Welcome Home
Metallica; James Hetfield; Lars Ulrich; Cliff Burton; Kirk Hammett Lyrics
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No one leaves and no one will
Moon is full, never seems to change
Just labeled mentally deranged
Dream the same thing every night
I see our freedom in my sight
No locked doors, no windows barred
No things to make my brain seem scarred
Sleep my friend and you will see
That dream is my reality
They keep me locked up in this cage
Can't they see it's why my brain says rage
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Build my fear of what's out there
And cannot breathe the open air
Whisper things into my brain
Assuring me that I'm insane
They think our heads are in their hands
But violent use brings violent plans
Keep him tied, it makes him well
He's getting better, can't you tell?
No more can they keep us in
Listen, damn it, we will win
They see it right, they see it well
But they think this saves us from our Hell
Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
Fear of living on
Natives getting restless now
Mutiny in the air
Got some death to do
Mirror stares back hard
Kill, it's such a friendly word
Seems the only way
For reaching out again
The song Welcome Home by Metallica begins with the lines "Welcome to where time stands still, no one leaves and no one will." These lines set the tone for the song, painting a picture of a place that is stagnant and unchanging. The singer of the song is in a mental institution, labeled as mentally deranged, with no locked doors or windows barred, but also no way to escape the confines of the institution. The singer has the same dream every night, of seeing their freedom in sight, but is locked up in a cage and driven to rage by their captivity. They beg the sanitarium to leave them alone, to let them live their reality, but are kept in fear of what's outside, and made to feel insane by whispers in their mind.
Throughout the song, the singer struggles between their desire for freedom and their fear of the outside world. They are constantly told that they are getting better, even though they feel trapped and misunderstood. In the end, the line "For reaching out again" leaves the listener with the impression that the singer wants to connect with the world outside of the institution, but feels that the only way to do so is through violence.
Welcome Home is a powerful song that speaks to the struggles of mental illness, confinement and isolation. The singer is trapped in their own mind and is unable to see a way out. The song captures the feeling of being alone, with no one to share your experience with, and the desire to break free from the confines of your own mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to where time stands still
The singer is welcoming us to a place where everything is stagnant, and time has no meaning.
No one leaves and no one will
Nobody is permitted to leave this place, and nobody ever will.
Moon is full, never seems to change
The appearance of the full moon is constant and unchanging.
Just labeled mentally deranged
The artist has been diagnosed by society as insane, and this labeling is what his life is based on.
Dream the same thing every night
Each night, the artist's dream is the same.
I see our freedom in my sight
The singer sees the freedom that he desires in his dreams.
No locked doors, no windows barred
In his dreams, there are no barriers to prevent him from gaining freedom.
No things to make my brain seem scarred
In this utopia, there are no things that might damage the artist's mental health.
Sleep my friend and you will see
The artist is encouraging his friend to sleep so he can enter the dream world and see what the artist sees.
That dream is my reality
The artist's dream world is the only reality he knows.
They keep me locked up in this cage
The singer feels trapped in his life and unable to escape.
Can't they see it's why my brain says rage
The artist's anger is a reaction to the feeling of being trapped and helpless.
Sanitarium, leave me be
The singer is pleading with the sanitarium staff to leave him alone and let him be free.
Sanitarium, just leave me alone
The singer is repeating his plea to be left alone.
Build my fear of what's out there
The singer is being deliberately conditioned to be afraid of the outside world.
And cannot breathe the open air
The artist is not permitted to experience the freedom of the open air.
Whisper things into my brain
The staff at the sanitarium are feeding the artist's fears by whispering things into his mind.
Assuring me that I'm insane
The staff is reinforcing the idea that the singer is insane.
They think our heads are in their hands
The staff believes that they control the mental state of the patients in the sanitarium.
But violent use brings violent plans
The artist feels that if violence is used against him, he will be forced to react violently.
Keep him tied, it makes him well
The staff believes that keeping the artist restrained will improve his condition.
He's getting better, can't you tell?
The artist is questioning the effectiveness of the treatment he is receiving.
No more can they keep us in
The singer is asserting that he and the others will no longer allow themselves to be trapped in the sanitarium.
Listen, damn it, we will win
The artist is demanding to be heard and insisting that he and the other patients will be victorious in their quest for freedom.
They see it right, they see it well
The staff knows that the patients want to escape, and they understand the reasons for their desire.
But they think this saves us from our Hell
Despite this knowledge, the staff believes that keeping the patients in the sanitarium is actually beneficial for them.
Fear of living on
The singer is terrified of living out his life in the state of fear and captivity he currently finds himself in.
Natives getting restless now
The patients are beginning to grow restless and discontented with their situation.
Mutiny in the air
The patients are beginning to rebel against their captors and the authority that is imprisoning them.
Got some death to do
The singer is willing to risk his life in order to achieve his freedom.
Mirror stares back hard
The singer is reflecting on his life and the choices that have led him to this point.
Kill, it's such a friendly word
The artist sees violence as the only means of achieving his freedom, and has become desensitized to the idea of taking a human life.
Seems the only way
The artist has no other option but to fight for his freedom and escape the sanitarium.
For reaching out again
The artist wants to be able to experience the world outside of the sanitarium and connect with other people once again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hetfield, Kirk L. Hammett, Lars Ulrich
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind