The Thing That Should Not Be

From MetallicaWiki

The Thing That Should Not Be is the third track on Metallica's 1986 album Master Of Puppets.

The song is based upon the short story "Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft which has been written in 1936. "Shadow Over Innsmouth" was Lovecraft's sole story which has been released as a book when he was alive. His further short stories only appeared in his lifetime in a magazine called "Weird Tales".

In the version on S&M, the second verse was removed and the third verse was put in place of the second. They went straight to the last chorus from the solo.

Lyrics

Messenger of fear in sight
Dark deception kills the light

Hybrid children watch the sea
Pray for father, roaming free

Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches
Lurking beneath the sea
Great old one
Forbidden site
He searches
Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell

Crawling chaos underground
Cult has summoned twisted sound

Out from ruins once possessed
Fallen city, living death

Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches
Lurking beneath the sea
Timeless sleep
Has been upset
He awakens
Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
In madness you dwell

Not dead which eternal lie
Stranger eons, death may die

Drain you of your sanity
Face the thing that should not be

Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches
Lurking beneath the sea
Great old one
Forbidden site
He searches
Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell

Notes

Written By: Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett
Copyright © 1986 Creeping Death Music (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured
All Rights Reserved