing one inside of me
Deathly lost, this can't be real
Cannot stand this hell I feel

Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now he's gone

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

Notes

Written By: Hetfield/Ulrich/Burton/Hammett
Copyright © 1984 Creeping Death Music (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured
All Rights Reserved